Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

"Blergh!"

Natsu let out a groan as he opened his eyes. One of the girls was sick it sounded like. He rubbed at his eyes and reached over to pat Lucy on the shoulder to wake her. When he touched nothing but air his brow furrowed. He sat up and saw that her side of the bed was empty. Maybe Layla had gotten sick and Lucy had already taken her to-

"Blergh!"

He turned his head to see that the light to the bathroom attached to their room of the hotel suite was on. A low groan came from inside it.

"Oh, no…" he grumbled as he sat up and looked over into the crib set up next to their bed. Layla was still sound asleep, so she wasn't the one throwing up. He scooted out of the bed and headed towards the bathroom. Lucy was leaned over to toilet, looking very green, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand.

"Luce?" he asked.

"Hey…" she weakly replied.

Natsu walked to her side and sat down next to her, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Are you sick?" he asked.

"Well, I just threw up, so…"

"Did you eat something weird?" Natsu asked, concerned, placing a hand to her forehead to feel for a fever. She felt a bit warm, but not so much that it would worry him.

"I ate the same thing everyone else did," Lucy muttered.

"Hm…" Natsu grumbled. "You hurtin' anywhere else or you just throwing up?"

"A bit of a headache," Lucy replied.

Natsu leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. As he did so he caught a whiff of something and all but jumped back.

"What?" Lucy asked.

Natsu stared at her wide-eyed, a look of almost fear on his face.

"N...Natsu?" Lucy asked.

Natsu pressed his lips against her forehead again, taking a deep inhale through his nose as he did so. He leaned back slowly, staring down at her with a look of suspicion in his eyes.

"Natsu, what's wrong?"

He stared at her a bit longer before dropping his head into her lap.

"Na-hey, what are you doing!?" she exclaimed, thoroughly confused as he wrapped his armas around her waist and pressed the side of his face against her abdomen.

"You've got to be kidding me…" he murmured. Lucy just frowned at him.

"Natsu, I'm really not feeling good, could you not play these games right n-"

"You're pregnant!"

Lucy's frown deepened as she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Don't be rediculous, Natsu. Layla's only five months. I'm no-"

"Lucy, I can hear a heartbeat," Natsu said, ear still pressed against her belly.

Lucy's mind went blank. Her body temporarily numb as she tried to process what he'd just said. "You what?"

"I can hear a heartbeat," Natsu repeated. "Your pregnant. Beside's, your smell's different."

"My smell's different?"

"You smelled a little different each time you were pregnant with the girls. I got a whiff of the same scent when I kissed you just now."

Lucy's heart began racing. "Are you sure that smell can't mean something else? And are you sure it's not my heartbeat you're hearing?"

"Your heart ain't in your stomach, Luce," Natsu sighed.

"I...I know that, but...but...but as sensitive as your ears are, you don't mean to tell me you can't pick my heartbeat from down there!" Lucy sputtered. She was really grasping at straws here, she knew, but this was impossible! There was no way she was pregnant so soon after having Layla!

"Sure, normally I can hear your heartbeat from here," Natsu sighed. "But it's really faint from being far away. So whenever your pregnant it gets drowned out by the baby's heartbeat."

"Well, you're kind of scaring me right now, so maybe my heart's just beating really hard!"

"Uh-uh. This is a different pattern than yours."

Lucy let out a loud half-sigh, half-groan. "Natsu, please. We just had a baby. We've been busy and going nonstop trying to take care of two young girls while keep up with Guild business. When would we have even had time to make another baby?"

"We let your dad have them for the day about two months ago."

"Oh, right, that," Lucy blushed slightly. "So, what!? We only...that was….just once since…"

Natsu shrugged. "Once is all it takes."

"I know. I know. But...Natsu, I can't be!"

"And I'm telling you that you are," Natsu said matter-of-factly.

"I...oh…" Lucy ran a hand over her face.

"Okay." She took in a deep breath.

"Okay. I think I still have some pregnancy tests in my make-up bag from when we were trying for Layla. Let me take one real quick and clear this up."

"Okay," Natsu shrugged as he stood up. "But I'm tellign you that you are."

"We'll see," Lucy said, more numbly that snarkly.

Natsu closed the door behind him and sat down on the edge of the bed. He ran his hands over his face. They were pregnant again! And they still had a baby! How was it that they tried for a year to have Layla and then one little fling, one little date, and BAM!

Natsu collapsed back against the bed and turned his head to gaze at the sleeping infant in her crib. She was still so tiny! How exactly were they going to do this? Layla and this new baby would only be...13? 14? 15 months apart? He wasn't sure, he was tired and he wasn't good at math when he was wide awake. But he knew it wouldn't be by much.

After a few minutes Lucy opened the bathroom door and walked out, wide-eyed.

"Well?" Natsu asked.

"There's something waiting for you on the bathroom counter," she mutter before trudging over to the bed and collapsing onto her face upon it.

Natsu laughed as he headed to the bathroom. "Told ya.'"

Sure enough there was a little white stick with a pink positive mark upon it. He leaned upon the counter and shook his head. Oh boy, they were really doing this!

"14 months…" Lucy grumbled from the other room. "Layla will barely be a year old when this one is born."

Natsu took in a deep breath before heading back to the bedroom. "Yup," that was all he could manage to say. "Yup."

Lucy was still lying face down on the bed, groaning from shock. He sat down next to her, running his fingers absent-mindedly through her hair. A five-year-old. A fourteen-month-old. And a newborn. That's what they were looking forward to.

"What are we gonna do?" Lucy asked.

"Is there anything we can do at this point?" Natsu chuckled nervously. "I mean, I already knocked you up a third time. Sounds to me like the 'doing' part of this has already been done."

Lucy let out another groan. "I think I might just go insane. I'm gonna lose it!"

"Right there with ya."

Lucy suddenly sat up, clutching her mouth as she raced to the bathroom and began puking again. Natsu frowned in worry as he followed after her. She all but collapsed against the toilet once she'd finished throwing up.

"At least we know what's making me sick now," she said, then began puking again.

"I don't remember you getting this sick with the last two," Natsu muttered as he knelt down behind her and held her hair up. "Sure you don't have a bug or something?"

"Am I running a fever?" Lucy asked.

Natsu placed his hand against her forehead. "Erm...you're a little warm, but not enough for it to be a fever."

"Didn't I get hotter with Nashi, though?" Lucy asked.

"Babe, you're already the most beautiful woman in the world. How are you going to get hotter?"

Lucy smiled despite her discomfort as she flushed the toilet and leaned back into Natsu's lap. "Not what I meant, but thank you."

Natsu smirked as he wrapped his arms around her waist, placing his hands on her belly. "But, yeah, you were a bit warmer than usual with Nashi."

"So probably just another fire wizard," she sighed sleepily, placing her hands on her belly. "Maybe even a dragon slayer."

Natsu grinned like an idiot as he nuzzled his face into her neck and kissing her there. Lucy smiled at the feeling of his warm, soft lips agains her skin, but the grin soon faded as another wave of nausea hit her. She gronaed as she reached for the toilet. She didn't throw up this time, just sat there, clutching her stomach, groaning in pain.

"Yeah, no, this definately did not happen with either of the girls," Natsu said, frowning.

"Did we use any of those complimentary teas that came with the room yet?"

"I don't think so, why?"

"Can you check and see if any of them are ginger or peppermint? I read that those are supposed to help morning sickness while pregnant with the girls. Never needed that info then but now..."

"Got it," Natsu stood and walked out into the mainroom of the suite. He began looking through the small stach of coffee and teas that were free with the room. "Erm...well we've got mint with lavender, or ginger with peach, so which you wanna go for?"

"Do the mint and lavender. I think lavender's supposed to help too."

"'Kay," Natsu went about preparing the tea when he heard a tiny voice calling:

"Daddy?"

He looked over his shoulder to see Nashi standing behind him, he stuffed dragon tucked under one arm as she rubbed her eyes with her other hand.

"Whatcha doing up this late, kiddo?" he asked.

"I heard something," Nashi answered, yawning.

"Yeah?"

"Uh-huh. Sounded like someone yelling, but in a funny way."

Natsu couldn't help but snicker at her description as he set a kettle on the stove, turned it on and knelt down in front of his daughter.

"You probably heard your Mommy."

"Is she okay?" Nashi's brow furrowed.

Natsu smiled comfortingly at her, though his mind was still racing. Of course he would tell her soon that she was expecting another younger sibling, but not right now. He and Lucy still needed time to process it.

"She's fine, just a little sick," Natsu explained.

"Sick?" Nashi clutched her dragon toy to her chest as he concerned frown deepened.

"Yeah, but she'll be alright," Natsu assured her. "Just got a tummy-ache is all."

"Like you get on trains?"

"Yeah, like that. But I'm always fine afterwards, aren't I?"

Nashi nodded, frown softening.

"See?"

"So, Mommy gonna be okay?" Nashi still looked worried, though she was no longer frowning.

"She's fine. You don't have to worry," Natsu assured her as he stood up and ruffled her hair.

"So we can still go see the games tomorrow?"

"Sure, I'll still take you and Layla to see the games. But not if you don't go back to bed and get some rest."

Nashi plodded sleepily back into her room and crawled up into her bed. Natsu tucked the blankets around her and kissed her cheek.

"'Night, Firecracker."

"Night-Night, Daddy," she sighed before closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep.

By the time he'd gotten back to the kitchen the water was heated enough for him to drop the tea bag into it. He let it sit for a little while before pouring a cup and bringing it back in their room. Lucy had already crawled back in bed, curled up in a ball on her side, clutching her stomach with a grimace of discomfort. Natsu's brow furrowed once more as he set a hand on her shoulder. She grumbled as she opened one eye.

"Here," he set the cup in her hand. She had just taken the first sip when Layla began crying.

"Ugh…" Lucy moaned as she began to sit up.

"Don't worry, I've got it," Natsu said as he walked towards the crib.

"She's probably hungry," Lucy muttered.

"I said I've got it," Natsu repeated as he reached in a lifted Layla into his arms.

"Natsu-"

"Lucy, one bottle of formula isn't gonna to kill her," Natsu sighed as he began heading back into the kitchen. "Rest and drink your tea."

Lucy relented, taking another sip as she watched her husband set to prepping a bottle with one hand while bouncing their five-month-old in the other. Despite her discomfort she couldn't help but smile. Natsu could be a rough, bumbling, idiot, but not when it came to their girls. He approached parenting much like he did fighting, which was odd to say, but it was true. In most other situations he was clueless, childish, and all over the place. But when it came to those two area he was a natural.

Within about a minute's time he had the bottle all made up and was holding out to Layla, who seemed a bit unsure about it.

"Look, I know the presentation isn't as appealing as what you're used to, but work with me, alright?" Natsu said.

"I heard that," Lucy grumbled.

Natsu gave her a feigned look of innocence. "Heard what?"

Lucy rolled her eyes, but smiled, sipping on her tea some more.

Layla finally gave in and took the bottle.

"There you go," Natsu encouraged, pacing about the kitchen, gently bouncing her as she ate. "See, that's not so bad is it?"

Lucy watched them through the bedroom door, heart swelling at the sight. She took another slow sip of her tea, groaning as the hot liquid hit her upset stomach and went to work.

"Aw, man!"

Lucy looked back at her daughter, who had by now finished eating, and her husband, who had been trying to burp her when his shoulder got covered in spit up. Layla's face crinkled up and she began to whimper.

"Oh, it's okay," Natsu assured her, using his scarf to wipe her mouth as he moved her to the crook of his arm. "This ain't the first time Daddy's gotten covered in muck. I can handle it."

Layla whimpered again as he began rocking her. "Sh. Time to go back to sleep now."

He began humming softly, singing the same song he'd always sung to their children. Lucy closed her eyes as she listened. He really did have a nice voice, and it was even sweeter when he sung for their children. Lucy hadn't really been that surprised by the fact Natsu was a great father. Natsu was always looking out for everyone around him, ever the vigilant protector and care-taker that he was. Of course those qualities would translate into a fatherly instinct. But knowing something would happen and actually watching it play out were two very different things. Depite her belief in him the fact that this man that could level whole buildings and destroy entire armies single-handedly could also carry their child with such tender attentiveness had her in awe.

Layla soon drifted off to sleep and Natsu carried her to her crib and laid her back down, but not before giving her a small kiss on the forehead. Lucy's hand wandered to her stomach. This was going to be crazy. No doubt about it. But it would turn out alright in the end. Afterall, they weren't the first set of parents to have three children ages five and under. The Fullbusters were also expecting their thrid child (though Bianca was two years old rather than five months). Heck, Erza and Jellal had four ages three and under. She and Natsu would be fine. Better than fine, actually. Even if this child was coming much, much sooner than they would have liked, it was still their child. They still already loved him or her and always would no matter what. They were still a welcomed edition to their happy, gowing family.

"Feeling any better?" Natsu asked as he took her empty tea cup from her and set it on the night stand.

"A little bit," Lucy nodded.

"Yeah?" Natsu still looked worried. "Wish I could help more, Love."

"I know," she sighed as he crawled under the blankets with her and set his hand on her belly.

"Still wonder why this one's making you so sick," his brow furrowed again. "You didn't get sick last two times, right?"

"A bit while on the Christina with Nashi, but not other than that," Lucy said. "In fact, I feel nothing like I did while pregnant the last two times."

"No?" Natsu asked.

Lucy shook her head. "That's why I was so shocked when you said I was. Well, that and it being so close to after having Layla."

"Hm. Weird," Natsu muttered.

Lucy shrugged. "All pregnancies are different, I suppose."

"Well, yeah. That different, though?" he asked as he continued rubbing circles on her abdomen.

She shrugged again, then her face broke into a bright smile as she placed her hand over Natsu's. "Maybe that means this one's a boy!"