It felt like time started to fly by from then on.

Lucy started to do some weird stuff after that.

I caught her few times standing in front of the mirror in our room in just her tiny shorts and a colored bra, hands on her stomach and eyes tracing her outline.

I just leaned against the doorway with a small smile and watched her until she caught me.

"Don't make fun of me, Natsu," she said, her cheeks red as she turned to me.

I walked to her and put my arms around her waist, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I was only gonna say I have no idea what you're doing."

"I was just looking at it. Its getting bigger," she responded shyly, looking down at her stomach.

I smiled. "I think it looks cute, Luce," I responded.

She'd always do and say the same thing.

A little smile. "You don't have to lie to me, Natsu."

Days and weeks and months went by with more of the same.

She would puke up everything every morning. I went to go find her all types of stupid food. She started to trip out that none of her clothes fit. Mira and Juvia gave us some of theirs. She would yell at me and I would just sit back and wait until all she wanted was hugs. She and Happy would argue over what color the room should be (Happy wanted it bright blue and Lucy was thinking more neutral). I just told them we could make it light blue with clouds. It was always something else.

But I didn't mind it one bit.

It was cold day in late Fall when Lucy and I had decided to stay home to avoid any work. By this point, she was bigger than she could've ever guessed she would be and she didn't really wanna move much, so people usually just stopped by to say hi. Well, this day, Levy was sitting with her in our room talking about Lucy's new piece of writing, something she wouldn't tell me about in a pink journal on her nightstand, a black ribbon keeping it tied.

I was in the kitchen making her ice cream with fruit and chocolate and... I don't even remember anymore. She had been asking for weird stuff for so long I just stopped noticing. Well, Levy ran in all of sudden with her eyes wide and grabbed my arm.

"Lucy needs you. Like now."

I instantly dropped the spoon and ran past her and into our room. Lucy was sitting up against the headboard of our bed, hands on the bed and eyes on me.

"Natsu. We gotta go now. The baby's coming."

I don't think I have ever freaked out that much in my life. I scooped her up and started towards the door instantly.

"Levy, go to tell Wendy and Mira we'll be in the infirmary in five minutes max." She took off before I ever finished talking. "Happy," I said to the little blue cat. "Go grab the backpack in my room. In the closet. Meet us there."

"Aye!" He called, zooming off into the house as I jogged out of the door and onto the sidewalks of Magnolia.

"Natsu, calm down," Lucy said, pushing a hand on my chest. "You're making me freak out."

"Sorry," I mumbled, taking a slow breath.

It was hours. And hours. And hours.

I sat next to her bed all day, all night, and into the early morning. Sometimes she'd grab my hand and I couldn't do much to make her not hurt. She slept for a while. It wasn't long before Wendy told us it was time.

"You know what to do, I'm sure?" She asked, Lucy nodded, eyes squinting through the pain and the exhaustion and I don't ever remember being more proud of my girl.

Lucy had always been strong and smart, but that day, she was so much more. She looked exhausted. I knew she was. She hadn't slept and neither had I, and if I was tired, she must be beat. But she didn't complain. She didn't stop and give up. And I didn't know how she did it.

She wrapped her fingers in mine and I gave her an encouraging smile.

I honestly tried to block out most of what happened after that. It was a lot of yelling and hand squeezing and then it was just...

Crying.

Wait.

Wendy was holding a little, pink, crying thing with just a couple of curls of just like mine.

"Its a girl," Wendy said with a gentle smile as she wrapped the little girl in a blanket that Mira handed her.

Lucy had leaned her head back against the pillows, but she had a bright smile and tears in her eyes. She raised her arms weakly to get the baby from Wendy and I got my first good look of my little family.

Lucy was so obviously tired, but her wide smile and the tears that now rolled down her cheek made her seem so so alive. The way she looked at the little girl in her arms made my heart beat faster. Then I looked at that little girl and realized that I would be obsessed from now on.

Our little girl was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. My breath caught in my chest and I felt tears roll down my chin and I leaned closer to my girls.

"Nashi?" Lucy asked in a weak whisper.

I nodded. "Perfect." It was the first name on our list of girl names and it fit her so well.

Nashi was a pudgy little baby, her tiny hands curled up just beneath her chin. She had a defined little face and hair the same color as mine. She hadn't quite stopped crying yet.

"Shh... It's alright, baby. We've got you," Lucy whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. It's like she knew exactly who Lucy was. She calmed down, her cries changing into little sobs and eventually soft breathing.

I smiled brightly and kissed Lucy's forehead from where I moved to lean above them.

"Luce, she's so perfect. You're amazing..." I whispered. "I love you two so much."

She smiled, rocking Nashi gently in her arms. Then, she took a staggering breath and looked at Nashi's little face. "Nashi, Mommy loves you so much. Don't you ever forget that." She looked at me and gave me a faint smile and an even fainter kiss. "You take care of our little girl, you hear me, Natsu?"

I nodded, but my smile started to fade with the finality in the way she said it.

When she turned back around and closed her eyes for a minute, I could've sworn she had fallen asleep.

It only took me second to see she wasn't breathing.

Okay, first, I'm sorry about that cliffhanger, guys.

Crazy, right? Lucy's slipping away from him just when stuff was starting to get better... But, you guys are gonna have to trust me on this one.

Until next time, thanks for reading ^^ Already 200 views :3 Thanks so much, all of you. Next chapter will come along soon. I'm even working on getting together some art for "Comets and Keys" by an artist I know very well. Well, see you all soon ^^

-J