Author's Note: Welcome back for another chapter! I know a lot of you have some questions to wonder about and I promise to answer them all as they are revealed in the story. Although, your enthusiasm makes it all the worth it! I am so blessed to have so many people to read my story and I am truly happy. Please keep reviewing! It means so much to me when you do and makes me want to post chapters more quickly! Speaking of posting, I wanted to post a chapter (minimum) per week. If you do review, let me know also which day would be the best one to post on? The ones who have the most votes by the next chapter upload of next Sunday, will be the day I post. Deal? Now a word of caution: I know from here on out it is going to get a little AU(alternate universe) to where I am going to start mixing up my plot and the shows plot a little...okay a lot; and hope that you will continue to stick with it. The song for this chapter is the normal and slow version of "Heaven" by D.J. Sammy. Pull it up to listen and Enjoy!

Love Is What I Found In Your Heart

~Chapter Seven~

After Natsu's little comment, Lucy was nothing short than being bombarded with rumors and speculation running amuck. It took the threat from Erza to cease the gossip. Her aid did not come without its price as she had told Lucy, in a promise she did not agree to, to give the details later on what was really going on between the celestial lion and herself. Lucy found herself grumbling on her walk home once she was able to give out her gifts and escape the suspicious glances.

"Stupid Natsu." she grumbled. She had promised Loke to keep this quiet for now and because of Natsu and his stupid mouth; there was all kinds of suspicions. The worst part was the majority of them were true. She couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that maybe she had let Loke down now. He had put his trust in her and already she felt herself failing. What if he never trusted her again? She needed to come up with a game plan to advert the rumors of the guild and be able to keep her secret with Loke safe. With the hope that she would come back to an empty apartment turned out to be just that, false hope, as Loke was there with a new bed; a queen size bed from his palace and dinner for two on the table.

It took one look from Lucy to know what happened. She had the door open and guilt on her face was mixed with regret. "Guess it cannot be helped. Natsu's nose is impeccable." Loke sighed. Lucy tried to hold back her emotions as the guilt was building up inside her. This was all her fault. If only she had taken a shower or wore heavier perfume; then they wouldn't be in this mess. Loke easily pulled her into his arms with a few strides from his spot in the apartment.

"No you don't." he softly spoke into her hair. "If I see another tear fall from your eyes, I'll strangle Natsu and drag you right back onto that boat for the rest of your life." Lucy suddenly broke into laughter at the threat. Just the thought of it was hilarious. "I love that smile." he cupped her face and kissed her. "Hungry?" he asked. As if on cue, her stomach growled and the incident at the guild was all but forgotten. He helped her to her seat and presented their meal. He made her a plate and both began to eat in the comfort of each other's company.

"So, I got a new bed?" Lucy smirked. Her bedding was gone but in its place was the one that Loke had brought for her; or was it more like for them? Deep sheets of green and blues were the comforter set. In the apartment that was all her, but that bed screamed Loke.

"This place needed a man's touch. My bed is much more comfortable than anything I am sure you have slept on. It is from the spiritual world so it will help restore some, not all, my energy when we sleep on it."

"Shall we test that theory tonight?" Lucy challenged with a raised eyebrow.

"Already ahead of you." he purred looking at her.

"You loooooooove each other." came the rolling voice of Happy next to Lucy. Before either knew it; Erza, Gray, Wendy, both exceeds, and Natsu were in her apartment making themselves comfortable. Loke sat back in his chair as he went to sip his drink. He showed no sign of surprise as Lucy was frantically trying to figure out how they got in and how long they were listening. Natsu appeared behind Loke and pat his back.

"Heh congratulations Loke! You and Lucy will make a great team!" he beamed.

"I am not leaving!" Lucy yelled but her plea fell on deaf ears. Erza was in the fridge getting the cake that Lucy had planned for dessert and starting to serve it. Wendy and the other two exceeds were gathering more chairs to sit around the table. Gray, Natsu, and Loke were having a pleasant conversation as Lucy was dumbfounded at the normalcy of what was going on in her apartment. She felt as if she was in the middle of the circus and she was the only sane one.

"HOLD ON!" she cried; for a moment everything stopped. "What are you all doing here?! Loke how can you be so calm?! MY CAKE!" Erza was starting to eat a piece as everyone but Loke burst into laughter; although, he did give a chuckle. He reached over and gently took her hand. She began to soften as she still noticed the bracelet on his wrist and looked into his eyes.

"Breathe Beautiful. They are our friends. I am sure letting them in won't do any real damage." he calmed her.

"Damage? Oi Loke! What are you going on about?" asked Gray in his shirtless fashion.

"Your clothes Gray..." Wendy shook her head but he ignored her. Loke snickered at his friend's state of dress.

"Let me explain." he offered. He told them of the need of secrecy for the next few weeks and why Lucy was upset. He had a way of getting his message across that Lucy sometimes struggled with once they had invaded her apartment and started to take over. He, of course, left out for the others to fill in the blanks when it came to the intimacy of his and Lucy's relationship.

"So it is somewhat forbidden?" Erza spoke first as everyone was starting to eat the dessert.

"Not technically; more so taboo really." he sighed. "It is frowned upon because spirits should not have certain relationships with their wizards. I fell in love with Lucy, that is it, and that should not be a crime worthy of punishment."

"Falling in love with me is not a crime Loke. I stand with you on this." Lucy squeezed his hand and the look they exchanged made the others see just how deeply they felt. The connection between the pair radiated off of them.

"Then I will just have to make the King accept! If he doesn't then he isn't a king at all!" Natsu slammed his fist on the table.

"Natsu." Erza growled and he quickly folded his arms as he felt a trickle of fear run up his spine. Erza's terror knew no limits as Natsu obeyed.

"Natsu, what if he doesn't?" Happy looked up from his cake.

"Then I'll smash his face in until he does!" Natsu grinned mischievously.

"Idiot." Gray muttered.

"Oh Natsu..." Wendy shook her head.

"Do we have your word that just for now this doesn't get out until after the meeting?" Lucy pleaded.

"You have our word." Erza replied firmly. Lucy let out a sigh of relief. She smiled as she looked around at her friends. It felt like a family dinner as they all ate together. This is what she had always wanted and now; this would be her life.

"Thank you everyone..." Loke felt so grateful as Lucy leaned into him as he wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"In exchange, you will have to tell us everything you did on your trip." Gray snickered slyly. The couple both suddenly sat up and looked away as they displayed flushed looks.

"Oh ho ho!" Natsu grinned with wiggling eyebrows as he elbow nudged Loke.

"Naughty, naughty!" Happy chimed in giggling. Carla rolled her eyes.

"Stop pestering them on inappropriate things in front of Wendy!" she voiced for the first time.

"Carla! I am not a child! I wanna know!" Wendy whined but Erza stood up.

"We should ALL be going. Lucy, in a few days we need to go on another job. Please keep that in mind." Erza emphasized that now it was time that they took their leave so the couple could get back to each other's company. Against everyone wanting to stay, she forcibly rounded up the others and out the door they went to give Lucy and Loke their privacy.

"That...went better than expected?" Loke spoke trying to lighten the mood.

"My cake..." she sighed sadly. He kissed her forehead.

"We can always get more cake." Lucy looked disappointed as she wordlessly got up and started to gather the empty dishes to clean.

"Glad they find my feelings as a joke..." she spoke sullenly as the dish water began to pour. Loke got up from the table and wrapped his arms around her.

"I think you need a bath. Let me do the dishes tonight?" he kissed her neck.

"I wish we didn't have to hide..." Lucy murmured to the soapy water.

"In a week we won't have to. Just try not to dwell on it." He gave her a final kiss and took her place with the dishes. "Go." he insisted. Lucy wasn't going to argue with him as she followed his orders to bathe. By the time the bath was over, Lucy's worries and mood had greatly improved. She walked out in her pajamas and Loke handed her a glass of milk. Her eyes soften as she remember back when he was about to disappear. Her emotions threatened to overflow once more. Loke reached out and pulled her under his arm as she looked up at him with misty eyes at the memory.

"You saved my life that night." he looked at her so grateful. Lucy leaned up and kissed him.

"I would do it again in a heartbeat. You are so amazing." she softly smiled. He cupped her cheek and lightly brushed the tear that was trying to fall.

"No tears Beautiful. I can't stand to see them on you. I much rather see you smiling."

"I'm just an emotional wreck all the time aren't I?" she sniffled "Happy one second and then next just a puddle."

"You feel deeply Lucy; never be ashamed of that. That is why so many love and admire you." he leaned in and kissed her once again. He allowed her to enjoy him a moment or two longer before he let her go to finish her milk. He went to the closet and grabbed a towel as he went to go get his own bath. After his bath, he emerged in his boxers and found Lucy comfortable in his bed on her, now claimed, side of it. He couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face as he was more than happy to see her in his bed; his and no one else.

"I could definitely get used to this." he came over and climbed in. Lucy turned off the light and snuggled into sandalwood and vanilla warmth. Her head found its way on his chest, over his heart. Her hair sprayed out as she listened to his heartbeat.

"I love you." she whispered when the lights turned out.

"And I, you Beautiful. I hope you are ready because this is the real start of our life together." Lucy looked at him with happiness as he kissed her.

"Leo...do you promise?"

"Yes." he promised her. She snuggled back up to him once more as they both settled into sleep.

~Morning~

Loke stretched as he removed the beauty reluctantly from his embrace. Lucy was in a deep slumber. He sat up at the edge of the bed as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Lucy stirred from the shift in movement. She had opened one eye to see the backside of her lover, her lion. She admired his toned muscles and the green symbol of the guild they belonged to. She breathed in his natural scent that she found so addictive. He peered down at her smiling.

"Do we have to be adults today?" Lucy sighed in content. Her voice was heavy from sleep. Loke reached a hand back and brushed the hair from her face.

"You don't but I have to. Why not go back to sleep?" he pet her hair back.

"But you will be gone..." He moved his hand down to the key that nestled on top of her breasts and lightly touched it.

"Never. I swore myself to you Lucy, you are just stuck with me." he leaned down and kissed her after reminding her of his promise. She tried to deepen it to a hint of wanting something more but the growl from her stomach killed any chance of that. Hearing the embarrassing sound, Loke laughed deeply.

"So demanding!" Lucy looked away with a heated tint across her cheeks.

"Sorry..." she apologized.

"Don't be, I gave you an appetite." he quickly got up and went to prepare for breakfast. When he was done he found her curled up holding his pillow to her. She lightly snored as she found sleep once more. He brushed her hair back one more out of her face and kissed her forehead. Lucy came back awake and smelled the food that he had prepared.

"Eat and go back to bed. You look tired."

"Probably from the trip...and a little bit being lazy." she reasoned as she yawned.

"I will be back later. Eat." he gave her a quick kiss and like that he had gone back to the spirit realm. Reluctantly Lucy got up and helped herself to the food he prepared for her. Once she had eaten and slept a little bit longer, she dressed and headed back to the guild to maybe take a look in the achieves for anything that might help Loke on this side of the realm. On the way over to the guild she had made an exception to let Levy, her best friend, in on the secret.

"WH-" Levy practically screamed but Lucy quickly covered her mouth.

"So will you do it? Will you help me?" she nervously asked.

"Yes of course! Lucy, I am so happy for you!" Levy beamed. " Come on, let's go." Lucy followed Levy down to the Fairy Tail achieves to start doing their own research.

~Two Weeks Later~

The timeframe that Loke had requested had quickly came and went than either one anticipated. With the help of Levy, many things to help aid their case were discovered and Lucy went on three job requests to make the time pass by. Loke couldn't help with the jobs as much as he wanted as he was conducting his own research and prep work in his world. However, at the end of the day when the sun went down, he had returned to her. The day for the meeting was quickly approaching and Loke really focused his time on reading, where as Lucy spent her time mostly sleeping and when she wasn't sleeping or on the few jobs, she was studying with Levy. As of late, her energy was constantly being drained. She felt so lethargic and it did not go unnoticed by Erza. But in Erza like fashion, she did not mention it.

The group was in the middle of the battle of their third job. It was to stop some robberies from a particular bank. Virgo was already helping to take care of one of the men and somehow in the middle of the battle, Lucy had fainted and Virgo had disappeared.

"LUCY!" Natsu cried out as he looked over to see her knocked out on the ground . Happy flew over and carried her to safety per Natsu's order. Loke appeared out of nowhere. He had his glasses on and his comfortable clothing. He was not prepared for battle as he scooped the mage into his arms and tried to wake her.

"Lucy! Lucy!" he screamed. When his cries did nothing to pull her out of this spell, he narrowed his eyes at the men and to the blue exceed. "Happy, if a single hair is harmed on her head, I'll hold you responsible." his voice was low and held a promise of death laced in his tone.

"A-aye sir." Happy nervously sweated. No one has ever seen Loke this angry or this intense. He took this out on the bandits that Lucy was fighting. Natsu, Gray, and Erza could only tend to their friend as Loke went after each bandit mercilessly. Once there was a human pile Loke turned towards the group. Lucy was in Erza's arms as she was trying to assess Lucy condition.

"You have to get her to a doctor right now. I want you to have her summon me the moment she wakes up." He walked over to them as he lividly spoke. They haven't gotten her out and were wasting time. She could be facing serious problems and they aren't taking this seriously enough he felt.

"Okay, Loke, I will take her personally." Erza scooped her up as Loke pet her hair back and looked down at her.

"If any harm comes to her, I am telling you that there will be hell to pay." Loke soften gaze looked from her up to Erza with a harden facade. Natsu and Gray gulped at the same time. Erza took no offense from Loke. The situation was tense and she could sense his turmoil.

"I'll let you know what is going on. Go back to your realm Loke. We will take care of her from here." Erza calmly spoke. Loke resist the urge to take her there himself. He gave Lucy a kiss and disappear. Erza turned to the others.

"Wendy I want you to heal anyone who was too badly injured. Gray, you will turn the bandits in." she gave her orders.

"What about me?" Natsu asked as he pointed at himself.

"You make sure no one escapes. I need to get Lucy to the hospital." Erza quickly took Lucy away to the nearest hospital.

~Later~

Lucy slowly blinked awake as she found herself in a hospital room. Erza's voice could be heard outside the door talking to someone; probably a nurse or doctor. Lucy weakly looked around.

"How'd I..." she wondered aloud but the door opened as the doctor came in. She caught a knowing look from Erza as the door shut behind the doctor.

"Miss. Heartfilia, how are you feeling?" he asked calmly.

"Where am I?"

"At the hospital my dear. You were admitted by one of your comrades. We found you were dehydrated and were exhausted. We ran some tests to find the root cause of this and the tests results have come back. If you are feeling up to it, I would like to share the results with you."

"Yes please...what do the results say?"

"Congratulations Miss. Heartfilia, you are pregnant." the doctor smiled. Lucy blinked for a few moments.

"Wait...I think I just hallucinated or something. Did you-"

"Yes, you are pregnant. Congratulations." he beamed. Lucy's heart just stopped as she felt the room start to get dizzy. Her wish...was it coming true? "You are about a month, maybe a month and a half or so along. The baby is growing quite well. I'll prescribe you some prenatal vitamins and I must insist on some bed rest for the next couple of days. When you arrive back in your town, I suggest going to see a local doctor for further instruction." he spoke as he looked at her chart. Lucy could hardly breathe, much less believe, what she was hearing. "Do you have any questions or concerns?" he started to write her prescription. Lucy lightly shook her head no. "Good, after this IV is finished with its cycle, then we will discharge you. My recommendation for the trip back is plenty of rest, fluids, and no stress from here on out. You are eating for two now and so you need to also start working on a new diet." he handed her the written paper and left.

To replace him, Erza came in. "So anything you want to tell me?" he raised a knowing eyebrow.
"Erza..." Lucy sat there numb. "How do I tell him?"

"My advice is to come out and say it. I would suggest seeing this as ripping off a bandage. It will be unpleasant at first but, then you adjust." she nodded.

"Do you think..."

"Not a chance Lucy. He will be thrilled. Looks like Asuka will have some competition of being the cutest baby in Fairy Tail now." Erza smiled which sparked Lucy to return one of her own.

"Thank you..."

"He went crazy you know, after you fainted, he about killed every last one of the bandits and even threatened us. Never seen him react that way before. Guess lions are territorial." Erza thought aloud.

"He should have never threatened any of you. I am sorry." she apologized.

"Don't be. He had a reason to act that way. Someone precious to him was harmed and sometimes that is enough to send anyone over the edge a little. Regardless, I want to say congratulations Lucy." Erza took Lucy's hand and gently squeezed it in reassurance.

"Thank you Erza." Lucy tried to hold back her tears of gratitude as so many emotions were welling up inside of her.

"Oh that is right, I had almost forgotten. He wanted to have me tell you to summon him once you have awoken." Erza passed his message.

"I will wait to tell him...I don't want him to find out this way. I want it to be special." Lucy spoke.

"Of course, your secret is safe with me but I would tell him soon. Only a matter of time before you start to show." Erza promised. She gave a nod to Lucy and took her leave. Lucy lightly touched the key around her neck to the one person she, for the first time, was nervous about summoning. "I summon thee! Open the gate: Leo the Lion!" Instantly Loke had appeared. He wore his normal suit and red tie. His hair was put in his normal mane with the spikes. He was by her side holding her good hand. Worry was etched on his face as he took note of how she looked in the bed. It was a sight he wished to never see her in.

"What happened?" he demanded in urgency.

"Relax Leo." Lucy cupped his face and lightly smiled to try and hide her uneasiness. "I am okay...they said I fainted from being overworked is all and dehydration. I need to drink more water is all." she tried to put him at ease but his concern would not waiver.

"Lucy you are taking on too many dangerous jobs and I am sure the others aren't able to protect you from it. Until I can fully protect you without dividing my time. I must insist you take no jobs until this is over. If I hadn't shown up when I did you would have been killed."

"Leo enough. My other friends can protect me. You need to relax. I just need some more rest is all. Flipping out is not the answer and it is insulting. I rely on more than just you Loke and the others rely on me too. I know you are worried but I promise everything is going to be alright." he rubbed her thumb on his cheek and looked into his eyes with understanding adoration. Loke brought her hands up to his mouth and lightly kissed them. "You should get back. Isn't the meeting in a few hours?" she reminded him.

"You are the most important person to me. I will-"

"No you won't reschedule! This is too important to put off any longer. Now get going. I want to see you tonight because I have a couple surprises planned to celebrate." she winked.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Him being this serious was very uncharacteristic of him. Though she did appreciate his focus only on her; it wasn't the Loke she knew and loved. She wanted him to be carefree. She leaned up and captured his lips with her own.

"I love you." she whispered to him.

"I love you too...go straight home when they release you. I'll see you tonight." She nodded. He kissed her once more but this time it was much deeper and with much purpose. Reluctantly he had returned to the spirit world. Lucy let out a shaky breath.

"Just a few more hours." she told herself as she tried to still her anxious heart.

~That Night~

Once released from the hospital, Lucy and Erza picked up her prescription and returned to the group. Everyone was waiting at the train station. Gray had collected and divided up the winnings of the reward money; minus, of course, the expenses for the guild. They made about 120,000 jewel each. Lucy gave the group the explanation she had given Loke. They didn't really question her as they got onto their train to head back home. Lucy stared out the window in deep thought. She was pregnant and Loke was the father. She was going to be a mother. Her heart caught in her throat as she began to think of her own parents and more specifically her mother.

"Lucy?" Wendy asked as Lucy wiped away a tear that threatened to fall. Lucy gave a beaming smile.

"Sorry, I am just a little tired is all." she waved it off. The others gave confusing looks but decided to humor her. Erza redirected their attention to a sick Natsu that made Wendy focus on him rather than Lucy. It did not take long to arrive back in Magnolia. After the train station they went their separate ways. Lucy had made a quick trip to the store to get a few things and head back to her apartment. After some time she began to work on dinner and had also taken a pregnancy test to show to Loke later when he arrived. The smell of the stew filled the apartment and made it smell so inviting. She was hoping the meal will be one of happy in celebration. As the stew was cooking, Lucy took this time to sit down at her desk and write another letter to her parents to tell them the good news.

"I'll have to go to visit you and Papa with Loke...well Leo. If the baby is a girl I want to name her after you Momma." she wrote. Lucy closed her eyes and could vividly see a tiny pink blanket with their daughter inside. A tiny version of herself with Loke's personality. The thought of Loke reminded her to look at the clock. It was strange he hadn't come back yet but she would wait with her special news. Sometimes these things could not be rushed and she wanted to celebrate their new life together with the special one starting to grow inside her.