Ten years later...
"Jellal, wake up,", Erza says, tapping her sleeping husband's shoulder. "Ugh, five more minutes...", he mumbled in his sleep. Early in the morning, Erza quickly went out of the bed, heading in the bathroom to take a quick shower and start doing her morning household chores, which are preparing breakfast, ironing Wendy's school uniform and Jellal's clothes, making the bed and packing lunch for the two.
Erza Scarlet officially became "Mrs. Fernandes" when she turned nineteen, and when her daughter Wendy was two and a half years old. She and Jellal lived in the city of Magnolia, capital of Fiore, away from their parents where they could freely start their own life together as a family. Jellal managed to support his family even though he's still studying and working at the same time, with the help of those excess money in his bank account.
When the redhead was done taking a quick shower, she headed towards to the closet to put on her maternity dress. She gained weight for being pregnant with her second child with Jellal, for almost nine months already. Only a few weeks to go and their second baby is coming, and she's still nervous, knowing she's about to experience painful home birth for the second time. Jellal doesn't want her to have the baby in a hospital, saying that it'll only add up to their bills. So, she couldn't do anything because she also don't want her husband to stress himself over his work. She just said to herself that if she survived giving birth to Wendy, she'll be able to doit again, for Wendy's baby brother or sister. She tied up her long scarlet hair in a high ponytail, leaving her small side bangs on the right side of her forehead, before she heads downstairs in the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Before Erza steps on the staircase, she first entered Wendy's bedroom, where her bedroom door is just next to the stair case. As she enters her daughter's bedroom, she spotted her nine-year-old daughter sleeping in her small bed together with her dolls and teddy bears. She sat beside the blue-haired girl and tapped its shoulders. "Wendy, honey, wake up," she says, tapping her daughter's shoulder. The bluenette yawned lazily, stretching her arms and legs. Erza met her daughter's gaze as it opens its eyes slowly. A small smile appeared on Wendy's face as the first thing she saw is her mother's smile. "Good morning, Mama," she says, moving upwards to sit on the bed.
"Go, take a bath already, while I make pancakes for you. First day of final exams." Erza says, stroking her daughter's messy blue hair with her fingers, then she stood up and heading downstairs to the kitchen.
As Erza reached the kitchen, she quickly gathered all the kitchen utensils she'll be using in cooking pancakes, such as mixing bowl, egg beater, pan, frying ladle, measuring cup and ingredients such as eggs, pancake batter, butter and pancake syrup. She also took the ironing table from the closet under the staircase and placed it near where she'll be cooking.
Nothing changes everyday in her life, every morning she's always like this. Ever since Wendy was born, always multi-tasking just to finish her usual household chores at time, so she could also spend some time with her family, except when she studied Culinary in college when Wendy was four and a half. Studying made her busy that sometimes she used to lack time with her husband and daughter, that's why she's trying to make up to her husband after she studied for almost five years. It is where a gap started to occur in their relationship as spouses.
Cooking, and ironing clothes at the same time. Sometimes she can even cook, iron clothes and sweep the floor at the same time, that's why Wendy calls her a "Super Mom". But this time, she finds it hard to do all the household chores, with her big heavy belly.
After almost half an hour, she started setting the plates and served three pancakes in each plate, plus three glasses of orange juice.
Breakfast. Check.
Iron the clothes. Check.
"Mama, where's my uniform?" Wendy asked, who's just wearing its white sleeveless undershirt, white undershorts and a pair of high socks. "Oh, here," Erza said, grabbing Wendy's school uniform and walked towards to her.
She assisted her daughter in wearing its school uniform, piece by piece, skirt first, then the white blouse and then her stripe necktie. "Do your best in your exams. Don't worry two days to go and school is finally over." She said, while fixing her tie. "We can now play and hang out, Mama." Wendy said, excitedly.
"We'll go to an amusement park, toy store, resort, wherever you want, if you'll be able to pass your exams."
"What if I don't?" The bluenette pulled off a sad expression in her face.
"We studied, and as long as you're always studying your lessons, you'll be able to pass."
Wendy walked towards to their dining table and sat down on a chair right after Erza finished dressing her. Wendy couldn't wait, she started slicing a small bite from the pancakes and shoved them inside her mouth. "You know, Mama, your pancakes are really the best."
"You already told me that like every week, every time I make pancakes for you." Erza sighed, with a small smile on her face as she sat beside her daughter.
"Mama, after exams, can we go to the mall and buy me a new doll?" Wendy said, trying to pull a cute face on her mama.
"Hmm, sure, I'll ask your daddy."
"Erza,", she heard a voice coming from the stairs. She already knew what it was, "here's your shirt, Jellal", she says, grabbing the white long sleeved polo shirt from the hanger. The redhead assisted her husband in wearing its shirt by doing all the buttons, it was her own way of being sweet and caring to him. "Jellal, I have a checkup by 1pm, will you go with me, please?" Erza asked, trying to sound sweet. The bluenette groaned and said "You can take a cab or a bus". "Jellal, the doctor just told you that you should always accompany me whenever I'll go out of the house, especially that my belly is so big and I'll be due in 3-4 weeks." She protested. "Doctors are exaggerated. You can do it, just be careful. You're no longer a sixteen, you're twenty-six and an adult already." Jellal said in a calm tone, as if he doesn't care about what might happen to her wife who's pregnant with his child.
Jellal sat beside Wendy, who's eating its pancakes. "Good morning, daddy." The little bluenette greeted him. "Hey,", is just what he said. "Pancakes, again?" Jellal said, complaining inside his head. "Oh...you know that Wendy loves pancakes. I'll just make you a sandwich. What do you want? Tuna, peanut butter, or-"
"Nevermind," the bluenette sighed, "tomorrow or in the next few days, if you're gonna cook pancakes again, I better eat breakfast at my office". "Sorry," Erza says apologetically.
"Daddy, it's our recognition day in the next three days, are you going with Mama this time?" Wendy asked, trying to sound sweet at her moody father. "I'll try." Jellal answered. "Try? But you already missed my recital, family day and-"
"Wendy, not now, okay? I'm a little bit stressed."
"You're always stressed."
"Wendy, enough, okay?! I have work to do and stuffs to take care of, but I'll still try to go." Jellal raised his voice a little irritably.
The little girl just bowed her head and shuts her mouth, as she stops her tears from falling. Erza approached her daughter whom has sensitive feelings, especially towards her father. "Wendy, just eat, okay? I still need to fix your hair." Her daughter who's almost close to crying, just nodded and avoided a look from her father, to hide her teary eyes.
About fifteen minutes later, the two finally finished having breakfast. Jellal was already ready to go right after he just returned in the living room from the garage after he started the car engine. In the living room, Erza is still busy fixing Wendy's long blue hair in braided pigtails. "Hurry up, we need to go." Jellal said, who's standing beside the couch. "Just a minute." Erza said, who's almost done braiding her daughter's hair.
"There,"
Wendy stood up from the couch, along with her mother right after her hair was done and grabbed her backpack from the coffee table. "See you later, Mama." The little girl gave her mama a goodbye kiss before she goes with her father, plus a kiss on her mama's belly for the baby inside the womb. "See you later, baby brother or sister."
Erza suddenly felt something moving inside her, she already knew it was the baby. "She can feel you, Wendy. The baby is always kicking whenever we touch him or her." Erza said, smiling, with her hands on her big belly. "Is it a baby girl or a boy?" Wendy asked. "We'll find out later, when we go in the clinic."
Jellal interrupted the two by clearing his throat. "Hurry up," he said impatiently. Wendy followed her father who's impatiently waiting for her, right before they made their way to the door Jellal heard his wife said "Aren't you gonna kiss us goodbye?". The bluenette, of course, couldn't do anything, but to give the simple thing his wife wanted. He turned around back at his wife. Jellal gave his wife a soft kiss on its cheek, while his hand slowly went down to her big belly. "See you later...honey." Erza said, forcing a smile to her husband. When Jellal was about to pull his hand away from her belly, Erza stopped him by pinning his hand softly on her belly.
"You barely touch or kiss our baby," Erza says, "that's why he or she keeps kicking so hard whenever you touch him or her". Jellal knew himself he barely touched or ask how was their baby, compared to Wendy when she's still inside her mother's womb, almost every minute he wanted to touch and feel her kicks and always ask how is Wendy inside her. He could feel something moving inside Erza, which is their baby.
Jellal pulled his hand softly away from her belly, and said "I have to go, see you later". Then, he finally made his way to the garage with Wendy to leave the house.
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"Oh, good morning, sir." A girl with a dark-purple hair greeted Jellal right before he enters his office.
"Oh, hey, Ultear," he greeted in return, "by the way, I need you to bring this to Mr. Dreyar", then he handed a manila folder to his assistant. "Sure, sir," she nodded, and right before she walks away to do what he told her to do so, she whispered "by the way, sir...Miss Minerva is expecting you in her office right away", then she walked away, leaving the bluenette.
'Minerva...', he said inside his head.
Right before Jellal opens the non-transparent glass door of an office, he pressed a small button beside, like a doorbell. "Come in,", said a woman who's inside the office. Jellal slowly pushed the glass door and stepped inside the office.
"Minerva..."
"Hey, Jellal!" A black-haired girl with a slim body approached him.
"You were expecting me?"
"Always...my ex-fiancé." She chuckled, and pressed her lips onto his lips.
Minerva Orland, Jellal's ex-fiancé, daughter of a rich and known business man in the marketing industry. Eleven years ago, Jellal used to be arranged marriage with her, but their engagement was called off when he announced to his parents that she got Erza pregnant.
Minerva broke the long kiss between them. "How's your wife...or should I say your maid?" She asked, laughing softly. "Well...nothing changed. She's still...boring, all she can do for me is to do household chores and take care of our daughter. She's almost nine months pregnant, and earlier she's a little bit dramatic, when she's like telling me that I don't seem to care that much to our new baby."
"I told you that farm girl is boring...a boring housewife. I don't even know what you saw in her that time."
"Well...mom and dad, I think they're right, I'm too young for love. Maybe, the only reason I liked her is that she's pure, innocent...and a virgin?" The bluenette laughed softly, as it walks towards to the leather couch, followed by Minerva.
"People make mistakes, Jellal, like you. That's why...I'm here to help you fix your life that was ruined by Erza. You could have been a business man, lawyer, doctor, architect, like your family and other relatives, if only you chose to abort the baby inside her."
Jellal's aura suddenly changed from what he heard from Minerva's mouth. "Minerva!" He raised his voice. "I may be falling out of love from her, but I will never do anything bad to our child. Never say anything against Wendy."
"Okay, okay, calm down, will you? I'm just helping you in your trash-like life with that girl. I'm just trying to help you out, okay? I'm sorry," Minerva said, pulling a fake apologetic face on him. Jellal just nodded, glancing away from her.
"Though I hate Erza for stealing you from me, I'm still willing to help you two out in financial problems. You can tell me anything you need or anything you want, I'll give it to you." She said, and made Jellal face her. "I'll always be here for you. I can be your friend, shoulder to cry on, pleasure giver, your child's mother and your wife. I can be the any kind of woman you want me to be, Jellal." Minerva said seductively as she placed a finger on his chin, then she pulled him towards to her body for another kiss. Their kiss lasted long, until both of the are already pinning each other on the leather couch.
Poor Erza, who has no idea her husband is cheating on her, with its own boss. Plus, not knowing her husband is being brainwashed by someone.
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"You're having a baby boy, Mrs. Fernandes." The gynecologist announced, who's watching the baby in a ultrasound monitor.
"You hear that, Wendy? It's a boy." Erza told her daughter beside her, while sitting on a small bed, happily.
"Yay! I'm going to have a baby brother!" Wendy jumped merrily and excitedly. It was the first time Wendy got the chance to accompany her mama in her checkup, because their school dismissal is early.
"Well, Wendy, you and your mom should start thinking of a name for a baby boy." The doctor smiled at the little bluenette as she assisted Erza to get up from the small bed. Erza pulled down the skirt of her maternity dress after the doctor ultrasounds her. The doctor went back to its desk to record the results of her checkup, followed by Erza and Wendy. "6.15 pounds, 19.1 inches, 35 weeks and he's so big. He'll gain more weight and height, by your due date. The normal weight and length are 18.19 inches and 5.25 inches."
"I bet he'll be bigger than you two in the next fifteen years," the doctor added. "Mama, when will my baby brother come out?" Wendy asked curiously. "He'll be due in 3 or 4 weeks from now, we're not yet sure, but we'll be able to find out when your mama reached the ninth month of her pregnancy." The doctor explained.
Wendy kept touching her mama's belly, cause she always wants to feel her baby brother kicking. "Since, your baby is too big, you might find it hard to push him out without an epidural. You just said that your husband only wants you to have the baby at home, you might find it hard to have the baby." The doctor said.
Erza suddenly thought of her husband, whom she knew that was in short of money, and how he kept insisting to have the baby at home with a midwife than in a delivery room in a hospital. "My husband is...short in money right now. And if I'll have the baby in the hospital, the hospital bills and medicines that the doctor will give me will just add up to our expenses." Erza explained with a blank expression in her face.
"Well, it's just a suggestion." The doctor just nodded. "Umm, Mrs. Fernandes...are you often stressed in something? Or emotionally stressed? Tired?"
"I...uh, sometimes," Erza answered. "Well," the doctor sighed, "i have to tell you that your baby is not completely healthy. But don't worry, he'll be fine, as long as you can keep yourself away from being emotionally stressed and tiring your body from some household chores".
"Not healthy? I-i often take those vitamins you gave me."
"I know, but you still have to keep yourself away from stress. Don't do household chores that much, you have to limit all the things you're doing, especially you're almost due. If you keep on being emotionally stressed or exhausted...your baby might...how do I say this...not make it."
Erza knew herself that she usually gets tired from doing those chores at home, and emotionally stressed whenever Jellal and her will have a fight. Her hand suddenly crawled up to her big belly, worried for her baby's condition.
"You know taking a cab or a bus to go out somewhere, isn't a good for a pregnant like you. The heat, crowded people in the streets, walking," the doctor added, "You have to take care of yourself, not just for you, for your baby's health". Erza just nodded as she couldn't take Jellal off her mind.
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"Ultear, I want you to photocopy all of these papers. Give these to Mr. Lahar, and these to Mr. Yajima." The bluenette ordered and handed a pile of folders which contains paperworks to her assistant. "Sure, sir,", the girl nodded, taking those folders from him. "Anything else?" She asked. "Oh...would you mind going out and get me a strawberry cake?" He asked. Ultear wondered, a strawberry cake?
"Strawberry cake, sir?"
"Yes,", he nodded, "I'm stressed since the last few days, and I want to give my daughter a little peace offering after being cold to her". "That's sweet," she said. "A whole cake, or just a specific number of slices?" Ultear asked. "Hmm, just two slices." He replied, as he went back to his laptop.
"God, I hate strawberries." He muttered while doing something on his laptop.
"I know,", Ultear chuckled softly, "you always say that almost everyday". "I don't know how come you don't like strawberries, when your family owns a strawberry farm in a province. Plus, your love story with your wife started with strawberries." She added.
Jellal was stopped when Ultear had mentioned about the strawberry thingy where he and Erza used to get to know each other and develop feelings for one another. He spotted the two small picture frames beside his laptop on the desk. A picture of him with Wendy, and the other one is a picture of him with Erza when they're still young, their first picture together in their strawberry farm.
They were happy and madly in love that time. The time when they fought for their love for each other, and for the sake of Wendy.
"Jellal, the reason why we want you to spend your summer here in our province is for you to be exposed in other activities and a different environment."
"Dad, there's no phone signal, nor an internet signal in this place, how am I gonna call or talk to my friends while I'm bored? What am I suppose to do here in three months, sit home and eat?"
"That's the point, you're always with your friends, hanging out, talking over the phone, drinking. You need to be exposed in a different environment, try to make friends with some people in the village."
"Okay, what can I do in here?"
"Look outside, through the window."
Jellal couldn't do anything, but to do what his father says him to do so.
"See those farmers, our strawberry farmers. Pick one of them and ask them to teach you how to plant and harvest a strawberry."
"What?! Y-you want me to plant in that muddy and soiled ground?"
But, then he was stopped when he spotted a beautiful girl with a long scarlet hair, holding a basket of strawberries. She looked cute and young in her braided pigtails with a white handkerchief tied on her head, and still look beautiful in her dirty long sleeved dress with a white apron.
He was awakened from his thoughts, reminiscing how he first saw Erza, by a girl with a flirty voice coming towards to him. "Hey, Jellal!" Minerva approached him with a seductive voice. "Daydreaming?"
"O-oh, Minerva!", he gasped, "what are you doing here?", he asked still out of his mind after he reminisced the old times with Erza. "I just wanna be with you, again." Monerva chuckled, as she sat on his lap. Ultear looked away from the two with an awkwardness inside her, like a few seconds ago she just mentioned about his wife, and now here goes the mistress.
"What are you doing here? Get out of here, your job is out there." Minerva glared at her. "Sorry," she said apologetically as she walked towards to the door to leave the two alone. But right before she leaves, she heard Minerva said "Ultear, you're the only one who knows about us, so if anyone finds out about our relationship, say goodbye to your job", threatening. "Yes,", she just nodded right before she slams the door and leave the two alone.
"You shouldn't talk to her like that. We should be thankful she kept her mouth shut for two years, isn't that enough?" The bluenette said.
"We're just being careful."
Minerva kissed him hungrily, while on top of him. Jellal couldn't do anything, but to respond from those kisses of her. They keep touching each other while kissing. Minerva undoing the first three buttons of his shirt, but was stopped when a picture on his desk captured her attention. She broke the kiss, still staring at the picture of Jellal and Erza.
"Why do you still have this?" Minerva asked, with a bitterness in her voice. "I thought you don't love her anymore."
"Minerva, don't mind it, it's just a picture."
"It matters to me. Anything about you and your wife matters to me."
Jellal was stopped, he stared at the picture of him and Erza too. He couldn't do anything, but to just give what Minerva is trying to say what she wants him to do so. He reached for the frame and pulled a drawer, hiding the picture inside. "There,", Jellal sighed, "happy?". "Good," Minerva smirked at him, then she went back in making out to him.
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"She threatened you that you'll lose your job once anyone finds out about her affair with a married man?" A pink-haired girl named Meredy asked Ultear, who's walking on the corridors of the building with her.
"Kind of, isn't she happy I kept my mouth shut for two years, snd she's gonna threat me?" Ultear scoffed annoyingly.
"Our boss is kind of a slut - no, a total slut!" Meredy muttered. "Shh! Shut your mouth, someone might hear you." Ultear elbowed the pinknette, forcing it to shut its mouth. "Ow!" The pinknette exclaimed, "okay, I'll shut up!".
Ultear was on her way to the nearest bakery to get Jellal as strawberry cake, and passed the paperworks to Meredy instead. Then, she spotted a pregnant red haired girl with a blue-haired little girl. They look familiar, she knew herself. As the two are almost walking near them, she realized she was right. She knew it was Jellal's wife and daughter. What are they doing in here, anyway? Minerva just told her that if anyone finds out about them, she'll lose her job. And she knew that it's not just her job she can't lose, but something that matters to her or even her own dignity, that's Minerva, how powerful she is.
"Excuse me, if I'm not mistaken, you're Jellal's assistant, right?" The redhead asked, whom approached her. Deep inside her, she's already panicking, not knowing if she'll tell his wife that he's in his office and she'll be able to find out that her husband is cheating on her, or she'll just make up some lies. "O-oh, Erza, I..." She stammered. "You are so dead." The pinknette beside her muttered. "Hey, lady, where's my daddy? I want to give this to him." The little girl asked, as if she's excited and can't wait to see her dad. Ultear stared at the innocent little girl, who doesn't know anything. Her smile, is so merry, what if she finds out what her father is doing behind their backs?
"S-sir Jellal...h-he just went out, t-to - to meet a client." Ultear lied, with her voice stammering nervously. "Oh, is that so? Well, thank you, we'll better be going. Goodbye." The redhead smiled at her before it turned around to walk away. She watched the two walking away. She thought of Jellal, being so lucky to have these two beautiful women in his life, how can he betray these two? She felt a guilt for lying, and thought of the innocent baby inside Erza's womb.
"Poor them," Meredy sighed, while watching them walking away.
"I feel bad for their children, especially the baby inside her womb. I-if only I can do anything before she finds out that her husband is cheating on her for almost two years."
"No secrets can be hidden forever. Sooner or later, she'll be able to find out what her husband is doing behind her back."
"You're right...poor Erza."
"But still we can do anything to save their marriage."
"Huh?! What are you talking about? We can't just barge into people's life. Besides, it's their problem as spouses and we don't have anything to do about it. They have to fix it themselves."
"We can...the sensory link potion."
"Sensory wha-! Meredy! You know that you should never use that potion ever again. Remember what you did to Gray and Juvia?"
"Okay, I'm just...I just really pity them."
"Nevermind, let's just go already." Ultear sighed, then she continued walking with Meredy.
To be continued...
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Thanks for the reviews, guys! :D now, I'm inspired to update faster. Oh, as for ky other stories, the chapter eleven of just friends is corrupted in my my hard drive, sorry! :( i'm tryin' to recover it or if i can't I'll just rewrite the whole chapter. This case also happened to my previous stories.
Anyways, please review, favorite and follow my stories :D