AN: Massive updates because of 3 years since I created this account! *3*
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What to Expect When You're Expecting
Chapter Seventeen – Suddenly
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"The whole world can become the enemy when you lose what you love." ―Kristina McMorris
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Gray walked out from the hospital with a huge smile on his face, Juvia right by his side, trying to hide her own: it was so obvious that he liked to know the baby's gender. The blunette didn't want to, but since he did, they agreed that the doctor would tell him and Juvia would know when Bean was delivered.
"You are not going to be able to hold it a secret, Gray-sama." The blunette said, smiling while they walked towards the street to hail a cab, it wasn't a long walk, so they went with no hurry.
"Yes, I will." The man was by her side, a protective hand around her shoulders in a protective way, so other people couldn't bump into her. Juvia was 22 weeks along in her pregnancy and anyone could see that she was expecting, but either way, there were people who could casually bump into her and Gray was feeling very protective. "You don't want me to hold it, just admit that you want to know."
"No, Juvia doesn't want to know. In the old days, no one knew until the baby was born." She told him.
"Because they couldn't. Now that we can, it's pretty awesome." Gray shrugged. "I can finally think of names, you know."
"What names do you like?" Juvia tried to sound nonchalant, but truthfully, she was a teeny tiny curious about the baby's gender.
"I was thinking about Alex." The pregnant woman snapped her head towards him, so they were having a boy? "It can be for either Alexander or Alexandra. Strong names." Juvia frowned. "Or Charlie, works for Charles and Charlotte." The woman finally understood his intentions: he was saying unisex nicknames to make her even more curious. "There's Tony and Toni too. I knew a Tony once, good guy, horrible hair, though."
"Stop it!" Juvia pouted and crossed her arms under her undeniable bigger breasts. "You are just teasing Juvia."
"Yes I am." Gray laughed. He had been in that good of a mood ever since the doctor had noticed the baby's sex (Juvia could barely see the child in the sonogram, let alone a little extra something or a hoo-ha) and then wrote down the gender for Gray, who read, gave a big grin and saved the paper on his pocket.
It had to be a boy, right? Men loved to have boys, so they could teach them how to play some game, go fishing together and whatever boys do. So, she was expecting a boy.
But, Juvia also knew that Gray would treat a little girl as a princess, so, maybe the grin was because he knew that inside Juvia there was a girl he could spoil silly and make a daddy's girl. Hm, maybe she was expecting a girl.
In the end, she still had no idea which she was expecting.
"Don't tease Juvia just because you know, Gray-sama." Her pout almost made her words not understandable.
"I am sorry. I am just happy." He laughed and Juvia's mood increased tenfold with just that. How could she throw a tantrum when the love of her life was so happy and looked like nothing in the world troubled him. "I'll stop now." They arrived at the sidewalk and Gray called a cab, and as soon as it pulled over, he opened the door for her, but not before saying: "I like Max too, I mean it can be Maxine's nickname for a girl…"
Juvia rolled her eyes and sighed, getting in the cab. He wouldn't stop for a long time. It was her fault, really because she wanted to wait and she had to live with the consequences, or in other words: with an – she never thought she would ever think about it – annoying Gray and his immense list of unisex names.
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When they talked to Erza couple of weeks before, they knew that she needed time to find an apartment for them with two rooms and close to Juvia's work at the antique shop and in a nice building and with their price range – they were being a little too picky – and that it would take time, but she did in a month what other couldn't done in six, because she was Erza Scarlet and she was the best real estate agent there was.
For the time being, Gray was spending his nights with Juvia in the apartment she shared with Gajeel, while the man stayed ad Levy's. Gray paid his share with Loki and Gajeel paid his share with Juvia, but it wasn't the same anymore: they were already living together; and so were Levy and Gajeel, even though he hadn't realized it just yet.
When Erza called Gray, telling that she had found the perfect place for them, he was skeptical, but when the couple went to have a look, they were amazed at what they saw: the apartment was big and in a nice building. Three bedrooms – a suite and two smaller ones –, a very nice kitchen, living room big enough to have couches and make room for a dining table plus a nice laundry room.
Juvia was enchanted, that much was evident. She was 26 weeks along by then, her stomach was getting rounder each day and she was always caressing it and talking to Bean, and Gray still hadn't told her about the baby's gender, even after a month and the blunette was just waiting for a slip, that never came.
"This is perfect." Juvia said, very excited, turning around to look at Erza and Gray. "There's even an extra bedroom for when your mother, Meredy and Ultear comes to visit, Gray-sama." She knew that he didn't want Lyon in their place unless it was completely necessary.
"Yeah, but this apartment is too nice and the price is just too good. There's something fishy about it." Gray looked suspiciously at Erza, who rolled her brown eyes. "What is it?"
"There was… kind of a murder here." The red haired woman said, shrugging. "It lowers the price."
"Excuse me?" Gray asked, surprised. "Explain to me how can exists a 'kind of a murder' thing?
"This apartment belonged to a drug dealer who didn't pay the cartel, or something, so they killed him." Erza told him. She was wearing a grey pantsuit, that fit her very much, her hair in a bun and was wearing glasses too, looking very professional.
"How did they kill him?" The man narrowed his eyes in her direction.
"They threw him out of the balcony." With her chin, she pointed towards the not too big balcony and both Gray and Juvia followed her eyes to stare at it.
There was a moment of awkward silence before the blunette broke it.
"I see no problem in renting, then. He died outside." Juvia shrugged, waving a hand in dismissal. "We wanted a nice apartment, with two bedrooms and in a good neighborhood, if it takes us a little murder to get a three bedroom gorgeous apartment, which is in an awesome neighborhood and close to my work and yours, Gray-sama, it's cool. Juvia says we keep it."
"A little murder, really?" Gray crossed his arms over his chest, staring at his girlfriend with a raised eyebrow.
"Sorry. That came out wrong." Juvia put a hand over her mouth in horror. "She just meant that it's our luck that he died to lower the price of the… Wrong again." The blunette stopped for a moment. "Juvia will look around the apartment one more time and stop talking now." The woman left the room, her big stomach making her much slower than she normally was.
After discussing the financial fees, Erza excused herself to call the apartment's owner to see if he could take the couple's offer while Gray went to search for Juvia. She was standing in the room right across the master bedroom, looking around with a huge smile.
"Hey." He greeted.
"Hi." She looked over her shoulder. "Can you imagine it? The baby's room?" When the man shook his head 'no' – all he could see was white walls, a window and nothing else –, Juvia took pleasure in explaining. "A light yellow color on the walls; and right here," she gave a few steps do her left. "the baby's crib and over there," she pointed to the other side of the room. "a rocking chair. Over there a commode, so we can keep Bean's clothes and use it as a diaper change table. Over there," she pointed at the opposite wall. "we can put a few shelves do decorate more."
Gray didn't see it up until she told him and at that moment, all he could see was what she had just told him. Yes, that was going to be the baby's room, he could see it now, see her with a baby in her arms singing some lullaby while he looks at her by the door.
Yeap, they had found their new home.
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The first thing they did when negotiations were over, was to paint the baby's room, so by the time Bean arrived, the strong smell would be long gone, and just like Juvia suggested it, it was in a gentle yellow color. The rest of the house didn't need much maintenance – apparently the dead drug dealer took good care of his apartment –, and the couple needed the baby's furniture and some things of their own.
Thankfully both had double beds, so one would be for them and other for the visitor's room. Gajeel said that no way in hell he would want to keep the couch he knew that Gray and Juvia had sex on, and he waved off the stove and refrigerator: he knew by then that he was moving in with Levy right after Christmas, just like Gray and Juvia. Loki was going to live on his own in a smaller apartment – he said that it was time for him to have his babes over and Gray killed his mood or some other nonsense.
For the Holidays, Fairy Tail held a small party on the 22nd, so during the 24th, whoever wanted to go spend it with family, could. It was a very nice party, as always. Gray and Juvia didn't get many gifts, but Bean wasn't going to be short on dungarees or stuffed animals.
On the 23rd, the couple went to Ur's, she insisted to have Christmas there with all of her kids. She and Juvia became good friends, at least once a week they would call each other so the blunette could give the full report on Bean's development and to know if Gray was behaving, in which, every time the man rolled his eyes when Juvia answered 'Yes, he is behaving, Ur-san' as if he was some kid having a sleepover for the first time.
This time, when they arrived at Ur's house, Ultear, Meredy and Lyon were already there and all of them ignored Gray completely just to see Juvia and rub her swollen stomach, with 28 weeks along, it was easy to feel Bean's kicks.
"Juvia-chan." Lyon said, putting an arm around her shoulders after helping the pregnant woman to take her coat off. "Come in, it's too cold for you outside. How come you look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you? You are glowing."
"Thank you, Lyon-san." The blunette said nicely.
"I want to feel the baby." Meredy exclaimed, putting her hand on Juvia's belly, trying to feel something and Juvia laughed.
"Bean is a little moody today because of the trip, moving all the time, wait a minute and…" There was a small movement on Juvia's stomach and Meredy squealed in excitement when she could feel the baby.
"And that's Juvia's nice way to tell us that she is tired, Mer." Ultear told the young girl kindly.
"'Hello, Gray', 'Nice to see you, Gray', 'I missed you, son'." The dark haired man whispered to himself as he got inside the house, holding two suitcases. "It is as if I am not even here at all."
"Become pregnant and I guarantee you that you will have attention." Ur laughed at his son, before give him a kiss on the cheek. "I did miss you, son. And I checked: no mistletoe around the house"
The dinner on the 24th was very festive and the exchange of gifts once again went to Bean's way, instead of their parents. Ur offered an envelope to Juvia and said that it was for her and Gray too. Curious, they opened it just to see a very large check to be spent in a baby store in Magnolia.
"But… but…" Juvia tried to say something, but nothing came out.
"It's our gift for you two." Ur said, the other two girls and Lyon smiling lightly by her side. "We know that you are moving to a bigger apartment and that takes money, plus buying whatever you need for the baby is expensive, so we joined to give you at least enough money to arrange Bean's room in the way that my grandchild is not uncomfortable."
"We can't… Ma, we can't accept this, it's too much." Gray shook his head, but Ur just waves him off.
"You can and will." The older woman said. "No grandchild of mine is going to have less than what it deserves."
"Now I feel real bad that we bought you a toaster." Gray laughed, hugging his mother.
"Well, I don't: I truly need one." Ur answered and then stared at Juvia.
The blunette had started to cry, thick tears came out of her eyes and most of the people in the room panicked a little, but Gray was used to it by then and told them: "Hormones, don't worry, just give her a few moments."
Lyon and Ultear felt more uncomfortable than the others, and left them to take care of it. Ur sat by the younger woman's side, Meredy in the other. "What is it, sweetheart?"
"You are all so nice. It's just… Juvia never had such a wonderful Christmas, with a family." She cried harder. "Juvia never had a family before."
"Hey." Ur put an arm around Juvia's shoulder gently and kissed her cheek. "We were always your family, kid. It just took us a while to find you."
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The couple returned home after the New Year's ready to move in and Juvia wanted Gray to carry her through the door. When he told her that they needed to be married for that, her eyes became sparkly with tears and he did it, just so she didn't cry – it was still ridiculous in his opinion. It took them (and their friends) a whole week to let the house the way they wanted, only the baby's furniture was missing.
In Juvia's 30th week of pregnancy, they were already in the new apartment, getting settled. It was kind of weird to really live together: all of their stuff was there, they shared everything and even though they already did in the past, which had a different feeling but they were adapting to it quite fast.
Two weeks after moving in, Juvia was in their bed, ready to sleep, just reading a book about babies (the best literature she could have at the time) and saw Gray coming out of the bathroom, ready to join her on the bed.
"Gray-sama?" The blunette asked, sitting on the bed, back against the headboard and the book still on her hands.
"Yeah?" He answered without pay much attention to her, opening a drawer to get his underwear. When he finally found it, and started to put it on, the woman began to speak again.
"Juvia was thinking about giving birth at home." She said calmly and Gray almost fell – he had a foot up as he was going to put his underwear on. "Maybe in a bathtub."
It took him a few moments, but he finally managed to say: "I'm sorry, what?"
"They say that it's good for the baby and a nice bonding experience for the parents."
"Yeah, not gonna happen." Gray sighed and put his underwear on.
"Why? Here, let me read what this book says:" the woman said and held the book higher, and Gray could see the title 'What to Expect When You're Expecting'; he had seen it around but never read it, thinking that the title was a little too silly. "The concept of delivering underwater to simulate the environment of the womb is not widely used in the medical community, but it is more accepted among midwives. In a water birth, the baby is eased from the warm, wet womb into another warm, wet environment, offering familiar comfort after the stresses of delivery. The baby is pulled out of the water and placed in the mother's arms immediately after birth. And since breathing doesn't begin until the baby is exposed to the air, there is virtually no risk of drowning. Water births can be done at home, in birthing centers, and in some hospitals. Many spouses join the mother in the tub or portable pool, often holding her from behind to provide support. (…) Most women find that the water not only provides relaxation, pain relief, and freedom from gravity's pull, but it even facilitates the progression of labor." The blunette looked up to her boyfriend, who had his arms crossed over his chest and a sober expression. "See? It can be done."
"Sure it can, I never doubted it could. But do you know any midwife?" The man asked and after a moment, Juvia shook her head 'no'. Gray went to join her on the bed, pulling the covers so he could lie down. "Look, call me old-fashioned, but I think that a baby needs to be born at a hospital, surrounded by doctors, nurses and medicine."
"You know that in the past women gave birth at home, right?" Juvia told him and Gray nodded.
"Yes, I do. They had the babies at home because they didn't have hospitals. Besides, if it was that good, everybody would still be having children at home." The man pointed out and before lying down, he kissed her forehead. "You are having the baby at the hospital, Juvia." He turned to turn off the light on his nightstand and mumbled: "Give birth in the water. When I think I've heard all the craziness the woman has to offer…"
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Juvia had a shopping spree the next week, eager to spend Ur's gift and buy everything the baby needed. Gray went with her just one time to choose the crib and the stroller – the gods forbid that he looked uncool while pulling a stroller –, and that only happened one day, all the others she went with her girlfriends to buy what else was needed, but the drapes she wanted for the baby's room would only arrive in a few days, but that was alright, Bean still had more than a month to go before coming out, she was 34 weeks along when the drapes arrived.
She called Lucy to go with her to go get it and, of course, they ended up buying more stuff than what they went there for. It should be forbidden to have animal's patterns printed clothing, because it was just too cute.
"Taxi!" Lucy called and a cab stopped, it wasn't a very busy street. While the cabbie opened the trunk so they could put the many bags inside, Juvia opened the door to get in – with her big stomach, it was a long process for her to sit anywhere, especially in a car – after she was done, Lucy joined her inside just like the driver did a few moments later.
Juvia told the man her address and the car started to move, while Lucy turned to stare at Juvia. "So, Gray still hadn't told you if you guys are having a boy or a girl?"
"No." Juvia chuckled. "He's thrilled that he and the doctor are the only ones to know. During Christmas his family asked as a gift and he told them no. The moment Meredy used those big eyes to ask him, Juvia thought he would break, but he said that everyone was going to be surprised just like Juvia will be."
"And you? Aren't you curious?" The blonde asked with a grin.
"Of course. But Juvia thinks that it is what makes it all better and exciting." The blunette put a hand over her stomach. "It doesn't matter to Juvia if the baby is a boy or a girl, and by the way Gray-sama's happy, he liked the result, so… Bean can be a boy or a girl and Juvia will be happy too."
"And I think you two will make a very cute baby, by the way." Lucy giggled. "I just imagine a small child looking exactly like Gray, but with blue hair like yours."
Juvia laughed at that too. "Maybe, or perhaps…" The blunette looked to her left, just because she had a feeling, and when she did, the seconds froze, her brain stopped working for a moment. There was a van going in their direction and there was no way it was going to stop before hitting their cab.
In the few nanoseconds before the impact, Juvia could see the other driver's face in panic, she wrapped her arm tightly around her stomach, her last thought was a whispered 'no', before hearing a loud crash, and pain hit her left side.
Her world turned black.
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AN: Please don't kill me because of the small cliffie!
The thing about water birth is directly taken from Heidi Murkoff's book: 'What To Expect When You're Expecting.' I hope that you guys understood that it is a nice way of giving birth and a nice option for those who want to try. Gray doesn't want to. Haha.
And with 16 chapters we surpassed the 500 reviews and reached 528. You make me smile with each and every one of them and cry too. I am sentimental that way. Thank you so much for all the support, guys.
Thanks to: SapphireRose578, MioKanon1, YamixTeaLover, CapriciousKrego, Xeylah, animegirl115, yagami rin, Guest, Tamniin, Darkhope, Rochi-Chan, dorac, otaku03, MrsGooglyBear, Professor Nebilim, Reen, AliceCullen3, BrigitteoO, Cookie-chan91, MashiroLOVE, Chibi Waru-Chan, Yukistar, Esthellar, Rainbows-and-Rainclouds, FairyTailGirlHayden, superduperizee, Duchess K, Theejay-sama, Medaka-chan, Rylee88, MysteryGruvia, AdilaRain, Adelram, letterspluslovenotes, harry, Babykat570, FanGIRL, Mrs Murasaki-sama, Ande3, Miya Minako, Mi-chan87, TwizzleBaby945, Peachie-Trishie, GruviaFanGirl(with 8 reviews!), Rafaela and Guest for being awesome and reviewing! I love you all and you too who is reading right now, even if your name is up there, I love you too!
09/06/2013 ~ BonneyQ