A/N: And here's the next chapter! Half of it I'm not too fond of, but the other half I really loved writing and really like! (Bet you can't guess which half is which :P)
"WENDY! LAYLA'S ON HER WAY!" Natsu shouted as he kicked open the door to the guild hall. He barely stayed to give his message before he was running again, his pregnant wife in his arms. Wendy quickly recovered from shock and started running after. The rest of the guild shouted in happiness, debating on who got to go with as well, knowing full well that Porlyusica wouldn't want the entirety of Natsu and Lucy's friends there. Ultimately, Levy and Mirajane were decided upon. Juvia would probably have gone also, but she'd been spending much of her pregnancy at home, usually not feeling up to going anywhere. It was hitting her hard.
"Natsu, you don't have to carry me!" Lucy shouted before groaning in pain as her first contraction hit her. "Oh God! That hurts more than I thought!" Layla was coming, and fast.
Natsu gulped, hating to see his wife in pain. "And that's why I'm carrying you!"
When they arrived at Porlyusica's, she didn't give them the chance to explain before she started bitching about the unscheduled visit. It was only after Lucy cried in pain of another contraction that Porlyusica realized the situation.
"Lay her down on the bed! Wendy, cast a pain relief spell! And for heaven's sakes, boy, wipe that worried look off your face!" Natsu gulped at her order as he layed Lucy on the bed.
Lucy rested her hand on his cheek tenderly. "She's right, you know. You don't have to worry so much."
"But you're in so much pain!" Sweat had already begun to gather on her forehead.
Porlyusica whacked him in the back of the head. "It's called labor. Get over it. She's a bit early, but everything's going to be fine." Natsu nodded, but he didn't look any less concerned.
Suddenly, Lucy gripped his arm as she screamed. "Oh God, this hurts! It hurts, it hurts! Make it stop! Naatsuuu, make it stop!"
"Wendy, help her!" Natsu shouted in worry.
"Natsu, I've done all I can. She's under a pain relief spell already, and any more could possibly harm Layla or bring even more complications," Wendy calmly told him.
"She doesn't seem to be very 'relieved'!" Natsu shouted, gesturing towards Lucy, who was now sweating profusely and breathing heavily in between contractions. He held her hand, which she had taken to squeezing when she was under an immense amount of pain.
"Wendy!" Lucy cried, "Is it done yet!? Please tell me I'm done!" Lucy screeched in pain again.
"Lucy, you're not dilated all the way yet. You're only at three inches." Porlyusica informed her. Lucy whimpered at the news and Natsu just squeezed her hand. He hated seeing her in so much pain! And he couldn't do anything!
"We're here!" Mira and Levy announced as they came in the door carrying various items.
"And we brought ice chips, courtesy of Gray!" Levy added, handing a cup to Lucy.
"Good, good, now get out! I'm crowded! No extras but the father, and I'm not even sure if I want that!"
Natsu barely noticed Porlyusica's comment, head spinning in worry over Lucy and Layla. "She's gonna be okay, right? Lucy's gonna be alright!? And Layla!?"
"I've already explained to you that she'll be fine! But it's going to be painful! Don't you know anything!?" Porlyusica shouted in frustration at the boy.
"Natsu, please stop worrying so much! Please, I'll be fine! I am fine!" Lucy said while crying.
"But Lucy-"
"That is it!" Porlyusica suddenly screamed. "You are aggravating her! Get out! You cannot be in here! You're making it worse for Lucy!"
"But-" Natsu whined.
"No, don't make him-"
"Both of you shut up! Natsu is not going to be in here!" She pointed at the door. "Send the blue haired one in! She'll have to be Lucy's support instead, since you can't manage to stop crying!"
As Lucy yelled again, Natsu squeezed her hand one last time before Porlyusica started whacking him with a broomstick, urging him out.
"Natsu, Natsu, I love you!" Lucy called to him in a slightly delirious manner.
"I love you, too!" Natsu replied. Porlyusica glared at him to get out, and finally, he listened. What had he done to her!? He was the one to make her pregnant! He was putting her through this pain! He felt like he was going to be sick.
Everything seemed... foggy to Natsu. He could barely answer Mira and Levy's questions as he went outside. The whole world seemed to be moving in slow motion but at the same time it seemed to be moving faster than normal. Natsu felt himself get dizzy as he tried to process what was happening and what the blurry shapes around him all were. The only thing clear to him was Lucy's voice, and all he heard from it was pain. He saw someone rush inside Porlyusica's house and he felt someone guide him into sitting down. He could hear who he assumed was Mirajane say something, but he couldn't make it out. He closed his eyes and focused his ears on what she was saying. It still sounded weird, kind of like he was underwater and trying to listen to someone above water talk, but at least he could understand her.
"Natsu, Lucy's gonna be okay," Mira reassured him. Natsu vaguely felt himself nod. "I know you're worried, but you don't have to be." Natsu opened his eyes, only to see more blur and a spinning forest floor.
Natsu didn't know how long he'd been in there with Lucy and he certainly didn't know how long he'd been been out here, but he thought he could hear someone shouting "push!" or something like that from inside. Natsu was still having trouble focusing on anything. His senses had all gotten worse. His sight just showed a blur of colors and lights, his ears couldn't differentiate voices and sounds at all other than Lucy's, his nose couldn't tell what he was smelling besides some of Lucy's blood, and was he laying down now? He could've sworn he was just sitting up... Was Mirajane fretting over him? He thought that was her voice all concerned. Natsu tried to focus on her. It was still weirdly muffled like before, but he thought he heard something about "burning up". Now that he thought about it, he did feel really warm. He felt something cold get put on his forehead. Was this the container of ice chips? No! Those were for Lucy, he couldn't use them! He shook his head, but that just made everything worse. The thing didn't fall off, and after a bit of concentration, Natsu realized it was a wet cloth of some sort, not Lucy's ice.
Natsu groaned in response to his terrible headache. Nothing made sense, nothing was clear to him anymore. Why was he so delirious!?
And then a sound cut through his confusion. The bluriness, headache, and cloudiness disappeared when he heard it. He sat straight up, the cloth falling from his forehead. It was the sound of a baby crying.
Before Mirajane and Levy, who had come back outside so that Natsu could meet Layla first, could say anything, Natsu darted in the house, mouth gaping and eyes wide. The first thing he saw was Lucy. Tears formed in his eyes as he looked to her, who also had tears. "They're cleaning Layla up," Lucy said, giving an exhausted gesture to the other room. She gave him a tired smile. Lucy was sweaty and looking very tousled, but she really was okay. Natsu had a newfound respect for moms. How did they do all that screaming and shove a baby out of their body and be smiling a minute later!?
Natsu pulled Lucy into a hug. "You're amazing. I love you." He gently kissed her forehead. Lucy chuckled.
"I love you, too."
They leaned into each other in comfort before Lucy gasped. "You know what I just realized? We never even talked about middle names! We have to fill out the forms later!"
Natsu shrugged. "I kinda forgot those existed. Does she really need one?"
Lucy rolled her eyes. "I guess not, but I wanna give her one." She thought for a second before grinning. "And I've already thought of a great one!" Natsu gestured to tell her to go ahead. "Atlus! Layla Atlus Dragneel!"
Natsu grinned. "Yeah, that's great." He nuzzled her neck. "I love you."
"Love you, too." This was followed by more comfortable silence before Natsu thought of something.
"That seemed really quick," Natsu commented, referencing Lucy's labor.
"Quick!?" Lucy gaped at him. "That was the longest three hours of my life!"
"Three hours!? Is that how long it was!? I really was out of it, wasn't I?"
"Well, I don't know! I was a little busy pushing a baby out of my vagina!" Lucy laughed and sighed. "Seriously, though, what happened with you? I know Mira said something about you being weird."
"I don't know. I got really dizzy and felt sick. I just hated how much this was hurting you. I felt guilty about making you pregnant..."
Lucy sighed. "Natsu, we talked about that..."
"Yeah, I know, this was all for our family, but still!"
Wendy cleared her throat. "Not to interrupt, but I think there's someone who'd like to meet you." She walked over to the couple with a bundle of cloth in her arms, but Natsu could see an arm tiredly reaching out. Lucy smiled widely and reached her arms out for Wendy to give her Layla. Wendy did so, then quietly took her leave. Natsu just stared in awe as Lucy adjusted the swaddle so they could see Layla's face. Her eyes were closed, she had a little hat on, and most of her body was tucked tight in the blanket, but her arm was still up, hand slowly opening and closing as she apparently started figuring out how to work it. Natsu and Lucy grinned at each other before looking back to their baby. Natsu carefully reached his finger to her tiny ones and his heart skipped a beat when she wrapped her hand around it.
"She's so tiny..." Natsu said through a choked up throat.
"I know," Lucy replied through an equally large lump. She coughed out a joyful sob.
Layla gave a big yawn. As her head moved due to it, her hat fell off.
"Whoops," Lucy laughed. Layla opened her eyes and tried to meet Lucy's with them.
"Hello!" Natsu quietly greeted in happiness. Layla shifted her eyes to try and look to her father's and successfully did so.
Lucy gently grazed her fingers on Layla's soft hair. "Pink," she laughed. "She has pink hair just like yours. And hazel eyes just like yours. She looks just like you." Lucy couldn't stop grinning as she leaned her head on her husband.
Natsu laughed. "Nah, she has your cute little nose." Natsu poked it, and Layla scrunched her face up. "And she's got that adorable face you make when you're annoyed." Lucy looked at him and inadvertently made the face. Natsu leaned in and pressed a kiss to his wife's nose. She responded by kissing his lips.
They heard Layla whimper before she was full on crying. "Oh no, sweetie, what's the matter?" Lucy brought the baby closer to her body while Natsu wrapped an arm around his wife and leaned in to be closer to both of his girls. Lucy started slowly singing a lullaby her mother had often sung to her. "La la loo, la la loo, I love you, little starsweeper... la la loo, la la loo, I'll sweep the stardust for you..." Natsu started to quietly hum along as he got the tune.
Levy, Mirajane, Wendy, and even Porlyusica watched in adoration. "Awww..." Mirajane couldn't help but say. "So sweet. Those two are gonna be great parents." The others nodded in agreement.
As Layla was lulled into slumber by her parents' lullaby and said parents also looked too close to nodding off, Porlyusica discreetly took Layla from Lucy's arms. The new mother gave a whimper before cuddling into Natsu's side, both drifting to sleep.
"Let them sleep," Porlyusica told the others. "That means 'get out'." Mirajane and Levy didn't think for a second that she was kidding and headed back for the guild hall.
At 11:37 A.M. on March 16th, Layla Atlus Dragneel was born.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed!