Chapter 7: Calm Before the Storm

Over the next few months, Lisanna slowly recovered, but she could feel the changes in her body. How she would occaisionally have morning sickness and strange cravings. Bixlow had been the first to figure out; almost as if he'd been expecting it. Mirajane had been the next, having been experiencing the same things herself, and then slowly, most of the girls of Fairy Tail figured out before most of the guys.

Quite frankly, Lisanna felt numb. She was pregnant...and she wasn't married...and the father wasn't Bixlow. It was so much to take in. She sat at a table, watching silently as Pantherlily, Shagotte, Charlotte, Happy, and Wendy all plyed cards. Once upon a time, she'd sit there, laughing along with them.

Her eyes drifted over to the bar where she'd sit whenever she needed advice from Mira-nee during the day. But she couldn't bring herself to really speak to hardly anyone nowadays. "Juvia made this for her friend, Lisanna, in hopes that she will be happy again." Lisanna looked up at Juvia, who was holding out an elaborate, but beautiful cake.

Around the base, there was grass with faces of cats peaking out of them, with a blue sky decorating the rest of the cake. trees stretched from the grass to the next tier, and there was a giraff feeding from one, an elephant leaning on another as it drank water from with its long trunk. The third and final tier had clouds and exotic birds flying through it. Lisanna smiled.

"Thank you, Juvia..." She replied quietly as Juvia set the cake down on the table. Juvia sat down on the bench next to her, hands in her lap.

"Juvia understands how her nakama feels; well, almost. Juvia once loved a man named Boro, who did the same to her as Bixlow's brother did to Lisanna. Boro left Juvia alone the next day, saying he hated the rain Juvia brings." Juvia lifted her eyes to Lisanna's, a small, shy, and sincere smile gracing her lips. "Believe Juvia when she says that Lisanna isn't alone in her pain. Lisanna has all of her nakama beside her."

"Thank you..." Lisanna whispered, choking back tears and hugging the other girl, who returned the hug tenderly, like an older sister would; not unlike Mirajane's embraces. And even though her siblings had attempted to comfort her, them being her older brother and sister just didn't really strike it home; they'd always said kind words to her and always been there for her. Not that Juvia hadn't; it's just that the beautiful water maiden was outside of the family and was usually inadvertently distant.

The fact that Juvia had shared her own pain with Lisanna to get more on her level touched the silver-haired girl to no end. When they broke apart, Juvia smiled. "Juvia enjoys seeing her friends smile and be happy. She wants Lisanna to smile and be happy again."

They pulled apart. "Juvia wishes for Lisanna, Bixlow, Freed, Mirajane, Elfman, and Evergreen to all share the cake. They have had it rough and need an escape. Juvia hopes that Lisanna and Mirajane's babies will be healthy and happy."

"I'm sure they will, Juvia, thank you." The young women smiled at each other.

o0o

"I'll have to get Juvia's recipe, this cake is delicious," Freed remarked, taking another bite of his piece; ironically, this one had a lot of trees the color of his hair on it.

"I remember a time when Freed would try and cook and the vicinity would be up in flames before you can even say parsley," Evergreen snickered; Bixlow agreed with a snort.

Mirajane giggled, a hand on Freed's knee. "But he is much better at it now. Just the other night, he made a wonderful western dinner. It was composed of roast beef and gravy, mashed potatoes, greenbeans, corn, and buttered sugar biscuits! Then for desert it was black berry cobbler." She beamed. "It was absolutely amazing; I must look more into these western-style meals. They're so...so different and exotic!"

"AND MANLY!"

Lisanna rolled her eyes, shaking her head and eating another bite of cake. "Say, Freed-nii? Maybe you could Teach me how to make that black berry cobbler and we can give it to Juvia as a thank you gift."

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Freed agreed.

"I'll help," Muttered Bixlow. Lisanna smiled at him, blushing lightly. They'd worked out their feelings not long after she'd been treated for the wounds that Aaron and Cable caused, so they (Lisanna and Bixlow) were, according to Jason anyway, Fairy Tail's "newest item".

Lisanna didn't care and Bixlow was proud to tell all who asked about how Lisanna was doing; he never tallked about himself for long and always focused on Lisanna's needs. He was indeed a good man and Lisanna was glad that she'd found him.

o0o

As Lisanna lay sleeping in her dormitory in Fairy Hills, Erza prowled around, sword in its hilt, chocholate eyes sharp and alert. She'd heard something suspicious and was going to put an end to it. Very clearly, she could sense a dark magical presence.

"Show yourself, intruder," She practically growled, unsheathing her sword. She scanned the shadows. How such an evil presence made its way here, I do not know, nor do I care. But it will be disposed of!

"So the famous titania has come to meet me; I'm flattered." Erza calmly turned around, eyes blazing.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Cable. I believe you have something I want."

"There is nothing here for you. Unless you want your blood to stain these old and much loved halls that the ladies of Fairy Tail call their home."

"So poetic. Now, some may call such an admonishment 'corny' or 'cheesy', however I find it quite breath taking that 'heroes' of so many tales find it necessary to speak them as if they believe their 'villain' cares to hear it." Cable grinned, his yellow eyes shining in the darkness and fang-like teeth giving a slight sparkle. Despite his gentlemanly demeanor, Cable was like a predator, seeing all in his path as his prey.

Erza grit her teeth, sword gleaming in the moonlight that streamed through the wide, tall windows of the dormitories. Doors open throughout the hallway. Lisanna's head poked out, then Juvia's, Levy's, Cana's, Laki's, and several other of the women that occupied Fairy Hills.

Cable turned, his eyes falling on Lisanna. She gasped, ducking back into her room. Cable started towards her, but Cana and Juvia blocked his path while Levy cast shielding runes around Lisanna and her room.

Cana smirked, pulling out her cards. "Sorry, b******. You're not gonna' get much farther than that."

Juvia crossed her arms, eyes afire. "Juvia believes that the outsider has heard of Fairy Tail's fierce loyalty to their nakama. The outsider has hurt Lisanna of Fairy Tail and will not do so again."

"If it's a fight y'all are lookin' for, it's a fight 'yer gonna' get!" Cackled Cable, his gentleman agenda thrown to the wind as he pulled out a stained, slender, jagged dagger from a small sheathe at his side. "Come take me if you believe you_"

The window shattered and Bixlow's foot connected with Cable's jaw. Bixlow smirked, tongue hanging out. "Been lookin' for ya' mofo. Think I'm gonna' let you harm my woman after what Aaron did?" Bixlow's dolls swarmed around him. Erza chuckled silently.

Dunno' how the man got in here, but the plan worked. Let Cable as far as the top floor dormitories and then corner him, dropping the defenses to allow Bixlow in. Well done, Queen Shagotte, Mirajane, and Freed. Though...if Lucy and Natsu hadn't seen Cable on their way home, I don't think things would've gone nearly as smoothly.

"Had to call for help again little bro? Gonna get all your girlfriends to take me down? This looks more like a big orgy than a fight!"

Bixlow grabbed him by the throat, jumping out the window with him and slamming him down. "Oh, I'll give you a fight," He hissed. "One on one."

"Ladies, stay inside and guard Lisanna in case someone else is working with Cable. Do not leave her side and do not get involved with the battle. This goes much deeper than us," Erza instructed, sheathing her sword and drawing the blinds to the broken window. Levy put up sound proof runes, completely cutting them off from the battle between Bixlow and Cable.

A/N: Sorry the chapter's so short; I just thought it'd be a good way to keep people reading lol. Oh and to Rowenforever: Thanks for all of your support. You've been reviewing since the first chapter of my first story and I haven't thanked you, so I wanted to do so now. It's really touching and I just wanted to show my appreciation for the fact that you care. CX