I'm a loser you can attack me. I have had teacher brain for like a week. Totally slipped my mind to get this out. Forgive me. I'm doing my best. Lots of love for you all! Thanks for your patience while I transition into full teacher mode. Ugh! Taylor

The next morning everyone gathered together on the battlefield. Perun and Loke had told no one, but this was a test on Lucy's magic power. They needed her strong so that she could fight hard, but they worried that her magic had gone too haywire. Which was dumb because she fought before and had no trouble. Now they were all just worried about this baby. It only took her three tries to get the special spell down, which they are now calling L. It'll make it easier to say on the battlefield, and also not give away what she's doing. The nice part of this spell was, that she could do it anywhere and at any time. Even if she was running down a hill, she would still be able to do it. If she was in the middle of a fight, she would still be able to do it. If she was, Heaven forbid, taken she could use the spell with great efficiency. It was a great tool to have. The only thing that could cancel this whole thing out was magic suppression cuffs. But that would be the absolute worst thing in the world. Loke would not be able to teleport to her, because her magic would be shut off. That was the one thought that scared them all, but now was not the time to dwell on that.

"Let's kick some ass!" Yukino said.

"I second that!" Lucy yelled. Then like nothing anyone had seen before, a hundred shadow soldiers rose from the ground. The group looked at each other and smiled wickedly. Then they all took position and ran into their own sections.

Lucy got herself surrounded, just the way she liked. She drew Sagittarius' key and called him out. Once he was out the party began. She was not able to call Loke out, due to him being her on his own free will. She had to do with what she had. Sagittarius took out ten with his bow, but she kept getting surrounded. More and more soldiers were rising. She never stopped. She kept going. She called out Cancer and he was taking out just as many a Sagittarius did. She was fighting with two spirits out, and she felt her magic container nowhere near as low as it should have been. She felt like she was on a high. Like she could do anything. And it was an addicting feeling. She was finally getting out her anger in a good ole fashion fight.

That was until her baby zapped her.

"FUCK!" She hissed. All the sudden the soldiers descended into the ground and everyone circled around her. She looked fine.

"Babe! Are you okay?" Laxus said frantically, watching his wife grip her stomach.

"I get it now." She said out of breath. "I get Levy's pain."

"He's not old enough to kick, what are you talking about?" Loke said with a puzzled expression.

"HE FUCKING ZAPPED ME!" She screamed. There was dead silence for a moment…and then everyone lost it!

"What the Hell do you mean he zapped you?" Cobra said trying to breathe, but it wasn't working he just kept laughing.

"Like one second I was kicking ass, feeling high, and then he…he fucking zapped me!" She gave the death glare to the group. "Shut up! It isn't funny!" Laxus was laughing the loudest, and that did not go unnoticed by his wife. "LAXUS!"

"It's my child Lucy, what did you expect?" He stopped laughing and looked at her. "You're hot when you're mad."

"AHH!" She screamed walking away. "We can train more tomorrow, right now I need to talk to Levy.

"Already here." A small voice came from behind the group. They all turned slowly and were met with the Redfox family. Lily was missing, but they expected he was catching a nap while they were gone.

"LEVY!" Lucy yelled walking slash running to her best friend.

"Hey." Levy pushed the breaks on the stroller and gave her best friend a hug. The babies were covered with a blanket, since it was officially winter. "Before you all ask, I'm doing wonderful. I had an easy birth. I'm feeling good. Still a little sore, but that's to be expected. And they are just the greatest thing to happen to me and Gajeel. We're so in love with them, it isn't even funny."

"They have me twisted around their tiny finger." Gajeel said. "I can't even imagine what life would be like without them and my wife."

"I couldn't be a prouder father that my son has shaped up to be the man he is." Metellicanna said pridefully. Before anyone could say anything Cana came out screaming.

"She's gone! She escaped!" Cana was panicked, but the mates, slayers, and dragons were not. They looked at each other smirked and said,

"Good."

"What?" Cana asked.

"It's good she's gone. We let her go." Perun said.

"Why?" Cana asked.

"Because she's taking a message back to her group. One that is vital for this fight. We're not going to battle for about a month. Around November we will fight. And it will be the greatest war there's been since we were slaughtered." Perun was normally calm and collected on these types of things, but a look in his eyes when he said slaughtered made Lucy thing a little harder. She was definitely going to get some answers from him tonight. Cana nodded and headed in, totally not noticing the Redfox's.

"Can we see them? I'm dying to know which baby has what color hair." Lisanna asked. Levy smiled, taking a seat on a bench.

"You can even hold them if you'd like, but Lu and Laxus get to hold them first." Everyone nodded, and Lucy and Laxus took a seat on the bench next to Levy. Lucy was so excited! She could hardly contain it. "Present to you my oldest. Ray Lynn Redfox." She handed the small bundle to Lucy, who had started to cry. She held that baby tight. She noticed that Ray was the one with Black hair like her daddy. No wonder Gajeel was so attached to her already. She was a sweetie. She stole Lucy heart with just a sleepy yawn. "I present to you my chill baby, Daxton Met Redfox. They are my most prized possession, love them like I do." She passed Daxton to Laxus who was visible nervous.

"You've never held a baby, have you?" Gajeel asked. Laxus chuckled.

"Not a day in my life."

"Let me help you. You're gonna need to know how anyways." Gajeel helped Laxus get his arms right, before placing Daxton in his arms. And at that moment, for the hundredth time since getting with Lucy, he started to tear up. "Man don't do that, I'm gonna cry then. And aint nobody wanna see that." Laxus smiled.

"Sorry guys. I can't help it. I really really really can't. I just feel so much love for these kids, and they aren't even mine. I think once you all hold them, you'll get it. You'll feel it, and Cobra will cry too." They all chuckled.

Finally, they passed the babies around. Cobra had wait until last. He was petrified that he was going to cry. This was something he never knew he wanted. He knew he had to have kids, but he didn't think he even liked babies. But these two had him gripping his heart. He knew he was next to hold Ray, and that made him nervous.

"Your turn babe." Kinana said looking at him. She smiled and mouthed it's okay. He nodded taking the bundle. He thought he's last a good five minutes before cry, but no, the moment she was in his arms he lost it.

"God Damnit!" He whispered.

"Man, it's okay." Gajeel said. "Every single person that has held them today has cried. We all have. This is our bond in human form. No one is judging you."

"He's never felt this." Kinana said softly. "The feeling of pure love. The unconditional love that a mother and father give their child. But he's feeling that now with your baby."

"Doll." Cobra said softly.

"I will never tell your story, that's for you to tell, but they should hear just this little bit. You can open up when you're ready."

"Okay." He said softly.

"He was left, like we all were. So, this feeling is so foreign to him. He's even told me that he doesn't like babies. That'd I'd have to do most of the work. Which isn't fair, but I got it. Now, looking at these little pieces of Heaven, he gets that love that someone could have for a child. He gets that feeling of hope. Hope that he'll be good enough. Hope that he'll succeed. Hope that he can keep them safe. It's what we all felt. It's just a little too much." Kinana said.

"You guys really feel that for the twins?" Levy asked.

"Yeah, we do." Lucy said.

"They're supposed too, remember?" Perun said. "You guys are all like second parents. You're supposed to be this emotional over it. It's what's going to happen every time there's a new baby."

"For every child?" Laxus asked. "Like, it'll never fade?"

"Never. And your love for them won't either. You guys all just became parents." Perun said with a chuckled.

"Guess that's kinda nice." Levy said smiling at her group. She was in a baggy shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Her hair was a mess, but that's what no sleep gets you. To Gajeel she was as gorgeous as ever. Mommy looked good on her. This was his fantasy. The way she looked now, was like a mother, and he loved that.

"It's extremely nice." Lucy said rubbing her small bump. "Our babies are in good hands when we're gone."

"Can I hold him again?" Natsu asked softly. He was a little overemotional too. "If it's not too much to ask."

"Of course." Levy said taking Daxton back out of his seat in the stroller. She handed him to Natsu, who was surprisingly a natural with the babies. He held that baby so gently, they couldn't believe it was the same destructive Natsu they knew. This Natsu was something else entirely. He was soft and quiet. He was holding Daxton like there was no tomorrow. He was loving this baby like it was his own.

"You okay Natsu?" Lucy asked placing a hand on his shoulder.

"They're so perfect. And tiny." He said softly. "I have to keep them safe. I have too."

"You will." Gajeel said. "I got a couple people staying with Levy, so that I can come back and start training with you guys. Levy wants in on the action as soon as she's better."

"Who will watch the babies while she fights?" Lucy asked.

"I am." Loke said. "I got permission from the king, again, to take them to the Spirit Realm. Levy will still have to pump her milk at times, but she wants to fight. And this is her fight too. The time is slowed down enough that they will be the same age they are now, just a couple hours older. I can't forbid Levy from fighting, and I don't think anyone wants me too."

"Well…." Gajeel kidded.

"Except Gajeel, but that's understandable."

"Whose team is she joining?" Lucy asked.

"Lucy's. With Lucy on that team it makes things easier. They compliment each other's magic well. It's a great idea to have them together, who knows, maybe I'll teach them some new Celestial tricks." Loke winked.

"Your magic's okay then?" Lucy asked.

"Went right back to normal after they were born. I'll have to pump at night, but other than that, I'll be good to go." Levy said. "Leaving them is going to be a bitch though." She said looking at her bundles of joy.

"But they are safe in the Spirit Realm. There's no way for anyone to get them." Loke said.

"I know, which is why they're going, just sucks."

"I had to live without my mate for a few days, I think it'll be harder this time. But knowing they are for sure safe, makes everything worth it. If they can be that protected, I will sacrifice seeing them for a couple weeks." Gajeel said.

"Think this should be over in a weeks' time. I don't think once this war starts again that it will take long. Unless we have to retreat for a couple days, which may totally happen, and does not mean we've given up, or lost. It means that we are doing what we need to win. Defeat isn't an option. Both of your guilds are too strong to ever accept defeat." Perun said. "We're fighting for more than just us. We're fighting for the friends and love one's us dragons lost in that war. We're fighting for everyone that died and suffered because we couldn't win. This is for them, not us."

"Pops, did you lose someone in that war?" Laxus asked.

"My wife." Perun said softly. He was not about to get into that here though. "But enough on that, lots of people died in that war. All of the dragons did. So now we fight. We fight hard for our rights to live and be free. To have our babies and not fear their impending death. We fight for mates, slayers, and dragons. Let's do this!" Everyone cheered.

Once it was calm again, everyone said goodbye to the Redfox family. They were not yet ready to go into the guild. They had just wanted to see their group. They still needed time, and Levy was convinced she looked like hell.

The gang used the rest of the day to train and were told to be back there tomorrow morning at seven o'clock. They all groaned at that, minus Lucy who was very okay with getting up that early. Everyone hugged and headed home. But Cobra was starting to think, and thinking was too scary for him. He made a promise to himself that he would tell his group the truth, in a week. He gave himself a week to get it all straight in his head. He just needed a little more time. But the time was coming that he's open up too. If Lucy was able to tell the whole group she had been raped, he was able to tell them why he was the way he was. And why he really came to the light side. He was going to have to bare his soul, but a little piece of him didn't mind if it was this group. Part of him liked the idea that he was going to open up to someone other than his mate. It scared him to death, but they were all kinda bound for life. It'd be okay. It always was.

Unless it wasn't.