Pride

Summary: Cornelia finds out that's she's pregnant and decides to do the right thing. She swallows her pride and goes home to tell Gildarts about the baby.

Disclaimer: I don't own

AN: This is based on the original draft of Blessed Man that didn't wind up making the cut, but I managed to revamp it in order to make this happen. Learning just before the actual moment is one thing, but knowing almost from the very beginning is something else entirely.

Cornelia Alberona was a very proud woman, sometimes to a fault.

She had absolutely no problem acknowledging this flaw in her personality.

But for the sake of her pride she had walked away from the greatest thing in her life and now she didn't know what she was supposed to do.

Gildarts wasn't perfect.

He was a flirt, a workaholic, and a borderline alcoholic (so was she to be honest), but she loved him and she really hoped that he still loved her. Their relationship wasn't all fights and struggle and frustration- in the beginning it had been magical.

Like when they had laid out in the middle of nowhere to look at the stars and fireflies had spiraled around them like fairy dust. When they had been rained in and spent all their time pounding away at that beat up old piano and she had looked over and seen how his smile made his eyes light up and she realized that she had fallen in love. All the late nights, all the laughter, the joy… why had she thrown it all away?

And now she was pregnant.

In seven months she was going to become a mother and Gildarts was going to become a father.

They'd talked about this. How many children they wanted, what their names would be… when things had started breaking down between them, they'd stopped talking.

But he would be an amazing father, she'd seen the way he looked at children playing in the street, how gentle he'd been when he pulled those little ones from the rubble when they first met… this baby… no matter how he felt about her, he'd love their baby more than anything in the world.

She could see it in her mind, of her husband holding their newborn baby like they were made of sugar glass, smiling as their child took their first steps toward him, pushing them on the swing… if she gave him the chance he'd be an incredible father.

If

She was a stubborn, prideful person. And even though she dealt with the guilt and heartbreak that came from walking away… she hadn't left without reason.

She was tired of always being left at home, of him spending hours at the guild instead of spending time with her, of waking up in the middle of the night to her husband gone and a scribbled note that he'd taken another job. She deserved to be treated like she mattered, but she hadn't tried very hard to fix things either.

She could've suggested marriage counseling, she could have sat down and told him exactly what she felt, she could have done a lot of things.

Cornelia Alberona was a very prideful person, but… was her pride worth depriving her child of a father?

Even if he didn't love her anymore, even if they could never go back to the life that they had once shared… he deserved to be a part of this baby's life. And even if he would never be hers again, at least he would still be in her life.

And if nothing else… if nothing else then she would at least know where they both stood. Together or not.

oOOOOo

Three weeks.

Three weeks since everything had fallen apart. Three weeks since he had slept well. Three weeks since he had said things he hadn't meant and let his wife walk out the door.

Three weeks and Gildarts could honestly say that he was falling apart.

Three weeks and he still kept hoping that she would walk back through that door and give him another chance.

Talk about a pipe dream.

He had treated her like dirt. Always shoved her feelings to the side and put his thrill-seeking lust for adventure over his wife. Had left for jobs while she was sleeping to avoid the fights he knew were coming. He had hurt her so badly… if he was in Conny's shoes he would have kicked him to the curb ages ago.

Now… what was he supposed to do?

How was he supposed to pick up and carry on without her in his life? How could he keep living in this empty house, sleep in a bed that was way too big, constantly see the ghosts of the life they could have had if he wasn't such a pathetic coward-

He blinked trying to figure out if he'd actually just heard that, or if he was imagining things again.

A second knock sounded at the door and he hesitantly got up, trying not to let the hope build up in his chest and opened the door.

And almost collapsed when he saw the beautiful face of his Cornelia on the other side.

She swallowed nervously and quietly asked, with a hesitancy he'd never seen from her before," Can I come in?"

He gaped like an idiot for a second before blurting out," Of course you can!" Of course she could come in- this was her house why did she think she needed to ask?

Then the two of them were sitting across from each other at their small kitchen table in an awkward silence neither knew how to break.

Cornelia was the first to bite the bullet," Gildarts… I'm so sorry."

He jerked- why was she apologizing? She didn't do anything wrong it was his fault-!

She continued, trying to get everything out before she lost her nerve," Fairy Tail is such a huge part of your life- I had no right to ask you to give that up and you help so many people that it's so selfish to ask you to stop-" She took a deep breath to try and get herself under control," I don't want this to be the end. I want to wake up every morning with you by my side, I want to be with you for the rest of my life- I-I just… please just say something." She pleaded.

"Why are you apologizing?" He blurted out, wincing at how that must have sounded," What I mean- Conny I'm the one who screwed up. I didn't care enough about you- I put Fairy Tail first and that's not fair. I haven't slept right since you left, and I've been staring at that door hoping that you'd walk back through it. Conny, if you give me another chance- if you give me another chance, I promise things will be different this time!"

For a moment silence reigned in the small kitchen as Cornelia stared in wide-eyed disbelief at her husband, then let out a small laugh," We're a right pair of idiots, aren't we?"

For some reason this was the straw that broke the camel's back as both husband and wife broke down laughing. Falling onto the floor and clinging onto each other as they laughed. Fingers lacing together in the perfect they'd always been.

After a while they finally calmed down and Gildarts pulled her into his arms and kissed her as desperately as he needed air. The two breaking apart after several minutes and gently laying their foreheads together.

"Gildarts…" She started," Gildarts, we both fucked up, but I think we can do this. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and now… now I guess we have even more reason to fix things."

The Ace blinked and stared down at the brunette in confusion, as she took his hand and gently laid it on her belly and held it there, a gentle smile on her lips. "Gildarts, I'm pregnant."

Cornelia was not a woman who strongly believed in gods or fate, but as she watched this amazing man's face light up, pure joy etched across every feature as his smile stretched from ear to ear… well, just this once she'd call herself a believer.

oOOOOo

Once again, he couldn't sleep, but it wasn't out of grief this time.

Gildarts stared down at Cornelia's peaceful face as she slept folded in his arms where she belonged.

This woman and the life they were creating… if he ever needed proof of gods or miracles this was it.

She had come back, she had forgiven him for everything he'd done, they were going to do things right this time- they were going to communicate, they were going to sort their problems out, they weren't going to give up so easily. Conny was right, they definitely had some excellent incentive.

A baby.

They were going to have a baby.

His gaze drifted downward towards his wife's covered belly… towards where their baby was growing.

Slowly, so he didn't wake her (she needed her sleep now more than ever- she was making a whole new human being), he carefully peeled the blankets back and slowly pushed her nightgown up until her stomach was exposed.

The smooth expanse of her lower belly looked as it always had, but if he really looked he could almost make out a curve that was just beginning to take shape.

He ghosted his fingertips across her skin, carefully letting his hand rest right over her navel.

Their child was growing under his hand. His magnificent wife was going to bring their child into the world… a beautiful little baby made from the love that they shared.

"Hi there." He said softly, feeling a few more tears build in his eyes," I'm your Daddy. I don't know if you can hear me, but I want you to know that I love you so much already, that Mommy loves you so much already. You are a miracle and I'm going to make sure you know it. You don't have to worry about anything, Daddy's learned his lesson and he's never going to make the same mistake again. All you have to do is grow big and strong." He smiled finally letting the tears fall," Oh I can't wait to meet you- but don't rush. Take your time in there until you're good and ready, don't worry, I can wait."

He started slightly when Conny's hand came up to rest over his own. His eyes darting to meet hers and the gentle smile she gave him as she rubbed her thumb across the back of his hand.

They stayed like that the rest of the night, nothing else needing to be said.

oOOOOo

To say the Fairy Tail guild was curious would be an understatement.

Gildarts spent most of his days by the guild when he was home, but Cornelia?

They could count the amount of times she came over on one hand, add onto it that this was the first time anyone'd seen either them in weeks… well everyone was trying to figure out what was happening.

No one had ever seen Gildarts as happy as he was now, the man was practically vibrating in place and sent his wife love-struck grins every few minutes. It was like a kid in love for the first time.

Makarov was the first person to ask.

"So- first time I've seen either of you in a while." He noted casually as he settled at the bar next to the happy couple.

The two looked at each other and shrugged.

"We hit a rough patch," The brunette admitted," But we worked things out."

The old man smiled," That's good to hear."

The Ace gave his wife a peck on the cheek and she gave him a long-suffering grin and mock-sighed," Go ahead." When her husband looked at her in surprise she shrugged," Go ahead and tell them, I know you want to."

The redhead stared at his wife in amazement for a second before throwing his arm around her," Hey everyone!" He yelled across the hall, as soon as he had everyone's attention, he proudly exclaimed," We're having a baby!"

For a moment all was still, then the hall erupted in cheers as everyone swarmed the two of them.

"Oh my god- congratulations!"

"You guys are going to be awesome parents!"

"LET'S DRINK TO THE NEW BABY!"

Everyone went wild at that last one. Cheering as the good alcohol was pulled out from the basement and the Fairy Tail party quickly was underway. Everyone celebrating the baby on the way.

Makarov approached the happy couple and pulled them both into a hug," Congratulations you two." He said looking at the two of them with proud eyes," You two are going to be wonderful parents."

Both of them smiled and Gildarts verbalized what they were both thinking," Thank you Master. I can't wait for our baby to its grandfather."

The old man blinked in shock before he started wailing," Grand- oh I'm having another grandbaby!" The old man was crying a river with his tears of joy.

Throughout it all the two of them smiled, pleased beyond belief at just how much love everyone had for their baby before it was even born. Fairy Tail was wild and destructive, but a fantastic place to raise a child.

oOOOOo

Her husband was acting like a drunken puppy.

She really couldn't think of any other way to describe him.

He was practically bouncing around Magnolia's shopping district, looking at all of the tiny little baby toys and adorable little outfits with a goofy grin on his face.

He'd insisted that they needed to start getting ready right that moment- because their baby needed so much and it was only fair that they made sure that the little one had everything they could possibly want.

"Conny what do you think of this one?" Gildarts asked holding up a tiny little onesie with 'daddy's little princess' embroidered across the chest.

The brunette raised an eyebrow," You know there's an equal chance that we're having a boy, right?"

The Ace flushed slightly, before shaking his head," It's a girl." He said firmly.

"And how can you be so sure?"

"Father's intuition."

She smirked," Oh, and here I thought it was mother's intuition."

"Not this time."

His enthusiasm must be contagious, because she could feel a grin spreading across her face as her husband bent down and put a kiss on the tip of her nose.

"Conny… I keep expecting to blink and find out this is all a wonderful dream."

She gave him a quick kiss on the nose," This is real. And if it really is a dream then I don't want to wake up either. Now we have to hurry up- my appointment's in twenty minutes."

Ten minutes later and the two of them were seated in the waiting room of the maternity clinic. Today was just a general check in to make sure baby was healthy and to pinpoint a due date.

"Alberona-Clive!"

The two eagerly stood up and followed the nurse back.

The nurse laid Conny down before explaining what was going to happen," Okay- since this is your first check up with us here's what's going to happen. This lacrima here," She pointed to the round crystal on the end of a device that looked similar to an ear horn," Is going to be laid on your belly, and if your baby's in position we'll get to hear their heartbeat. You're a little too early for a detailed scan, but we are going to take pictures of the little one with a different lacrima that's being used right now. Any questions?"

The husband and wife exchanged a look and shook their heads and the nurse carefully laid the device on Cornelia's belly and a quick, fluid sound filled the room.

The nurse smiled," Sounds like the little one is doing just perfect." She informed the parents who looked awestruck at the sound of their child's heartbeat.

"Is it supposed to be that fast?" Gildarts asked nervously, relieved when the nurse nodded.

"A normal fetal heart rate is between one hundred and twenty to one hundred and sixty beats per minute- your little one seems to holding steady at one thirty five." She said with a small smile, happy to ease the anxious father's worries.

"When do you think we can find out what we're having?" Cornelia asked curiously, getting a shrug in return.

"Depends on what position the little one decides to stay in when they get big enough- normally I'd say around eighteen to twenty weeks but I've seen some stubborn kids who kept the secret til the end."

The red head let out a snort, making his wife raise an eyebrow at him," And what's so funny?" She asked pointedly.

The Ace shrugged," If she's anything like you sweetheart then we'll be guessing up until the last moment."

The pregnant woman playfully rolled her eyes," You mean if he is anything like me we'll be left guessing." She said with a teasing grin, her husband leaning over to give her a quick peck.

The nurse cleared her throat," Okay- I'm going to leave you guys alone for a few minutes while I go grab the doctor, sound good?"

Both adults nodded and she left the room.

"…who do you think they'll look like- you or me?" Cornelia asked quietly, staring down at her now covered belly.

"If we really are having a pretty little girl, well, she's going to look just like her mom." Gildarts said softly, grabbing his wife's hand," But if we have a boy… I don't know. As long as they are healthy I really don't care."

"Same here."

The door opened to reveal a kindly blonde-haired woman with peculiar pink eyes," Hi." She said with a warm smile," I'm Dr. Addison, shall we get started?"

oOOOOo

"Put bar A, through slot E, securing with washers H, using wrench F which is- "Gildarts cut himself off glaring sourly at the directions," Not provided."

Cornelia stifled a laugh from where she was going over all the clothes they'd gotten, carefully organizing them by size and color to create a beautiful rainbow effect when they opened the drawer.

The couple had been rained inside their house for almost a week now and had decided to go ahead and start working on the nursery since they had the time.

"This so fucking stupid." The Ace growled, about ready to tear his hair out," It's a fucking crib- not a magic mobile! It shouldn't be this hard!"

The brunette rolled her eyes," Why don't you let me give it a try- "

"No!" He said dismissively, before giving his wife an exasperated look," Conny, I don't think you understand how this works."

The pregnant woman still feeling an icy calm wash over her as she sweetly questioned," Oh, I don't do I?"

Gildarts froze, recognizing the tone of her voice that told him he had ten seconds to plead his case or he was screwed. "Conny you are building a new life from scratch. Your usual magnificence has tripled as you are doing something that my fragile male ego can't even begin to comprehend. Something that my body would never be able to do. You are the one doing all the hard work, now all you should be doing is sitting back and relaxing while I take care of everything else."

She gave him a smile, tears building in her eyes," Nice save." She said playfully, happy as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her cheek.

"But it's the truth."

oOOOOo

"BETS TAKEN!" A newcomer to the guild, Macao yelled happily," Come on place your bets now! I'm offering very good odds on delivery date combined with gender!"

"This is ridiculous." Cornelia said in exasperation, watching as the majority of the guild swarmed the young fire wizard.

"Oh, let them have their fun." Makarov said playfully from his perch next to the pregnant woman.

Gildarts was off on a brief courier mission- completely beneath someone of his caliber but considering the client requested him personally and was willing to pay through the nose… well they had a baby on the way. It was best that they start stockpiling as much as they can.

"So…" The old man said, clearly trying to be casual," Have you found out what my new grandchild is going to be?" He asked hopefully.

The brunette shrugged," Well its not a warthog I can tell you that much." She said drily which made the miniature guildmaster pout like a child.

And speaking of children…

"Good morning Miss Cornelia!" Laxus said cheerfully with a bright, gap-toothed, smile.

"Good morning Laxus." She said fondly, helping the child up onto the bar stool," And what do you think you'll be up to today?"

The little boy brightened," My teacher said I'm ready to start reading chapter books!" He said his enthusiasm making both adults brighten.

"Chapter books already?" Makarov asked with a proud grin," You know your father didn't start reading like that until he was almost six."

"…really?" Laxus asked in complete awe that he might be better than his father at something.

"Really." The old man confirmed with a smile.

The little boy started bouncing in his seat, completely thrilled with this new information and Cornelia decided to be nice.

"Well, we have to celebrate an achievement like this." She pointed out, grinning at the way the little boy seemed to hold his breath at the prospect of a reward," How about I take you out for ice cream after your class? If it's okay with your grandfather of course."

Laxus turned his best puppy eyes onto his grandfather, who broke almost instantly.

"Of course its alright with me!" He exclaimed proudly," And I'm coming to! I have to brag all about you to everyone I know!" He said affectionately ruffling the boy's hair.

The brunette let out a small laugh as she took in the sweet scene, then she froze. Her expression falling as she went almost catatonic, one hand coming to rest on her belly.

"Miss Cornelia are you okay?" The little boy asked in concern, his grandfather echoing him a minute later.

"Cornelia? Cornelia can you hear me?" The man asked in alarm, noticing how the woman barely seemed to be breathing. "Are you alright? Is there something wrong with the baby?"

"Can someone get Gildarts please?" She asked quietly.

"WAKABA!" Makarov yelled across the hall to one of the other newcomers," Get Gildarts now! Tell him somethings wrong."

The smoker nodded, looking slightly pale, but immediately bolting out the door as the rest of the hall swarmed around the dazed mother to be.

oOOOOo

"GILDARTS!"

The Ace turned at the sound of his name, an eyebrow raised as he took in the panting man he vaguely recognized as one of the two newbies that were always hitting up the bar.

"What's up?" He asked, slightly concerned as the other man let out a wheeze.

"It's- "Wakaba took in a deep breath," Master sent me- something wrong with Cornelia-"

"What happened?!" He demanded, terror shooting through him as he didn't even bother to wait for the other man to answer. Bolting in the direction of the guildhall as quickly as he could.

What was wrong?

He'd been gone for maybe four hours- how could something have possibly happened without him there?!

Was something wrong with the baby or was something wrong with Conny?!

They had passed the danger window- was this one of those second trimester complications they'd been warned about?!

He burst through the doors (more accurately he destroyed the doors) and made a beeline shoving people out of his way until he could be next to his wife.

"Conny what's wrong?" He asked desperately, taking in his wife's pale and shocked face," Do you need me to take you to the hos-" His hand was grabbed and placed onto her belly," What-" His confused exclamation was short lived when he felt it.

A small pressure against his hand, barely noticeable.

"It's finally moving around in there." Conny said quietly, her husband joining her in her shocked and awed state as they felt their child move against their palms.

"Wait- IT'S MOVING?!"

The tense atmosphere vanished like a mirage as everyone started celebrating.

The parents to be sat through all the chaos and the cheers, focused on the soft movements of their baby.

This was bliss.

oOOOOo

"I told you so!" Gildarts crowed happily as the two of them walked out of the office.

Cornelia rolled her eyes," I think you'll find I never disagreed with you- I just pointed out that there was an equal chance."

The Ace suddenly dropped down to his knees, pressing one ear to her swollen belly," Uh-huh, uh-huh- oh what was that last princess? Are you trying to say that Mommy should concede defeat and give Daddy a victory kiss? Oh, what a good little girl you are." He cooed, looking up at his exasperated wife with the most innocent face he could muster," You should really listen to our little girl Conny. Not even born yet and she's already so smart."

"I'm sure she is." The woman said dryly," Now get up- we have the 'surprise' baby shower to get to."

"Shhh not so loud." Gildarts said playfully looking around for any sign of eavesdroppers," We gotta let them have this one- they'd all be so disappointed if they found out we knew."

"I'm sure."

"She's going to every bit as beautiful as you are." He said softly, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Cornelia looked up at him," And what if I want her to have your eyes?" She asked playfully, reaching up to press a kiss to the tip of his nose," I wouldn't mind if she came out a redhead either."

The Ace shrugged, too drunk on happiness to care about anything else," It doesn't matter what color her hair is or her eyes- she's going to be beautiful like you no matter what."

She was blinking back tears," How are you always this stupidly romantic?" She asked him incredulously, making him let out a booming laugh that sent vibrations through her chest.

"It's just a gift of mine darling."

oOOOOo

"You want me to what?" Gildarts demanded incredulously, staring at the miniature guildmaster just waiting for the old man to laugh about the joke.

But Makarov leveled him with a serious stare," Gildarts believe me if I had any other options I wouldn't ask, but this emergency request cannot be ignored."

"Master- Conny's due any day now! You can't seriously ask me to leave!"

"If I had any other choice I wouldn't." The old man said, stone faced," But the fact of the matter is that you are the only S-Class wizard currently available and Fairy Tail is the closest guild to Jericho- if we ignore this there is no telling how many lives could be lost."

The Ace crumbled; Master was right. He couldn't ignore this.

"Let me talk to Conny." He said quietly," I can't leave unless she's okay with it."

This was how it had all started. Him being an idiot with a hero complex had almost cost him his marriage, and now it might cost him witnessing his daughter's birth.

The doctor had been clear- Conny had reached term and at any point within the next two weeks it could suddenly be show time. He couldn't miss this; he didn't want to miss this.

He trudged home slowly, savoring the chill in the air.

He didn't want to miss his daughter's birth… but he also couldn't ignore the people that needed help.

"Conny!" He yelled as he stepped through the front door," I'm home!"

"I'm in the kitchen!"

Going by the smells wafting through the air, she was still meal prepping. They'd heard enough horror stories that she'd been cooking for almost three days straight to make sure they had enough to last them six months when the baby got here. He'd tried to help but after he almost melted the stove it was decided that he should stick to moral support.

Gildarts rested in the doorway, watching his wife hum to herself as she put the finishing touches on the stew that would be dinner at some point. Her belly made it hard for her to navigate through their small kitchen. According to the doctor, Arcana was now in a head-down position that was ideal for birth, but unfortunately had the side effect of increasing the size of her mother's belly.

He came up behind her and wrapped her in his arms, the brunette starting in surprise.

"Don't scare me like that!" She said in mock admonishment," You heard what she said- any day now!"

"Yeah I know." He said quietly, and the look on his face must have clue her in.

She turned off the burners as she looked at him in open concern," What's wrong."

He swallowed nervously, before admitting," The guild got an emergency job request this morning. A monster is rampaging through Jericho. I'm the only S-Class wizard available right now."

The admission sat heavily in the air, as she processed the news.

She took a deep breath," How long do you think you'll be? I don't want to have her without you, but if you have to be there by lacrima then we'll make it work."

Gildarts started," You're okay with- "

"I knew what kind of man you were when I married you." She interrupted calmly," You're not a man who can stand by while people are in danger. You always have to charge in like some knight in shining armor to save the day and I love that about you. I lost sight of things for a while, but when you go out to help people not because you want the praise, but because it's the right thing to do." She took his hand and laid it against her belly, Arcana giving him a good kick," I'm so proud of you Gildarts. And she will be too. Just because you missed the birth doesn't make you any less her father."

She gently kissed him," Now go save the day- the sooner you leave the sooner you'll be back. I'll do what I can until then."

All he could do was stare at his wife in amazement. "How did I get so lucky?"

A shrug," Having big muscles and excellent cheekbones certainly helped. Now get going."

He grinned," I'll be back in time." He swore," And I'll grab both of you a present on my way back."

"I look forward to it."

oOOOOo

It was the fastest he had ever completed an S-Class job in his life.

It took him a day and a half to get to Jericho, two hours of getting briefed by the poor people who'd put in the request, and twenty minutes to kill the damn thing. Add in another two days to get back home, because some fuckwit blew up the nearest train station- and he was finally back.

"Master." He greeted politely, wanting to wrap this up as fast as possible," Mission went great, monster is dead, glory for Fairy Tail- we good?"

The old man looked totally amused and nodded," We're good." He said trying not to laugh," Now go home to your wife Gildarts, she's waiting for you."

The Ace nodded and spun on his heel, when he stopped," Master, did I…" He couldn't even bring himself to finish the question, but thankfully the smaller man understood.

"She hasn't made her grand entrance yet, if that's what you're asking," Makarov softened," Go home Gildarts, hug your wife and rest easy, you haven't missed a thing."

Relief spread through him.

He hadn't missed it. Conny was still pregnant.

What the fuck was he still doing here when he could be cuddling with his wife?

"Thanks Master- goodnight!" He yelled over his shoulder as he bolted out of the guildhall.

By the time he made it home it was almost midnight.

He let himself in and, as carefully as he could (it took a lot of concentration) he dropped his things and made his way up the stairs.

Conny was fast asleep, curled up under the blankets with every pillow they owned strategically placed to ensure maximum comfort.

He grinned at the sight of his beautiful wife sleeping in her own little nest like a small animal, and carefully climbed in, pulling her against his chest.

She smiled," Welcome home."

"Sorry- didn't mean to wake you." He whispered, pressing a kiss to his wife's head, one hand going down to rub her belly.

"Hold me and I'll forgive you." She mumbled, already halfway back to dreamland.

"Can do." He said with a grin, settling down to sleep himself.

He woke up after some unknown amount of time alone.

Gildarts groped around in the darkness, and after failing to locate his wife, groggily sat up.

The bathroom light was on and he could hear the sound of running water from the sink.

Conny re-entered the room, shooting him an apologetic look when she noticed he was awake.

"Didn't mean to wake you." She apologized, but Gildarts just shrugged.

"You okay?"

The pregnant woman let out an exasperated huff," Your daughter has been sitting on my bladder for almost two days now."

He smirked," So she's my daughter, now is she?"

"For now, until she decides to move- then she'll be ours again." Cornelia said playfully as she settled back down on the blankets and was about to try to go back to sleep, when she let out a hiss," Ow, fuck."

He sat up," Are you okay?" He asked in concerned, but she waved him off.

"Just Braxton-Hicks." She explained, settling in," They've been sneaking up on me for the last few days."

That seemed to be the end of it as the couple settled back, both attempting to fall back to sleep.

Then Cornelia let out another pained hiss.

Gildarts was mildly alarmed," Conny, those were really close together- "

"Just a coincidence." She said dismissively, only for her husband to raise an eyebrow.

"Have you tried timing these coincidences?"

"No, but- "

"Humor me, please?"

She huffed but conceded defeat. "Fine- it's not like I was going to be able to sleep that well anyway."

It took a moment for the Ace to find the small stopwatch in the dark, settling himself by his wife's side, ready to hit the timer if she had another contraction.

"So, what did you do while I was gone?" He asked curiously, trying to stave off the awkward silence.

"Not much." She admitted," Though I did threaten to castrate Ivan- bastard tossed out the bracelet Laxus made for him."

Gildarts snorted," Wish I could've been around to see that." Ivan's treatment of Laxus had been a frequent topic of conversation between them, especially since they had begun preparing for their own child.

"I swear Gildarts- one of these days I'm just going to tell Makarov we're keeping him and bring him home."

"Who- Laxus or Ivan?" He asked playfully, getting a half-hearted swat.

"Don't be a smartass." She scolded, before shaking it off," Seriously though, no kid should be treated like that."

The crash mage nodded," We're in total agreement." He said firmly," The day you decide enough is enough, I'll turn the spare into a room for him. If you think about it, it'll almost be better than a pregnancy- no waiting period for one thing."

"True." She said in amusement before groaning as another pain hit her.

Gildarts didn't waste any time, immediately clicking the stopwatch.

Cornelia pressed her hand into her belly, trying to edge the pain away," Okay." She conceded," These might be something."

He didn't bother to gloat," Conny…are we ready?" He asked quietly.

She looked over at him, taking in the unusual nervous expression on his face and gave him a soft smile," Yeah. Yeah, I think we are Gildarts. We've got each other and soon we'll have her."

"And maybe Laxus."

"And maybe Laxus." She agreed, before changing the subject," So, did you bring back any souvenirs?" She asked playfully, feeling a warmth in her chest when he flashed her that boyish grin she loved so much and dove for the bag he'd left by the door.

"It's not much, but… well I figured you'd appreciate it over jewelry," He said as he carefully passed her a paper-wrapped object.

She carefully unwrapped it, to reveal a large chunk of what was clearly some sort of monster horn.

"Hacked it off myself." Her dope of a husband said proudly, beaming like a dog that brought back the stick. If he had a tail, she was pretty sure it would be wagging. "Do you like it?"

"I love it." She said honestly," We'll have to display it somewhere, it'd be a nice showpiece."

"I also got something for little girl." He said pulling out an adorable teddy bear, with velvet-soft fur and a red bow tied around its neck.

She found herself tearing up," Stupid hormones." She said smiling as she took the bear.

Her little one had an incredible daddy, that wasn't even a question.

"Fuck." She swore as another contraction crashed down over her head.

Gildarts clicked the stopwatch of and stared between his wife and the small clock in awe. "Twenty-five minutes exactly. Conny," He whispered, a stunned smile on his face," You're in labor."

"That's amazing. Now shut up and let me go back to sleep." She said fondly, stifling a snort at his outraged expression," There's nothing we can do until they either get down to five minutes apart or my water breaks- so I'm going to try to sleep while I can."

He let out a breath and nodded. She was right after all.

As they settled down again, he said one last thing," Conny… thank you. Thank you for everything."

She smiled," You don't have to thank me for anything- I wouldn't be here now if I didn't have such an amazing man at my side to make this all possible."

oOOOOo

She was here. Arcana was here.

It had taken sixteen hours, but she was finally here.

Six pounds and ten ounces. Ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes.

She could fit in the palm of his hand…

This was the greatest day of his life.

Even if Cornelia had broken his hand- nothing else mattered right now, just his two best girls. Both of whom were exhausted after the long day.

Well, Conny was exhausted- Arcana was hungry.

His little girl was currently nursing at her mother's breast, Conny smiling down at her with a peaceful smile on her face.

"What are you smiling at?" She asked, quirking a brow at her husband.

"You. Her. The two of you together." He said honestly," This is the greatest day of my life."

"Sorry about your hand." She said, wincing in sympathy when she got a look at the splint he'd been outfitted with but he waved her off.

"This is nothing." He said dismissively," If nothing else this'll be a funny story to tell."

She laughed," Very true." She looked down at the little girl and laughed again," I think she's asleep."

"Seriously?" He asked incredulously. Walking over only to see that his wife was right- their little girl had fallen asleep in the middle of her meal.

Cornelia gently eased the little girl off and rubbed her back until she spit up a little bit of milk (and somehow was still asleep- hopefully this meant good things for the future).

"You wanna hold her?" Gildarts started but nodded and carefully accepted the bundle of joy.

Arcana was so light that it hardly felt like he was holding anything. She was fragile and delicate, and so beautiful.

"You know." He said, settling down next to his wife on her hospital bed," I love her name and all- but can we call her 'Cana' for short? It just seems to suit her is all."

The new mother found herself tearing up," I love it. Its perfect."

Happy birthday Cana Clive.

oOOOOo

"Conny- are you sure you don't want to just go home?" Gildarts asked in concern as the three of them approached the doors of the Fairy Tail guildhall," You just gave birth- they said no strenuous activity for the first few weeks."

The brunette affectionately rolled her eyes at her fussing husband," Walking around is not strenuous activity." She said pointedly but stood up on her toes to kiss his cheek," But thank you for the concern."

He grinned down at her and carefully adjusted his grip on the baby carrier that held their sleeping little girl.

At three days old, Cana was looking prettier every second and was downright angelic as she cuddled her bear as she snoozed.

Unfortunately, they had quickly discovered that while she was the heaviest sleeper anybody had ever seen- that did not mean she was an easy baby. She slept when she wanted to sleep and demanded everyone around her adjust things to suit her preferences. Not that her parents minded too much.

The doors to the guildhall opened easily and the new parents stepped in, smiling at the usual bustle and chaos of the Fairies that called this place home.

"Hey everybody!" Gildarts called across the room," We brought somebody we want all of you to meet!"

Even the air went still, as the commotion ceased, and all heads turned to the new parents.

The Ace proudly held up the newborn," I would like you all to meet our daughter: Arcana Rebecca Clive."

Since everyone else was stuck in a stupor, Makarov approached the new parents. The old man took one look at the sweet face of his newborn granddaughter and broke down in happy tears.

"Oh, she's so beautiful-!" He wailed, which set off a chain reaction as the entire hall scrambled to get a look at the little girl.

At some point both Gildarts and Cornelia wound up seated at one of the tables as an impromptu celebration began, with toasts and music and laughter, and happy tears all around.

"Wow." Laxus said in awe as he looked down at his little cousin, who was being held in their grandfather's arms," Was I ever that small?" He asked curiously.

The old man nodded, a gentle look on his face," Indeed you were." He told his little grandson kindly.

"Can I have my baby back Master?" Gildarts interrupted, eager to get his little girl back in his arms, to which the smaller man easily agreed, passing the baby back to her father.

As she watched everything around her, Cornelia smiled, completely content.

This was the greatest blessing that she could have ever been given, and she was going to hold onto it with everything she had.

Who needed pride anyway?

AN: This one was sappy even by my standards, but I wanted to fit in as much of the relationship between the two of them as I could, especially in their 'preparing for baby' stage. The scene with Gildarts taking to unborn Cana was the first thing I wrote, it was just very important to me. The second part I wrote was the scene with the crib- the world seems split between those who can follow IKEA directions and those who can't, I just thought it would be funny before leading up into the sappiness. I had originally planned on putting a different chapter up but it failed quality checks at the last minute.

Hope you guys liked this one!