AN: The chapter is small, but is a small prologue of the next one, which is the real weekend. :D
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What to Expect When You're Expecting
Chapter Thirteen – Mama Bear
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"When your mother asks, 'Do you want a piece of advice?' it is a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway." – Erma Bombeck
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After two weeks, everyone got used to the fact that Juvia was pregnant and, of course, they became very protective of her. The guys didn't know much about how pregnant women acted so they were being extra nice and attentive, always asking if she needed anything, or offering their seats even though there were others.
Basically Juvia was the new superstar of Fairy Tail. And she loved it.
She was being pampered and it was a first for her, being taken care of like that. Juvia and the girls even spent a whole day shopping for the much needed maternity clothes. It was so much fun for the blue haired girl; not that the girls never shopped before, it was just that this time all of them were girly, talking about babies.
It was nice to know that she had a family.
The tough part came two weeks later with Gray's monthly family dinner. Juvia was going to meet Ur Milkovich, Gray's mother.
And it terrified her.
What if Ur didn't like her? What if Gray's family didn't like her with him? Sure, she met Ultear, Meredy and Lyon and they seemed to like her (Lyon liked her more than he should, actually), but what if they didn't like her and Gray together?
Okay, Gray had told her that the girls seemed happy about their relationship, but… what if?
"Are you sure this dress is nice?" Juvia asked as she stepped out of the taxi they took from the train station. Both her and Gray had taken the train right after lunch and arrived when the sun was about to set.
"For the thousandth time: yes." He rolled his eyes. "And I don't know why you're so worried. It's just my mom."
"Whom I'm meeting for the first time!" Juvia said, worried. She started to slap her dress to take off some imaginary dust from it. "Juvia wants her to like me. She's going to be the baby's grandmother!"
"She will like you. My mother is..." Gray remembered the way he was treated: it took him a while before even realize that she was sweet inside and she loved everyone in her own tough way. "Well, she'll like you. One day. In a few years. Maybe." When he saw Juvia's face he laughed; she looked even more scared than before. "I'm kidding, Juvia. She already likes you because you are having her grandchild."
"Gray-sama! Don't scare Juvia like that!" The girl exclaimed and slapped his arm lightly as he gave her a peck on the lips and went to grab their luggage on the taxi's trunk. "Want any help…?"
"Yeah, sure. I'll just ask my pregnant girlfriend to grab a few heavy suitcases, just because." He snorted as he put the bags down and grabbed his wallet. "Don't ask stupid questions, Juvia."
"Sorry." She rolled her eyes. "I was just asking."
"Let your man here take the heavy lifting, sweetheart." The old cabbie said with a wink. "You are already carrying a baby, the least he can do is… well, do everything else. At least that was what my wife told me while she was pregnant." He laughed and soon Juvia's giggled could also be heard and even Gray chuckled.
"I agree." Gray gave the man the money, telling him to keep the change and bent down to take the two suitcases from the floor. "Let's go, sweetheart." He teased her.
"Oh, shush." Juvia laughed as they started to walk towards the house; the girl getting more nervous with each step she took.
When they reached the porch, Gray was about to ask Juvia to grab the key from his pocket, when the front door opened. Ur was standing there, a big smile on her face. She was as Juvia thought she would be. Of course the blunette had seen some pictures of the older woman before; her hair was short and dark, her eyes, much like Gray's were a little dropped and narrower than others', and she had a knock out body even though she was older than she looked. Juvia thought that she would have a threatening aura and she was right. Of course, she also eradiated love for her son, that no one could doubt.
"I thought I heard a car pull over." She said even though she had been waiting for them for the past hour and saw their interaction since the moment they stepped out of their cab. "Did you take your sweet time? Gosh, you should've arrived an hour ago." Ur said to Gray and then turned to Juvia. "Introduce us, Gray. I raised you right."
"Mother, this is Juvia." Gray introduced and Juvia smiled to the older woman.
"Nice meeting you." The blunette said, offering a hand to Ur.
"So... You're the girl who Gray knocked-up and made Lyon fall in love. You're pretty enough." Ur looked her from head to toe before taking the blunette's hand. "Let's see if you're good for either of them."
"Mother." Gray scowled. "No crazy stunts. We just arrived; and remember what we talked about on the phone: no ridiculous questions, pictures or any other shit. She's my girlfriend, she's pregnant with my child and let's leave at that."
Ur scoffed. "As if I'm letting this opportunity go, kid. This girl" She pointed to Juvia. "managed to get closer to your heart than you let any other woman, then did the same with Lyon with only batting her eyelashes at him." Juvia's cheek reddened. "She also talked her way out of that little situation Meredy created by convincing her not to kill herself; and later when Ultear tried to take her own life, Meredy told me that Juvia's words saved not only hers, but also my daughter's life." Ur changed her gaze to Juvia. She had a sparkle on her eyes that made Juvia uneasy. "She's so tangled in my family's life that it is surprising that we didn't meet before."
"Yeah. You'll have plenty of time to know her, mom. But not today, okay?" Gray sighed and pushed Juvia gently inside the house with one of the bags he had on his hands while his mother got out of their way. "She's having your grandchild; you'll have plenty of time to talk. Let's postpone this whole questioning; we're leaving in two days. Be nice." Gray warned his mother with a whisper when Juvia was inside the house and couldn't hear them. "Don't embarrass me."
"You look so cute with your cheeks all red." Ur laughed. "This weekend will be priceless! I need to take pictures of you bringing a girl home for the first time."
"Shut up, mom!"
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Once they were inside the house they went upstairs, to Gray's old bedroom, where the couple would stay. Juvia imagined before what his childhood's bedroom was like and she was not disappointed. There were s few posters of soccer players, some of old video-games that were famous a few years back and on the ceiling right above the bed, there was a poster of a busty woman with full lips, blonde hair and wearing nothing more than a bikini.
Gray's cheeks were on fire once he realized where Juvia's gaze was, but Ur was finding it funny.
"Yeah, he took off all the others, but he always liked that one." The older woman chuckled. "He called her… What was her name, Gray? The one you gave it to her? Alyssa?"
"Melissa." Gray mumbled, putting the suitcases on the floor.
"Yes! Melissa!" Ur laughed. "Even after his teenager years he just couldn't Melissa go."
"I said not to embarrass me. It wasn't a challenge, you know?" Gray said under his breath.
"Lighten up, kid." His mother said.
"Well, Gray-sama…" Juvia said with a small smile. "She is very pretty on that poster."
"See? Even your girlfriend agrees with you." Ur poked his chest. "Turn your frown upside down, will you?"
"I thought you would get jealous, Juvia." Gray said without paying too much attention to his mother. "You did before we even got together."
His girlfriend shrugged. "She is pretty on that poster. Juvia hopes her breasts are on floor level and that she has a few stretch marks, though. And gained forty pounds." The girl reminded that Ur was there and her hand covered her mouth in horror. "Oh my god. I am so sorry, Ur-san. Juvia was…"
"You, my girl…" Ur said with a big smile. "Will blend in this family just perfectly." She stepped closer the blunette and looked down to her stomach. "Now… let's talk about my grandchild. Can I…?" She looked up to Juvia, who just nodded and smiled. Ur, then, carefully put a hand over Juvia's stomach.
"I can feel Bean moving." She said. "Gray-sama hasn't been able to feel yet, though."
Ur giggled. "It still makes me think you two are crazy by calling it 'Bean.' But I saw the ultrasound; it did look like a bean." Gray put an arm around Juvia's shoulders as his mother measured his girlfriend's stomach. He smiled seeing the two women interact, his earlier embarrassment forgotten for the moment. "When will you be able to know the gender?"
"We are still arguing about the whole 'knowing' and 'not knowing' thing." Juvia put a hand on the side of her belly as she looked up to her boyfriend. "Juvia wants to wait…"
"And I want to know." Gray looked down to the blue haired girl with such tenderness that Ur only saw him give that look to her and Meredy on "a few occasions. Those two were so cute together. "It is more practical, Juvia. Even to choose the name."
"We have time to discuss this." Juvia smiled gently to him and Ur had sure that she was deeply in love with him. Oh, how was nice to be young and in love. She remembered when she was so in love with her late husband that she would lose an entire day just looking at him.
"Dinner will be ready by seven thirty. Ultear and Meredy should be arriving at any time now. Lyon called and he will arrive just in time." Gray groaned with his older brother's name. "Shut it, Gray. He's your brother and he will be the baby's uncle."
"Not because I chose it." Gray mumbled and Ur rolled her eyes.
"Oh, grow up, kid. Just because Lyon wants your girlfriend to be his you don't have to act like a five year old who doesn't want to share his toys." The older woman laughed and went towards the door of the bedroom. "Juvia, it was nice to meet you. I'll finish the dinner." The blunette opened her mouth to speak but Ur was faster. "No, you are the visit here; I won't accept help today. You already spent four hours inside a train today. Take a shower and put your feet in the air for a bit. I am sure Gray will give you a foot massage. See you in a few minutes."
"It was nice meeting you too." Juvia offered Ur a sweet smile, which Ur immediately returned just before leaving the room. When she was closing the door though, she heard Juvia talk to Gray. "So… Melissa?"
"Hey, we had nice moments." She heard her son speak. "Ouch! Don't do that, Juvia!"
"You should listen to your mother and rub my feet, you know?"
Ur closed the door and laughed all the way to the kitchen. Gray was in good hands for now; of course that later she would have a talk with the mother of her grandchild, but for now she approved the girl.
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AN: I love Ur. Gray and Juvia are adorable. That's all.
Special thanks to: otaku03, juvia fullbuster, Medaka-chan, TheWhiteOwl, Tamniin, Rochi-Chan, Brigitte, , Yukistar, Sandyx5, Jessicutie, cybercorpsesnake, Darkhope, Duchess K, Chibi Waru-Chan, AliceCullen3, AngelBaby5643, Uchiha Evangeline, animegirl115, YamixTeaLover, cuteandfierce99, superduperizee, Knight of Athos, Gray23Dragon, Yuki Brunestud, Cookie-chan91 and SapphireRose578.
And, for the ones who don't know, this weekend I'll be uploading another story. Yeah, me and my thousand stories. It'll be called "OMEGA" and will have werewolves and many other weres! Don't ask me why, it just appeared on my mind. :) I hope you guys like the idea! :D
Anyway… Send me a review so I know what you guys felt during this chapter? Pretty please?
05/09/2013 ~ BonneyQ