A/N: Hello again, guys! I don't really have anything to say, so here's the chapter!

37 weeks: two weeks before the due date

Lucy awoke to the wonderful smell of fried eggs, bacon, and...

Pickles? Lucy laughed as she recalled the last couple times Natsu had cooked eggs and bacon for breakfast. It had been a while, but the first time he had since the pregnancy began was back in the midst of her cravings, and she had demanded pickles as an accompaniment.

Lucy carefully rolled out of bed and stuck her feet in the slippers sitting next to it. Mavis, those slippers were amazing. Wonderful support for her back and the added pain her belly gave it and as comfortable as if fairies themselves had crafted them.

"You know," Lucy started as she toddered into the kitchen. "The cravings stopped a long time ago." Lucy giggled at Natsu's reaction. He knew perfectly well that her cravings had stopped, so the sudden stillness that came over him as his head turned to the dill spears in the frying pan was laughable. He immediately plucked them up and chucked them in his mouth.

"Force of habit," he chuckled as he began making their plates.

"Well maybe if you made eggs and bacon more often, then the habit would've broken," Lucy teased.

Natsu stuck his tongue out as he set their plates down and helped Lucy into her chair. "Well, you've been sending me on so many jobs! When could I have made breakfast? But now I'll make breakfast for you every morning, cause now I'll be home until after Layla's born!" Lucy coughed as she ate a particularly dark piece of egg. "And I'll even try not to burn the food so much!"

Lucy laughed. "Hey, you've gotten better since you started having to cook more!"

"Well, now I'll be getting even more practice, because I'm not going on any more jobs until after Layla gets here!" Lucy sucked in a breath at the second reference he'd made to their deal. Lucy had told him that once they reached 37 weeks, then she wouldn't make him go on anymore missions, as Natsu didn't want to risk missing anything. But now that they'd reached this point... She wanted her husband to be home, that was certain, but she couldn't help but worry about money.

"Actually, Natsu, I wanted to talk to you about that..." Lucy reached for the folded piece of paper on the table that was the flyer she'd picked for Natsu.

"What?"

"I want you to go on one more mission." Lucy dreaded his response. He'd been fighting a lot about going on jobs. He wanted to be here to help her, which she was grateful for, but they still needed funds!

"Luucyyy!" Natsu whined. "You said 'two weeks'! That's what you said! I want to be here!"

"I don't know why! I'm a total bitch-"

"You're not a-"

"Shut it! Most guys would be looking for excuses to get away from their pregnant wives!"

"Okay, yeah, it does kinda suck how needy you are, but I love you and don't want you miserable!" Lucy grumbled at her husband. "Lucy, please listen!"

"I am!"

"I don't want to risk missing something! I don't want to come back and find out that I missed Layla being born!"

"Come on, Natsu! There's still two whole weeks until the due date, you can get one more mission in!"

"Luce, please! We have enough money to get by for now, we've gotten everything we need for Layla, and I can go on another job after everything's been settled!"

"Natsu, I understand what you're saying, but I don't want there to be some emergency thing we have to buy and suddenly be without money! Layla's not supposed to be here for another two weeks! You have enough time to go on just one more job! Just to supplement the money we have!" Natsu just grumbled again. "Look, it's the kind of mission you like!" Lucy pointed to the flyer again. "It's monsters! You love fighting monsters!"

"But I love my family more!"

"Please, just this last one. It'll take you just a day or two. I'm worried about running out of Jewel."

"And if we do, I'm sure someone at the guild could help us out."

"I don't wanna have to beg for money from our guildmates. Please?"

Natsu groaned and sighed before stuffing the rest of his bacon in his mouth. He sighed again after, and as Lucy tentatively watched him, he took the flyer.

"Yeah, okay. It shouldn't take too long and it's good money."

"Thank you, Sweetie!"

"Yeah, yeah. But you can't get mad at me for not being here if you have Layla while I'm gone!" Natsu insisted.

"Yes, of course!" Natsu gave a kiss to both his wife and her baby bump before sighing again.

"Layla, don't come out until I get back, okay?" He kissed Lucy again. "I love you."

"I love you too. Be safe!"

He grinned at her as he opened the front door to leave. "Of course! I'm always safe!" Lucy rolled her eyes. Natsu just snickered as he walked out the door and left.

Lucy gave her belly a light pat, feeling a kick in response. "I didn't mean for Daddy to leave so quickly. He could've waited a little bit. But I think he just wants to hurry up and finish it so he can come back to us." Lucy smiled. "Maybe I'm being too paranoid about funds. I probably should've let him stay. I did say two weeks, after all." She sighed. "Oh well. We could always use more money. And Daddy understands."

Lucy finished up her last few bites of breakfast. "You're gonna miss Daddy, aren't you? You always seem a bit happier when he's here. Such a Daddy's Girl." Layla kicked again, as if confirming Lucy's feeling. Lucy smiled. "I know he can't wait to see you. Neither of us can. We're both so excited to be able to hold you and kiss you and hug you-"

And that's when she felt something.

Lucy's eyes grew wide as she realized what it was and sputtered. "Oh God. That was- Oh my God!" Lucy jumped as best as a pregnant lady could out of her chair as she let out a few more "oh my God"s. "Uh, what do I do!? Oh my God! I- Natsu!" She darted to the door and swung it open. In her loudest voice, she yelled, knowing Natsu's dragon senses would let him hear her.

"NATSU! MY WATER JUST BROKE!"

And after a pause,

"LAYLA IS COMING!"