"How could you lose her?!" Jellal was barking into the lacrima. Meredy bit her lip. If she would not find Erza and quickly – because he would never buy a lie now – he might actually hyperventilate.

"I had to get milk and when I came back—"

"I stocked up on everything, including milk," Jellal interrupted her nervous stutter.

"Remember all that swallowing when she was on the phone with you earlier?" Meredy reminded. She tossed the blankets on the bed up one last time, finally convinced that Erza really was not home.

"Oh, no…"

"Oh, yes," Meredy retorted. "Three litres of milk – gone."

"I'm coming back," Jellal said. His chair scraped through the connection, making her cringe.

"No, you don't have to!" Meredy quickly said. "I'm already on my way to the bakery," she assured, stepping into her shoes, "and I'll check the guild – she can't be anywhere else; the trains left for the day so she won't have tried to follow you," she enumerated. "Otherwise she'd be back here by now. I'm calling Lucy," Meredy informed. "She'll still be at the guild, and even if Erza's not there, Natsu can sniff her out of hiding.

"It'll be fine, I promise. I'll call you back soon, okay? Okay, see ya!" She hung up before he could respond. She prayed he would trust her to handle it and not return prematurely.

Taking a deep breath, Meredy let the lacrima sink for a moment. She squeezed her eyes shut, then began scrolling for Lucy's contact.

"I can do this…" she told herself, waiting for the beeping sound to turn into a voice.

"Hey," Lucy propped her lacrima between her shoulder and cheek as she unlocked the door. With a click, she let herself in, climbing the stairs. "No, I'm home just now. Did something—" she nearly winced when Meredy all but yelled. "I…" she listened to the hectic rant, a frown of concern creasing her brow. "No, I didn't see her," she said. "I only just got home," she entered her flat, "but I can go back. Let me just put away my groceries," she said.

When the flicked on the lights, a figure became visible in her bed.

"She's in my room!" Lucy screeched at the top of her lungs. It was something she simply could not get used to. Why did people always have to seemingly materialise at her place with no warning whatsoever?!

Meredy kept rambling the other side of the connection, but Lucy hardly listened. At least the search was over – although she could have done without the pregnant warrioress in her bed. She had heard how moody she was lately…

"No, no injuries; she looks fine; actually," Lucy crept closer, tilting her head, "I think she's asleep," she assessed. Carefully, fearfully, she poked Erza's arm that was clutching the pillow. Nothing. "Asleep," she passed on. "No, don't worry. I'll send her home once she wakes up," she smiled with something between amusement and pity at herself. Why did she have to be the only sane one of her friends? At least the only reliably sane one…

She hung up when Meredy announced to be called by Jellal for the third time within the span of their short conversation.

Edging forward a little more, Lucy crouched down in front of the bed. With wide eyes, she noticed that the Queen of the Fairies was not only fiercely clutching a pillow, but also Plue. He was now more blue than white, weakly pun-puun-ing at Lucy as greeting. Pulling an apologetic face, she closed his gate.

Erza stirred at the loss of him, prompting her to squeeze the pillow tighter. She was frowning in her sleep, worrying Lucy. The deflating pillow revealed Erza's lacrima on the bed. It lit up just then, new messages lining up below a long list of missed calls. How she did not wake from the constant ringing remained a mystery.

Taking the device, Lucy opened the chat. Signing with her name, she allayed Jellal by telling him that everything was fine. He replied immediately. And if ever a written 'thank you' carried a sigh of relief, his did. Despite the obvious panic he must have felt before, it amused Lucy how accurately he punctuated his messages. Two birds of a feather, those two were, she thought as her gaze went up to regard Erza again.

The frown was still there. The tiniest of whimpers escaped her, so Lucy tapped Jellal's name on the lacrima. It took her another moment to soothe him. Soon however the tone of his voice next to his wife's ear relaxed that frown little by little. Lucy tried not to listen while holding the device, which was nearly impossible. It was cute though, the way he could turn anything and nothing into sweet words of affection.

"… make that peach clobber you were mumbling about in your sleep the other—"

"Peach…" Erza repeated. Jellal paused, trying hard to understand. Lucy smiled. She replaced the lacrima against her ear.

"She looks pretty happy with the last idea," she explained. "The frown is gone," she said, her smile widening when Erza kept muttering into the pillow.

"I'm glad," Jellal sighed under his breath. "Sorry for dragging you into this," he apologised. Lucy waved off, sitting back on her heels.

"It's no trouble, really," she assured. "I think I bought too much spinach for myself, anyway, and then there's the mashed potatoes from yesterday," she went on. "Didn't Erza have a big appetite?"

"I doubt whatever amount of spinach you bought will appease that appetite," Jellal quipped. "But you don't have to plan your evening around her," he quickly added. "Meredy's at the house, and if you're cooking something I'll pay the—"

"It's fine, don't worry," Lucy said for what felt like the tenth time. "I mean it; remember that I've been hosting her before you did?" She laughed. "It's nice, having a girls' night and—" she turned her head when the door opened, two innocently grinning faces peaking in while presenting the key – the key she had forgotten in her initial shock. "And there's the rest of the gang now," she nodded for Wendy and Meredy to enter.

Meredy spotted the groceries, the two girls vanishing in the kitchen to overtake the putting away.

"I'll make sure Erza eats enough and healthily," Lucy puffed out her chest, as proud as she was puzzled with her role of the caretaker. Not that she was not mature enough, but this was Erza. Erza the caretaker, so to say. She was older, more experienced; the born leader. Still, somehow the roles had changed. They were still changing, rearranging every minute of every day with the strange situation they were in.

"I'll pay you anyway for the food – she eats a lot," Jellal insisted.

"Not happening," Lucy shook her head. "But I'll think of something," she winked.

Ending the call, she let out a breath. He might have been the one handling Titania the best, but he was not doing himself all too many favours by worrying to such an extent. That, and his social abilities outside of marriage were still improvable. Did he not know that friends did not have to be paid back? That favours did not have to be returned in kind, or at all? They were favours, not requests; a give and take of organic nature.

"Was that still Jellal?" Meredy raised her voice over the rustling of the shopping bag. Lucy opened he mouth to respond, freezing shortly.

"Jellal…" Erza grumbled in her sleep. The frown reappeared, the mere mention of his name luring out longing. She squeezed the pillow closer to her face. "Jellal…" she breathed. Her eyes fluttered open. Confused, she squinted at her unfamiliar environment. As if she had not been the one to break in and fall asleep right there, Lucy thought, keeping from rolling her eyes.

"Hey," she peered over the pillow wall, catching a glimpse of apologetically shimmering eyes, "you're awake," she smiled easily. Erza nodded, fists tightening slightly.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. Inhaling deeply, she put the pillow where it belonged, sitting up. She kept her gaze glued to her knees as she spoke. "I just… I haven't slept alone in months, and the big bed felt so… odd without him there," she said.

"You couldn't sleep?" Lucy asked. Not least because Erza had slept deeply just a minute ago.

Quiet steps snuck up to them. Wendy had her arms behind her back, finally catching Erza's eyes. With an encouraging yet empathetical smile, she sat down on the bed, too, instantly welcomed into a hug.

"I thought Jellal was granted home office," she piped up from where she was smothered by the side of Erza's bosom.

"He had to leave for the office," Erza retold. "He said he would not take long," she sighed. Lucy frowned pityingly.

"Why didn't you come to the guild? You didn't stay home alone all this time, right?" She asked. It was as easy as it was hard to imagine Erza sitting there by herself. She was not the sulking type, yet she usually kept to herself when it came to feelings. She endured, which was another reason Lucy felt proud to be the chosen person of trust she had come to.

"I brought him to the station just after breakfast…" Erza revealed. Wendy exchanged a musing expression with Lucy.

"… today?" Lucy raised a brow. She could not be serious, could she? It had sounded like weeks and months of separation! At least days and not a few hours!

"I can't believe he's gone," Erza sniffled. This time, Lucy did roll her eyes.

They sat down on the ground to play games after dinner. Erza really had a huge appetite, Lucy had come to learn the hard way. Currently, Erza was keeping Wendy close at all costs. Having sat the young Dragon Slayer down in the nest that were her crossed legs, Erza occasionally stroked her hair, redid her pigtails or simply provided a backrest by wrapping her arms around her in a loving hug.

Both Lucy and Meredy observed at some point that with every time Jellal's name was mentioned, mothering Wendy intensified. Self-evidently, they started joking around with the experiment, randomly saying his name to tease Wendy, who had unavoidably caught on as well. Erza, of course, remained oblivious.

The rest of the week had been by far smoother than it had started out. By far was not yet smooth, but an improvement.

Meredy had sent Jellal loads of photos plus reports of the girls at the guild, in cafés and shops. And of her keeping a tight hold of Erza's wallet. It kept the soon-to-be-mother happy to be amongst crowds, unlike her husband. It kept those churning thoughts and longing for Jellal at bay, it kept her from drowning Wendy in motherly care, and it kept the fridge's contents from shrinking as if using a vacuum cleaner.

It also made Meredy's savings disappear at the speed of Erza's mood swings. Paying for herself; legally accounting for her life was nice and part of being a full-fledged member of society. Meredy enjoyed the way she could independently handle herself without risking jail. Still, Jellal always having paid for her – or stolen – had been… convenient.

"… actual date; he didn't even pretend it wasn't or backed down!" Juvia was raving where she wiggled in her seat, squealing to herself like she had for the past half an hour. She had every right to be excited – Gray had taken her out for the first time. Nothing special, a simple bistro in the afternoon, but for the two of them, it was an enormous step.

Meredy smiled on behalf of her friend. Now that Erza was finally somewhat sedated with strawberry cake, they could all focus on Juvia and be happy for her. She basked in the attention, though mostly dwelled in her own sphere of replaying the date over and over again.

They had even hugged – something that reminded Meredy of painful nights of having been squished to suffocation whenever Erza needed a Jellal replacement. At least she slept by now, the first two nights having been… complicated. Calling Jellal before bed was helping by lightyears. She even got up early to wish him a good day at work before he left for the Council.

Levy sighed. Crossing her arms over the table, she tried to let her chin drop onto them. It proved rather impossible with her huge belly. She was closing in on the ninth month, but with twins it looked as if she was long overdue.

Lucy propped her head up on her hand next to her friend, tilting her head to catch her eyes. Levy returned the smile, if half-heartedly.

"Hasn't Gajeel taken you out lately?" She guessed. Correctly, judging by the even heavier sigh that followed.

"Well," Levy vaguely started, "we did go out two weeks ago, and I really love every date with him 'cause we spend time together, but it's…" her lips pursed into a pout. "It's kinda frustrating to see even Juvia getting more excitement out of it," she lowered her voice. Meredy had to grin, especially at the way the Water Mage was completely caught up in romanticising, not noticing in the slightest. Once she would, she would bask even more in the jealousy of previous love rivals.

"The Sorcerer Weekly isn't helping much either," Lucy agreed empathetically. That got Juvia's attention. The magazine was snatched off the table in a heartbeat. Rapidly leafing through, she found her target: special date ideas. Daring, thrilling and cheesy inspiration galore.

"I still remember when Gajeel took me out on a picnic," Levy leaned back, closing her eyes. Erza's ears perked at the word picnic. Shifting her focus, she started listening for the first time instead of solely savouring her cake. Meredy had been growled at one too many times to forbid her dessert that day. "But that was last year, and it's not really the season for those yet anyway," she said with disappointment. Trying to find excuses by complaining about strong winds despite the warm spring air.

"Picnics are a gift from the heavens," Erza nodded devotedly.

"You really proved how much you love them…" Wendy quietly remarked, cringing at the memory alone. Cana looked up from the neighbouring table, exchanging much saying glances with Wendy.

"Does Jellal take you out on special dates, Erza?" Levy asked. Her voice was laced with as much hope for a 'no' as she waited for a 'yes'. The latter, she could at least slap into Gajeel's face for him to get moving. Not that she did not appreciate the way he worked tirelessly for her and the twins, but as with Erza, hormones and longing ruled with an iron fist.

"Of course," Erza nodded self-complacently. Stabbing the remains of her cake, she closed her eyes to relish the flavour. Keeping them waiting, Meredy noticed with raised brows. The fork returned perfectly empty, nearly shiny. "Not as often as regular ones, naturally," she added matter-of-factly, "they're special after all."

Despite the smug smile, Levy's spirits lifted. Erza was right – special had to remain special. It grounded her friend's feet back to the ground, easing what bit of envy had stung before.

Which was why the following account was completely uncalled for.

"Our last one was on Caelum when we were still honeymooning," Erza commenced, licking her fork clean when the plate was spotless already. "We walked along the beach, and he took me to jewellery shops," she retold. Fondly gazing into the distance, she captivated the others.

Juvia, Lucy and Levy looked particularly hungry for the tale, but Meredy noticed Cana's intrigued eyes as well.

"We took a stroll through town, watched the city sparkle at night from the roof of a high building," Erza went on. "The next day, we went horseback riding through the forest, just before we knocked the living daylights out of the Mafia," she swooned. The others' expressions fell. Silence ingulfed them for another moment, Erza remaining blissfully unaware as she wallowed in reminiscences.

Meredy was the first to break the awkwardness, giggling. The others joined, Levy shaking her head to herself with a smile. Just like Lucy, she seemed older now, or perhaps simply more mature in the face of Erza's emotional speech.

"I want a boyfriend…" Cana moaned from the other table. The fork clinked when Erza gave up scraping, leaving it tidily on its plate.

"I don't think that's the appropriate way to enter a relationship," she scolded.

"You're one to talk," Cana put her barrel of alcohol down with a thump. "You had like the most pathetic love life of the entire guild – heck, of the entire continent," she gestured for emphasis, hiccupping, "and now you're spawning babies like bunnies," she huffed. Meredy could not help but giggle again. Luckily for her, Natsu's sputtering laughter drowned her out. The fork landed right next to his head within a flash, stuck in a pillar. He squeaked, creeping away quietly.

"It's our first child," Erza calmly defended herself as if nothing had happened. "Really, Cana, you shouldn't talk like this; it's very improper," she chided.

"Oh, come on," Cana wobbled over, slamming her hands down on their table with more force than intended, "at the rate you're going, I bet the first kid is just waiting at home," she shrugged. The whole thing had been rushed and sudden with Erza returning seemingly 6 months pregnant out of nowhere after their honeymoon, but still…

"Why does everyone think I'm somehow faster at pregnancy…?" Erza frowned to herself.

"I wish I was," Levy piped up. "I can't stand this much weight any longer," she rubbed her belly, slumping into her seat. Cana slumped alongside her, although rather onto Lucy than the bench. Lucy struggled to sit her up, holding her to keep her from falling over again, letting her snore into her shoulder.

"It's not so much the weight that bothers me," Erza chimed in, "it's the lack of exercise," she elaborated. Of course, weight was no issue for someone used to wearing heavy armour on a daily basis. The way she overplayed her problem of hormones did not go entirely unnoticed however.

"Is Jellal also so obsessed with not letting you go out and—"

"More than obsessed," Erza nodded gravely.

"Gajeel's like a bird of prey!" Levy said. "I'm surprised I was allowed to come here," she confessed, ducking when the first table of the evening came soaring above their heads. Erza was having difficulties with ignoring the brawling, probably mostly since she could not be a part of it, rather than the desire to break it up. "Sometimes," Levy held a hand to the side of her mouth as if to shield her words, "I think he's more dragon than we originally thought," she whispered.

"As long as it stays with one dragon," Lucy grimaced, eyes flashing to Levy's belly. "We have enough of those—" she leaned herself and Cana out of the way when Elfman threw Jet across the room.

"I read about that and it's impossible," Levy stated. "They might be able to learn Dragon Slayer Magic from him, but the chances are slim. Most likely, they'll both inherit letter or caster magic, though with Gajeel being a caster type—" she evaded too late, but Erza's sword sliced the flying chair in half, sparing Levy. She exhaled in relief.

"What do you think your baby will inherit?" Wendy turned to Erza, trying to ignore the chaos around them. But Erza was not listening anymore. With her eyes narrowed, a shadow cast over them, she fixated the tumbling bundle that were Jet and Droy as they fought on the ground. With a second sword, she kept Elfman from joining in. She rammed it into the ground, nearly spooking half the Guild Hall into petrification.

Nearly.

Romeo accidentally released a blast too late, sending Elfman right into Alzack and Macao. Wakaba laughed dirtily, making himself target number one of his humiliated friend. Alzack was about to nag, when someone flung a table his way. Asuka cheered her father on when he opened fire, Max responding with a small sand tornado, unintendedly sweeping Nab away as collateral damage.

Lucy squeaked for him to stop when Loke summoned himself to teach whoever looked at her funnily a lesson. Even with Gray and Natsu out of the fight and Gajeel still away, the entire guild was a mess. The two boys knew well why they were not letting themselves be tempted – Erza had gotten to her feet.

Lucy gulped. Mirajane smiled her usual innocent smile, drying what was left of the mugs everyone was tossing at someone else's head. Meredy pulled a face. Erza had not raised her voice, neither announced herself with a stomp that could make grown men wet their pants.

No, Erza was itching for a fight.