Hello all, thank you again for reading. I know I keep torturing you guys and telling you this will be my last chapter, but I'm thinking I can get AT LEAST one more chapter in. I also wanted to let you guys know that it may be a week or so before you get the next chapter, as I am moving from Columbus to Long Beach with my boyfriend in less than two days. Gotta live it up while you can, right? But anyway, yeah. I like where I'm going with the story and maybe on my road trip I can come up with ideas on how to keep it going. This fanfic is my baby, and I really don't want it to end lol. anyhow, enjoy, my pretties :)

Chapter 36

Z.R.

It had been a breezy 6 months for Levy and Gajeel. They were able to live a bit more comfortably and not be confined to their quaint house in the woods. He still wouldn't let her take any jobs, but he would bring her and Lily along and put them up at an inn in whatever village his next job would be, that way Lily could help out as needed and he would still be able to see Levy. They made back all of the money they spent on their home plus more, and Gajeel had the spare Jewel tied up for something big for Levy.

Levy's pregnancy was pretty easy, surprisingly. The only thing she hated was the fact that she waddled everywhere and felt as big as a whale. This feeling was new for her as she'd always been tiny. Out of nowhere, around 5 months, she blew up. She'd gone up two sizes and just didn't feel sexy at all.

Of course, Gajeel knew she was feeling self-conscious, and hated seeing his mate feeling down about herself. He personally liked the way she was filling out. Her hips were wider and her chest was a little bigger and he took a particular liking to her rounder ass, unable to resist giving it a smack here and there.

Right now, they were returning to the guild from a pretty long job that Gajeel and Lily took, Levy being excited to be back home.

"Ugh! I'm so tired," Levy whined. "That job took a lot longer than it should have."

"I'm sorry, Shrimp. But on the bright side, we have a bunch of extra Jewel to spend," Gajeel said, holding the doors to the guild open.

"Levy!" Lucy exclaimed as she ran up to her blue-haired friend to give her a bear hug.

"Lucy, how are you?" Levy said, almost being crushed by the blonde's hug.

"I'm great! I feel like it's been ages since I've seen you! Look at you, you're ready to pop!" Lucy said ecstatically.

"Don't remind me," Levy rolled her eyes. "I'm massive!"

"No, you're not massive! You've just filled out in the right places!"

"Well, tell that to my feet!" She pointed down at her feet, which were mildly swollen and slightly sore.

The girls giggled as they walked off, arm in arm.

"The usual?" Mira asked as Gajeel approached the bar.

Gajeel grunted in response, hoping the beer would calm his nerves. As Mira handed him his nearly overflowing mug, he slid a bag of Jewel her direction.

"For the guild," he said.

"Thanks!" She beamed at the iron dragon slayer. "So what's up? You seem a little stressed. How's Levy?"

Gajeel pinched the bridge of his nose, not really wanting to speak to the She-Devil, but he only had two options; be forced to talk to the barmaid or go home, neither of which sounded pleasant. He wouldn't leave his very pregnant mate to walk home by herself and he didn't want to drag her away from her friends, as she hadn't seen them in almost a month. If he'd done that, he'd never hear the end of it.

"She's fine," he managed to grunt out. Which was true, she was fine. He, on the other hand, was not, and it was written all over his face. Honestly, he was scared. Levy was due any minute now and his whole life was about to change. He had no clue how to be a dad or anything and it was messing him up mentally thinking about it.

Mira saw the thoughts churning in his head, and poured him some Sake.

"It's on the house," she smiled.

Gajeel wasted no time downing the beverage, satisfied with the after feeling.

"Talk to her about it," she said, knowingly. "Everything will be alright, I promise."

"Tch." Gajeel nearly rolled his eyes at the comment.

He wanted to talk to Levy, but there never seemed to be a good time lately. She'd either be tired or hungry or complaining about her size, not that he was annoyed with her or anything, he was just dealing with a lot internally and didn't know how to go about expressing himself. By now, she was past her due date by almost a week and he was on high alert. He honestly just wanted her to give birth and get it over with, but he knew that's not how life worked.

He glanced over and saw her gabbing with Bunny Girl, noticing she was finally having a good time. Who could blame her? She'd just spent a long three and a half weeks constantly worrying about he and Lily while outside the comfort of her home. On the bright side, he was able to come to her every night, which brought her peace of mind.

As he downed the last of his beer to wash down the Sake, he stood up and walked toward Levy.

"So, when's your due date?" Lucy asked the shorter mage sitting across from her.

"It was last Tuesday," Levy said, rubbing her belly.

"Wow! So you're ready, huh?"

Levy nodded.

"Why don't you go to see if Porlyusica can induce you?"

As the script mage was about to answer, the baby started kicking, not too hard, but hard enough to be noticed.

"Gajeel is walking this way, isn't he?" Levy asked.

Lucy looked up and sure enough, the iron dragon slayer was strolling up to their table.

"Yeah! How did you know?"

"The baby always kicks when he's around," she smiled softly. "Honestly the only time she doesn't move is when Gajeel isn't around."

"I bet that can get pretty annoying, right?" Lucy asked, genuinely interested in her best friend's pregnancy. Natsu had been hinting about having kids and she suspected he was attempting to knock her up. She wanted to get all the information she could about a dragon slayer's baby.

"What can get pretty annoying?" Gajeel said, wrapping his arms around his mate.

"The baby kicking all the time," Lucy said.

"Actually, no. She doesn't kick hard, but she certainly makes herself known."

"She, huh?" The blonde cocked an eyebrow.

Levy and Gajeel looked at each other and smiled.

"We just have a feeling it'll be a girl."

"Wendy is pretty adamant about it being a boy," Lucy retorted.

"Either way, we'll be happy."

They sat and talked for a few more minutes when Lucy spotted her mate and made a beeline toward him, Gajeel finally happy to be alone with Levy.

"Hey," he said nuzzling her neck. "I'm pretty beat. Let's go home."

"Yeah, my feet hurt, I could lay down right about now," she said, hooking her arms around his neck. "Carry me?"

He exited the guild as he carried her in his arms, making their way back to their cozy house in the woods.

"Oh, yeah, Lucy said something about going to get induced," Levy said, wanting to just get it done and over with.

"Yeah? The old lady can do that for you right?"

"Yeah, I'm just not sure I'm ready."

He looked down at his mate, who looked extremely sad.

"Oi! What is it?"

"I just worry that I won't be a good mother. That I won't be able to provide, that I won't do our child enough justice." She buried her face in her hands, attempting to stop the tears.

Gajeel slowed down, eventually stopping under a shady tree. He gently sat her down and sat next to her, squeezing her hand in his.

"Hey, look at me," he said.

She faced him to find a pair of crimson red eyes gazing into hers.

"I uh… was actually feeling the same way… ya know?"

Levy sniffled and wiped her face with the back of her hand.

"I've… never had any family outside of Metalicana, and even then… he was cold. I fear I won't know how to be loving or supportive. I just…. I don't know how to be a dad, and honestly, Lev," he took both her hands in his. "I'm scared shitless."

He looked out into the horizon, pondering his thoughts.

"I know you'll be a great mother, Levy. You're smart and kind and very forgiving, but also firm and direct and not afraid to stand your ground." He paused for a few seconds then chuckled. "I can see it now."

He imagined having a few kids and them running around and Levy chasing them, his thoughts broken by Levy resting her head on his shoulder.

"I think once the baby is here, it'll come to you naturally. I'm sure everyone feels this way the first time around."

"Are you implying you want a second?" Gajeel flashed her a toothy grin.

"Slow your roll, there," she giggled. "Let's see how it goes first."

Gajeel was all for the idea of having another, assuming this one wasn't… like him. He smiled, remembering his childhood antics, and how he'd always find himself in some sort of trouble. He was a smart kid, maybe too smart for his own good, but he wouldn't be where he was now if he hadn't made the decisions he did.

Life was funny that way. He'd been taken in by a dark guild at a young age and raised to be evil, and yet, this girl—no, woman, was kind enough to forgive him for the horrific things he did to her and her crew. He would never admit it out loud, but he was glad he encountered her that day. If he hadn't, she wouldn't be about to have his kid… well, maybe so. Maybe fate would have brought them together some other way. Maybe not. Either way, he was glad she was in his life.

They sat for a little bit, enjoying the fresh air and scenery, until Levy stated that she was tired and wanted to go home. They hadn't been back home since they went on their job a few weeks ago, and they both just wanted to be comfortable.

He helped her stand and held her hand as they walked home. It wasn't until Gajeel smelled the faint smell of a few of their guild mates as they got closer, that he remembered her surprise.

"Levy," he said, stopping in his tracks. He was trying to think of a way to keep her from the house.

"What is it, Gajeel?"

He wasn't sure how to bring it up without sounding suspicious, but he went for it.

"So, you said something about being induced?"

"Ugh, yes! I just want to get this done and over with! I'm huge, and my feet hurt all the time and I can't sleep properly!"

Gajeel wasn't expecting that reaction from her, but he'd take the win. 'Wow, she must be more ready than me.' He smiled.

"How's about I take you to the old lady and she can induce you?" He suggested.

"Right now?"

"Well, you're already past due, so why not?"

Levy looked at the ground, her feet shuffling around nervously.

"Aw, Shrimp," he said, lifting her chin with his index and thumb. "Don't be nervous. Everything will be alright. I'm right here with you."

"I'm so scared," she said, her voice cracking. "What if there's something wrong?"

He cupped her cheek, the heat from her now flushed cheeks a noticeable contrast to his cold hand.

"There won't be anything wrong, I'm sure of it."

"How do you know?"

He wiped a tear away with his thumb, staring into her glossy, honey eyes.

"Dragon senses."

Levy stood there for a few minutes, thinking about what she should do as she rubbed her belly. 'What should I do, baby?' She asked the baby inwardly, as if a response was feasible. 'Should I keep you in here until you're ready?' After that question rolled out of her thoughts, the baby stopped moving, which was unusual, given how active it usually was. 'Are you ready now?' Once again, the baby responded, this time with a kick. A pretty sharp one at that.

"Ouch!" She said, holding the side of her stomach.

"Levy!" Gajeel was instantly at her side, as always, even though he knew 99% of the time it was just the baby kicking.

"It's ok," she smiled softly at her mate. "I think she's ready."

"Let's get you to Porlyusica."

In a split second, he had her in his arms quickly headed to the pink-haired woman.

"It was good you came to me now," Porlyusica said, ordering Levy out of her clothes and into a robe.

"It could have been detrimental to you and the baby if you would have waited any longer."

The older woman shuffled around her treehouse, gathering the essentials needed to get started.

"First, I'm going to break your water."

Levy was nervous, scared and excited all at the same time. She was soon going to meet the next love of her life. A mini her.

"Shrimp," Gajeel said, holding her hand. "I'm going to head back to the house—"

"You're leaving me?!"

"Relax, I'm just getting a few things for you to make sure you're comfortable," he said, kissing her forehead. "Is there anything specific you want me to grab?"

"Just a change of clothes and a few books. But wait! What if the baby comes while you're away?"

"I won't be gone that long, I promise."

He bent down to give her a kiss when she pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.

"Mmm, Shorty," he growled.

"You know…" she said with a smirk, their foreheads together. "We could do it one more time before the baby comes." Her hands wandered down his chest and abs, lingering just above the waistband to his pants.

When he found out that he wasn't going to be able to be with Levy for at least 6 weeks after giving birth, he nearly flipped his shit.

"That's always fine with me, Shrimp," he said, leaning her back on the bed she was on.

"Absolutely not!"

The two mages broke apart, their faces flushed from slight embarrassment.

"You should have done that before you came. Now that she's here, I'm doing this immediately." Porlyusica said, a scowl on her face.

"Just go, Gajeel," Levy said, kissing him one more time. "I'll be here when you get back."

Gajeel was ecstatic, he was about to be a dad, and he knew she'd definitely appreciate what he had in store for her. He walked quickly back to their home, to find everything in place.

"Those idiots aren't as bad as they seem," he said, pleased with the outcome.

He grabbed a change of clothes for his mate, while carefully selecting a few books for her to read, wanting to pick something he hadn't seen her read in a while. After he gathered her things, he cleaned up a bit, wanting the place to be spotless when they came home.

Gajeel got back to Porlyusica's after a few hours, eager to be by his mate's side. The three of them sat and talked while the older woman kept track of her contractions, Gajeel holding her hand for support.

Porlyusica mainly spoke to them about proper childcare and what and what not to expect. She even beat the dragon slayer to the punch and informed him why the six week rule was in effect, and that they lost likely would be too tired to even think about sex for a while, anyway.

Levy chuckled, knowing Gajeel would always find time to be one with her, no matter how tired he was.

"Laugh now, but later when you guys aren't getting any sleep, it won't be a laughing matter," the older woman scolded. "I'm serious. No touching for six weeks. Can I trust you to keep your hands off?"

Gajeel smirked, knowing it was impossible to keep his hands off Levy.

"Yeah, I can do that."

Porlyusica narrowed her eyes at the large man, not believing a word he said.

"I'll stop by and check on her a few times, as I know it will be as bit difficult getting the child back and forth in the beginning."

"Thank you," Levy said right before another contraction kicked in.

"Aarrghh!" Gajeel exclaimed as his mate squeezed his hand harder than he thought she would have.

"Geez, woman!"

"Sorry," Levy said sheepishly.

Gajeel didn't know his Shrimp was that strong. It warmed his heart.

"I guess my promise in making you bigger was successful," he chuckled, resulting in Levy puffing out her cheeks in frustration.

"Gajeel! That's not funny!"

"What?" He laughed heartily. "I meant strength-wise, not actual size-wise!"

It was a long few hours, and Gajeel ended up falling asleep. Levy couldn't sleep because of the contractions, which were getting closer and closer together. She really wished he was awake to keep her company, but he needed as much rest as he could get. Who knew how much sleep they were going to get? She picked up one of the books he brought for her, happy to get her mind off the pain temporarily.

"Gajeel!"

The dragon slayer was rudely woken by a smack to the head.

"Oi!"

"It's time," Porlyusica said, shoving him out of the way.

Gajeel was a nervous wreck, and he felt helpless. He looked over at Levy who was clearly uncomfortable, and all he could do was stay by her side, and hope nothing bad happened.

"Alright, Levy, this next part is going to be hard," the woman explained.

"When I tell you to push, push as hard as you can, ok?"

Levy nodded, strands of blue hair sticking to her forehead from sweat. Gajeel admired how strong she was. She may have been tiny, but she was not weak. 'Qualities of a great mother.' He held her hand, prepared for it to ache.

"Alright, PUSH!"

Levy screamed, her face red and her hand clenched tightly around Gajeel's.

"Come on, Lev, you got this! Stay strong!" He tried to encourage her.

"PUSH!"

His mate screamed again, squeezing his hang tighter than she did last time.

"I see the head! Keep going, Levy. You're doing great, just one or two more," Porlyusica reached down to support the baby's head as Levy pushed.

"PUSH!"

"AAAAHHHHH SHIT! FUCK!" Levy rarely cursed, but she felt this time, it was needed.

"Levy," Gajeel said, trying to help but when she shot him the deadliest glare he'd ever seen from her, he decided to keep quiet.

"You did this to me!" She yelled in between screams.

'Yup, and I'd do it again, too.' But he couldn't very well say that.

"Come on, one more," the older woman said.

Levy screamed one final time, feeling pressure being relieved afterward.

After a few seconds, the sound of a crying baby could be heard, and Gajeel and Levy wanted nothing more than to see their new bundle of joy.

"Let me clean him up and you may see him," Porlyusica said, carrying the baby off to be cleaned.

"Him?" They both asked simultaneously.

"Yes, it is a boy," she responded, walking off.

The room was silent, the anticipation of seeing their child overbearing. After a minute or so, she came back into the room with him wrapped up and handed him to Levy.

The script mage and the iron dragon slayer stared in awe at the baby in her arms, amazed that they created life. The baby had black hair, like his father, but they couldn't see his eyes yet, as they were still closed. Levy caressed the baby's cheek, entranced by how soft his skin was.

"He's opening his eyes!" She exclaimed as they watched the baby slowly open his eyes, revealing hazel eyes, like his mom.

This had to have been the cutest baby she'd ever seen, and not just because it was hers… well, maybe that was a small part of it.

"What do you want to name him?" She asked softly as she handed Gajeel the child.

"Well, it looks like he takes after his Pop, huh?"

Upon closer examination, Levy realized she gave birth to a mini Gajeel. How adorable.

"How about…." He thought for a second. "Zeke."

Levy couldn't help but smile. For some reason, she really liked that name, and felt somewhat attached to it.

"I love it," she beamed at her mate.

"And I love you," he said, swelling with pride. "And I love this little guy."

"Zeke Redfox."