Author's Note: Hello everyone! So many people love this story so far! I am more than happy to hear the reviews for it! Thank you all so, so much! It touches my heart every time I hear such encouragement and praise. It makes me feel as if I am on the right track or something. I was a bit nervous when I started to mix the two plots together and work them in a way that kinda messes with the arc; but I haven't heard too much negative constructive criticism; so that is really encouraging! As promised, I had gotten more than 5 reviews and so you guys get another chapter! This chapter is going to be a little bit longer but I hope that is okay? Just remember, keep reviewing and I'll keep updating! Moving on, the song for this chapter is Steal You Away by Dash Berlin. So pull it up to listen and enjoy!

I Would Steal You Away

~Chapter Twelve~

Erza was removing the coat from Lucy's arms as she tucked it over her arm to hang it up. Lucy began to blink awake. Her body was stiff as she had been in one position for far too long and being away from Loke's jacket was giving her anxiety.

"Erza?" she asked. Her gaze was on the scarlet woman with a pleading glance.

"Lucy, sorry, did I wake you?" she asked facing her with the jacket in her arms.

"It's fine...may I please have that back?" she held out her hand as she dared to ask for the jacket.

"I was just going to hang it up." Erza shrugged as she returned it to her. She did find Lucy's reaction to the simple piece of clothing a bit odd, but she supposed it must be one of those pregnancy things.

"It's Loke's. I tend to sleep better with it." Lucy clutched it to her as relief filled her and his scent enveloped her once again. Her racing heart settled and her emotions were soothed. A piece of her Loke was back with her safe and sound.

"I understand. I take it that you slept better?" Erza nodded as she watched her friend carefully hold the coat to her.

"Yeah...listen, I wanted to say sorry for you know, earlier..." Lucy smiled apologetically at the scarlet haired woman.

"There is no need for that. Hormones can make one act very peculiar. Water under the bridge." Erza quickly forgave her.

"How long was I asleep?" Lucy asked as she put the jacket on. She wrapped it around her tiny frame and brought her knees to her chest as she sat up. She was calmer inside of his protective article of clothing, felt much safer in that jacket; as if Loke was there with her holding her from behind and saying 'I'm right here Beautiful. Nothing to be afraid of my love'.

"A while I supposed. I had just returned from the guild myself." Erza shrugged. She grabbed a chair and sat beside Lucy. "I know I need to work on being more sensitive to how you are feeling but, Lucy, I think being a bit more of a realist will help better prepare you. Loke is not in your dreams, but rather with the other zodiac members on that island. You need to keep a sound mind for not only your sake but those inside you." Erza gently spoke and patted her arm gently.

"Erza...he is real...I don't know how to explain it, but he is trapped in this weird realm." Lucy explained.

"Weird realm?" Erza asked confused. Lucy looked down at her hands.

"I swear I am not crazy, I just want you to listen to me on this. He is trapped and I have to find a way to get him back." Erza studied her friend for a few moments and gave a sigh.

"Alright, start from the beginning." she sat back comfortable in the chair. The least she felt she could do was hear her out. Lucy looked up with new resolve and firmly explained what they said, what she felt, and described in detail what the place looked like.

"Lucy, I think I might have a theory." Erza finally spoke. "I believe that, that jacket is your connection to him and maybe your magic has either made him travel to you or vice versa. I think...you might have actually found a way to connect with him and this might be the advantage we need." she smiled.

"His jacket?" Lucy subconsciously hugged the cloth more around her.

"Makes sense. When it is connected to you, you can communicate with him; well at least in your dreams anyway."

"But what if it is just a dream? What if you are right and he isn't real?"

"Well..." Erza paused to ponder on it. "Why not ask him something only he can answer? If anything, it is a leap of faith." she suggested.

"That might actually work..." Lucy thoughtfully thought about it. "Well, I suppose I will see if it works when I fall back asleep."

"You need food." Erza stood abruptly as Lucy blinked confused.

"Food?"

"Yes Lucy, food. You haven't eaten and the best thinking is done after a full belly." she smiled and head to the kitchen part of the apartment as Lucy sighed at how weird Erza Scarlet could be. At least she wasn't being scary. She much preferred this Erza over the other ones.

~Fairy Tail/Days Later~

Lucy was in the achieves with Levy as she was helping with research. She was looking up magical energy and its connection to items. Loke had proven that it wasn't a dream by her questioning and they would have conversations when she would go meet him in that place. She did not dare let the jacket out of her sight. If she didn't have it on her person, then it was kept under her pillow. She had kept the conversations between herself and Loke a secret from everyone save Erza; whom was proving to be her most dependable friend, aside from Levy and Wendy, in this time of need. However, the reasoning behind the secrecy, was that it was too complicated of a matter to argue with someone on, and the last thing she needed was no one letting her help because they think she might be insane.

Lucy focused on the task before her as her and Levy sat around the endless towers of books. They used their gale reading glasses to quickly go through book after book only to come up with essentially the same results. Levy jumped as Lucy slammed a book down. A look of disgruntled on her facade. Lucy peered over concerned for the annoyed tiny mage.

"I can't take it anymore!" Levy cried.

"Sorry Levy..." Lucy gave her a look of sympathy. She could relate to the frustration that was consuming her friend. Since she had told Levy of her relationship with Loke, Levy has dedicated a lot of herself and her time to doing nothing but endless research to helping them out.

"Lucy, I don't know if this is going to be much else here for us to research. We are running out of books and they are just repeating facts we already know about. I think we finally hit our wall." Levy sighed in defeat. Lucy put her book down and went to sit by Levy as she rubbed her back.

"A-are you certain?" she asked cautiously. Levy looked over at Lucy with a grim look.

"I am afraid so Luce...sorry." Lucy shook her head and smiled.

"Don't be. Without your help, we would have never gotten as far as we wanted to go. It is because of you that we have the information that we have now. I owe you one big time." Levy couldn't help but smile at Lucy's words.

"Well there is one tiny thing you could do." she hinted at.

"Anything." Lucy could never turn down a request from Lucy.

"Make me god mother of one of them." she grinned. Lucy somehow felt cornered.

"Not you too..." she groaned. Ever since she started to work a couple hours at the guild; everyone had been on baby fever from suggesting names randomly to her, to taking bets on the due date, to trying to butter her up for a spot as god parent or having the twins named after them. Lucy would be lucky to leave at the end of her couple hours with only minimum requests.

"Levy..." Lucy sighed, "I will consider it." she felt herself giving in. Levy's grin widen as she knew she was a shoo in.

"Yes!" she gave the victory sign as Lucy could swear she felt a sweat drop. Suddenly the doors to the archives were thrown open as both looked to see Gajeel running into the room.

"Shrimp! You need to come up to see this!" he grinned. Levy and Lucy exchanged confused glances.

"Gajeel?" Levy started.

"Come on! We are waiting upstairs gi-hii" he chuckled. He motioned for them to follow him. For Gajeel to be this excited must mean there must be something of great importance happening. Without delay, they followed him up to the main hall. To their surprise, everyone was waiting for them, but what was most surprising was Yukino talking to the Master.

"Yukino?" Levy asked confused. All heads turned to the arrived guests.

"Levy! Lucy!" Yukino smiled widely.

"Come you two, we need you both." The Master beckoned. They approached as they noticed Yukino holding a book.

"Master?" Levy asked.

"We think we found what the celestial zodiac spirits are after." Erza spoke up.

"You have?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"The answer lies within here." Yukino held out a book. Levy got an anxious glint in her eye. If there was anything she loved more than anything, it would be a challenging book. Her hands were just itching to open it up and take a look. Lucy, on the other hand, was trying to keep herself together. The answer was in that book that Yukino brought. But one thing was bothering her, why did she bring it here? Yukino handed the book over to Levy's waiting arms.

"Why did you bring it here?" Lucy asked confused. Yukino smiled at Lucy's question.

"I'm afraid we could only translate some of the text. We only got bits and pieces really, but from what we could gather is that there is some connection between the twelve zodiacs and a ritual we think is called Librium." she explained. Levy was already in a corner with Gajeel reading the text.

"Librium?" Lucy asked.

"What does this mean?" Makarov finally spoke.

"Honestly, we don't know. That is why I have brought it here." Yukino explained.

"Levy, how soon do you think you will have that book deciphered?" Erza asked urgently.

"A day at least. My knowledge on this language is limited, but I will be able to get the information hopefully sooner than later." Levy estimated as she didn't look up from the text.

"Very well, we are all depending on you." Makarov encouraged.

"I won't let you down." Levy promised.

"Yukino, you are more than welcome to stay here if you wish; just until we have all the information. Then you can be able to get the news out to the other guilds." Erza offered.

"Thank you, I will take you up on that." Yukino accepted thankfully.

"Can I stay to help Levy?" Lucy spoke up. The Master and Erza exchanged glances.

"Actually Lucy, maybe it might be best that you catch up on sleep and relaxation for the next couple of days." Mira came forward. Lucy looked around at the adverted gazes saved for Erza and the Master's.

"That an order?" Lucy crossed her arms.

"Don't make it be one spoiled brat!" Makarov clicked his tongue.

"This is crap and you know it!" Lucy glared at how cowardly they were talking to her. Why couldn't they face her and keep limited her?

"Lucy!" Erza firmly snapped. Lucy did not back down like she normally would from Erza's authority. Something of a fire lit up within her and she wasn't going to keep letting them treat her this way. Was she or was she not a Fairy Tail mage damnit?

"This your idea?" She growled.

"Enough you spoiled brat! This was my decision!" Makarov raised his voice as her eyes snapped to his. There was tension in the room. Nervous glances went between the Master and Lucy as they glared each other down.

"Luce, this isn't a good idea. Just listen to us." Natsu spoke up with arms crossed as he couldn't help but feel sorry for his friend. He couldn't say he blamed her since he was on her side. Lucy isn't a fragile as the others claim her to be. He stayed in his place with Happy as he watched the scene before him.

"We don't want you-" Mira gently started to say.

"Worried? I am already there! Stop using kid gloves around me like I'm this fragile person!" Lucy was livid. Her eyes started to change color between her rich chocolate to a darkened red. An unanimous gasp echoed the hall but Lucy paid no mind. She wasn't well aware what was happening to her. All she felt was this anger.

"Luce!" Natsu removed his crossed arms and made a bee line to her as he sensed something was wrong and her eyes were not normal. He could smell her distress.

"I rather know what is going on than be kept in the dark! It is bad enough I don't know what is going on with Loke, so don't shut...me...out..." Suddenly Lucy world went dark just as Natsu got to her in time to catch her from falling hard onto the ground.

~Unknown Time Later~

Lucy's first recognized Loke's jacket in her own bed. It hurt to move and she couldn't find the strength to open her eyes quite yet. She could hear the voice of Erza...and Parlyusica speaking quietly. She couldn't quite make out what was being said, nor did she even care. She had much more important matters to worry about such as how she was going to go to the bathroom? She could feel someone coming to her side. Then gradually she began to feel her strength return. Slowly she opened her eyes to dim candle light and Wendy using her healing magic.

"W-Wendy?" Lucy weakly spoke.

"Thank goodness Lucy..." Wendy smiled kindly down at her in her relief.

"You have disobeyed me." Parlyusica had come to Wendy's side hearing Lucy speaking as she regained consciousness. She glared down coldly at the young mother. Her tone was stern. "Perhaps you have a death wish?"

"What is happening?" Lucy weakly asked in her confusion.

"You overworked yourself. You were under my strict orders to rest and I heard you have been overworking yourself. Did I or did I not specifically tell you to rest? I have come to learn that you have been working at that guild! What Erza has told me has turned this into the worst case scenario that is very real." Parlyusica anger was now mixed with sadness.

"I-I don't understand?" Lucy dared to ask with a sinking feeling.

"Your magic is being used up in a rate that it cannot replenish itself. The Little Ones cannot stay in this world without it, and without a second parent or spirit to take you to the spirit world safely to replenish the magic; you are not only going to most likely lose them, but your magic as well." Lucy's world became dizzy once more and the darkness overcame her from the shock.

~ Another Unknown Time Later~

Lucy's vision refocused back to reality she had fainted away from. The shock of the news had once again pushed her over the edge. Wendy was helping her regain consciousness as Erza held her hand.

"Keep her awake Wendy. She needs to hear this." Parlyusica spoke.

"Sorry ma'am..." Wendy apologized

"I-I could lose them..." Lucy's voice was strained. She felt the bubble of panic well up inside her and threatening to burst. Sadness was a well that she suppose her heart knew no boundaries for. She must be a glutton for punishment.

"I am sorry to deliver news such as this to you. All I can do is try to slow down the drain of magic, but at this rate of their growth and your own magic being depleted; you have a moth at best to come up with a solution." Parlyusica spoke almost kindly. Tears fell out of the corners of Lucy's eyes at the realization that another battle to fight for her children's lives were coming once again to light. Parlyusica stared to gather her belongings. Lucy was on her side crying as Erza rubbed her back. Wendy followed Parlyusica out as she finished healing Lucy. Lucy's body shuddered as the panic attack was over taking her. She was so damn close to figuring out how to get her family back, but now she was ever more closer to losing them all. She had a month at best.

Erza watched her friend cry out in torment. Lucy was just served one step below a death sentence for her children and her magic. There would be no words of comfort that could fix any of this. So Erza let her cry until the tears were used up and her trembles ceased.

"I am losing them all...I am losing everyone...everyone is going away in the end..." Lucy hiccupped and gasped.

"That means we need to be stronger to keep them here. If you admit defeat without even trying then they are already gone." Erza firmly spoke.

"Save it Erza, I just..." Lucy sniffled.

"Your children are not going anywhere. There will be a resolution to this. If I have to send you to the celestial plane myself, then I damn well will." Erza rubbed her back. "Lucy, you need to talk to Loke about what to do. You need to try to find a way back to either the celestial realm or a way to replenish your magic for both yourself and your children. We can only do so much on this end." Erza softly spoke

"I-I..." Lucy was hiccupping.

"Enough. You need to eat and you are going to prepare yourself to talk to him. I am sure it will not be easy to hear this as well; so you need to continue to be strong. If not for yourself, then for all of them." Erza made Lucy sit up against the pillows. Lucy forced herself to calm down. As much as she hated to admit it, Erza was right. A tray was brought and set on her lap. Erza laced the meal with a sleeping medicine to help with the mage to gain rest and relax her anxiety.

~Loke~

Somehow the bed raft found a small island in the ocean vastness. There wasn't much but he was able to make a hut, find some fresh drinking water, eat fruit or fish the island provided, and managed to stay alive. However, it was never ending night so he didn't quite know yet where he was trapped; only he was a prisoner here. He sat by the edge of the shore and waited for his fishing pole he made to gain a bite. He smiled in fondness of the memory. That was the first night Lucy and him made love. She had surprised him with that cottage and then making him work for their meal.

He looked up at the sky of endless stars and couldn't help but think that the golden yellow that reminded him of her hair. Would his children have her hair color? Her eyes? That contagious smile that drove him crazy? "Gods I hope so..." he wished aloud. He wished these babies would look exactly like their mother and aside from healthy and happy, he wished more than anything to break from this place to see them. He was going to be a father and he wanted to be there to watch them come into this world.

"L-Loke?" came a voice from the door of his hut. He quickly turned around and he saw her there. She was still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. But the thought of her beauty was stopped short when he registered her expression. Forgetting about the fishing pole, he rushed to her side as he kicked up sand in his hast. He pulled her into his embrace as she trembled something terrible in his arms.

"What happened?!" he demanded.

"I-I..." Lucy struggled to find the words to break to him. He made her look at him as his hands held her face.

"Look at me Luce. Breathe. That is it. Use your words." he spoke to her as if a protective father spoke to his small child. Lucy was shaking and trembling. Just what had her this unnerved to warrant this kind of reaction from her? He felt ice within his blood as he didn't want to think the answer, but rather hear it from her. "Is it the babies?" he urged. Lucy could only nod her head. For a moment Loke's blood ran cold as a million thoughts, each more terrible than the last, ran through his mind. He cradled her to him and sat down with her in his lap. They both needed a moment to even speak, much less think. Lucy was in a ball against his chest as he held her so tightly. Lucy found herself hyperventilating something serious as she couldn't register the proper thoughts to speak to him. "Lucy please, you need to calm down and let me in...I'm going insane over here. Please don't hold me at suspense like this." he begged.

"Babies...magic...gone..." is all she could managed to sob and hiccup out. Loke was fearing the worst.

"Gone...? What are you talking about? Did you...did we..." he was now not the one shaking as the worst thing he dreaded was playing out in his mind. He put Lucy's current state and the words she said together to figure out something no parent ever wanted to hear. "N-no, no please gods no..." he felt the hot tears begin to form. Lucy pulled his head to her chest as she moved from her ball to straddling him. She forced herself to come together as she saw Loke falling apart. She hadn't mean to have him come to that conclusion, but when she saw him she fell apart. Now Erza's words became her resolve as she needed to have him stop those feared thoughts before things took on something more serious.

"N-Not gone yet..." she forced out. Loke continued to shake as he gripped her.

"Lucy..." he whispered. Lucy felt his hot tears on her chest and she held him close as they both cried. After several moments, she pulled his face to look up into hers. Tear streaked faced on both of them as they watched each other. His face was pale as his eyes were rings of red from the episode. Lucy's face practically mirrored his own.

"I am...I am losing my m-magic." she sniffled.

"How?" he demanded weakly.

"The babies...they are more like you than me." Lucy nestled her forehead on his as their noses were touching.

"They rely on your magic..." Loke put the two together to get the obvious. Lucy gave a small nod.

"I can't regain m-my magic fast enough, and if they don't have magic or I-I can't get you to y-your world..." she struggled.

"...they die...and you no longer are a wizard...which means you lose everything." Loke finished. A few more tears spilled from Lucy's eyes as she gave another small nod to confirm. "How long do you have?" he asked the dreaded question.

"N-not long; a month at most is what I was told. There is no way I can get to your world because none of my keys work." Lucy spoke sadly.

"Have you tried any of the silver ones again?" he suggested as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. Lucy froze. "You...Lucy tell me you at least tried?!" he cried out.

"I-I figured that if the gold ones didn't work, then the silver ones wouldn't either." she spoke in defense. She sat back on him as they looked at each other.

"Silly girl, did you honestly forget that the silver and gold keys are vastly different?"

"But what if it doesn't work" she asked feeling more angry at herself for her granted ignorance.

"Then we find another way...even if you lose your magic Lucy, it doesn't change a damn thing."

"How can you even say that?! We have a contract and could lose you and everyone else! You are a celestial spirit and need to have a celestial master to be able to come to this realm. Without that contract I lose you! I can't lose my Fairy Tail family and I can't lose everyone else I love!" Lucy tried to pull away from him but he wouldn't let her.

"Now you listen to me Lucy Heartfilia!" He growled. " I love you too damn much to let you give up because you pick now of all times to let the fear of you being a 'realist' sink in. Even if you lose your magic; I'll defy every law to get back to you. I did it once, and I'll gladly do it again. Didn't I tell you once that the barrier between your realm and mine was nothing compared to our love? We, you and I, are bigger than any stupid magic laws. Now you fight like hell for us and you go down swinging until the end! You hear me!" he yelled at her. Lucy's tears fell, but his words touched her."I told you that morning and I'll remind you again; I love you Beautiful. I do not want to lose our children, but, gods forbid, if we do, we will try again; and if I have to bring you to live in the celestial realm, then so be it. I'll take on them all on and I won't back down. You are mine" Loke promised with a deep seeded possessiveness that he only displaced once; that being the first night he claimed her. Lucy could only shake her head, but a small part of her accepted his resolve.

"Loke...you can't even get out of this place, how are you even going to attempt to do anything you just said?" Lucy spoke softly as she voiced her concerns.

"Yeah, looks like you got that 'realist' bug real bad. You know me, my favorite thing to do is be persistent. I pursued you and won didn't I?" he winked.

"Really Loke? At a time like this, you still flirt with me?" Lucy glared appalled.

"Now is the perfect time." he captured her lips. She tried to hit him, but it was futile. He knew how to make her submit to him.

"D-damn you." she sniffled.

"You will never lose me Lucy. Even if you think you will lose everyone, you really won't. I love you and I love our babies; but most of all I love being the man you call yours. When I get out of here, you better prepare yourself because I am not going anywhere." he kissed her once more after he sincerely spoke. He meant every word he told her. Lucy clung to him; and then through the mist of this terrible news about her children and magic, she remembered the small bit of good news. But for now, she would withhold it until she heard back from Levy.

~Morning~

Erza woke up to Lucy digging around in her dresser for something. It was rather early but that didn't stop the scarlet haired mage from being any less alert.

"Lucy?" Erza spoke confused as she sat up in Lucy's bed.

"Ah ha!" Lucy pulled out her key pouch. Erza gave her a questionable look as to why she would even be looking at her keys.

"What is going on?" she demanded as she fully awake. Just what in the world had gotten into Lucy of all people? Lucy didn't bother looking over as she was flipping through her keys looking for one specific one.

"You will see! Oh spirit! Answer my call and pass through the gate! I summon thee Crux!" Lucy called out. A beaten and wounded Crux showed up; and Lucy sat before him with sadness in her eyes as she saw the damaged.

"Oh Grandpa Crux...what have they done to you..." she whispered.