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They waited a long time until there was any answer at all from behind the solid timber door. It sounded barricaded when heavy steps finally trudged up to it from the inside, the lock clicking repeatedly until opening. It was no wonder; not after they had had to avoid fox traps and pitfalls in the front yard.

No one but Porlyusica had been allowed to see them. Seeing as she was not too keen on human presence, least of all that of a crying newborn, the Redfox family had spent weeks inside their home with no one so much as catching a glimpse of them. Lily had reported to the guild after they had returned from hospital, and he did the shopping and trips to the bank.

The sudden, almost violent opening of the door spooked Jellal and Rosemary alike. He did what he always did when she was scared into crying – a certain patters on her back, her tummy and her head, distracting her, usually with a few words or an unfamiliar melody that would steer her focus off her momentary shock. Either it worked as flawlessly as ever, or Gajeel was fascinating enough not to start blaring.

"Get lost," the Iron Dragon Slayer barked, baring his fangs. His eyes were darkly rimmed, and his hair was even more of a mess than usual. Knowing well that there was no room for discussion, Erza executed Plan B: Plan Baby.

Plucking her from her husband's arms, she held Rosemary up to Gajeel's face. As stunned as the baby herself, he merely stared at her. Locking eyes. He held the puzzled gaze for another tense moment, as if trying to intimidate her. It might have been the fact that she withstood long enough, or perhaps it was the way her little arms and legs dangled, making her look helpless and harmless and not least adorable.

It was still slightly too big for Rosemary, but Erza was convinced that the sheep baby romper was at least partly to thank for their success. The spirit of a requip mage, Erza deemed triumphantly, already labelling it as her daughter's magical potential.

"Maybe they'll finally sleep if they meet another tiny one…" Gajeel grumbled, stepping aside. He locked the door behind them again, shoving not only latches but an entire closet in front of the door. He must have learned by now that ignoring was no use, the only thing still working with Fairy Tail – mostly likely Jet and Droy – being threats.

It was indisputable just how tired he looked – perhaps even more tired than Erza and Jellal themselves. Logically so, they found, seeing as they had only half the number of babies to look after, plus Meredy's help.

The Redfox home was not particularly big, furniture, clothes, tools and more scattered around everywhere, welling up from drawers and littering the floors. Still, it was by far more spacious than that of Erza and Jellal – on top of their minimum standard, it had a living room, a nursery and a pantry. The kitchen door caught Erza's attention, not because it was special in any way, but because it made her wonder why they did not have one at home.

"Levy," Gajeel lowly announced himself as he entered the bedroom. It was not dark inside like it usually was at their place. Levy was awake, even though she seemed to be needing sleep more than anyone in the entire world. More than her boyfriend and more than her visitors too. It was not as surprising – the way she held two babies at the same time alone looked exhausting.

"Erza," her face lit up significantly, eyes shining brightly. Erza beamed back a smile, her insides stirring with sudden warmth of seeing her friend after such a long time. Not to mention the twins in her arms. "Oh," Levy melted a little against the headboard, shifting her sons against her to be able to reach out a hand. Erza crouched down next to the bed, holding out her daughter less demandingly as before. "She's so beautiful; Lily said she's a girl," Levy said, somewhat asked. Erza nodded.

"Rosemary," she introduced. Sitting her up on the bed, propped against her own chest to support her back and head, Erza freed one hand to then introduce herself to Levy's boys. Gajeel hovered over her like a vulture – or a dragon, coming to think of it. He was tense, ready to jump and bite and behead anyone if necessary, but the way Jellal stood to the side, as relaxed as his wife, seemed to make the Dragon Slayer aware. Slightly awkwardly, he retreated by half a metre, if not without a huff.

"Tetsu and Gale," Levy wanted to take her babies' hands to meet Erza's, but they promptly refused, clutching her shirt instead.

"Iron and wind?" Erza asked. Levy negated the latter, explaining the combination of hers and Gajeel's name to be the reason.

"Lily thought of it," she grinned.

"How sweet," Erza beamed. "We called her Violet until we knew she was a girl," she said. "And the next one will be Plum, and then—"

"Erza," Jellal grumbled. He shot a glare to the side when Gajeel snorted, but it only made him cackle more when a light blush rose to Jellal's cheeks. The girls giggled. Levy's glance flashed from Jellal's hair to Erza's and then to Rosemary's.

"She looks so tired," Levy commented longingly. "These rowdies don't give me a break," she sighed.

"They look calm," Erza noted. Levy only sighed again. "Do they wake often? Rosemary does because she eats like a madman—woman… mad-baby," Erza frowned. Levy had to giggle, and they shared another smile.

"If only," she rolled her eyes. "They're as picky as they come – it takes me ages to convince them to eat, and it hardly ever works. They only start crying once I give up and fall asleep, never before."

"He looks a little grumpy too," Erza conceded.

"Oh, no, Tetsu takes after his father," Levy grinned widely. "He always seems really grumpy 'cause he looks so much like Gajeel," she whispered.

"Oi!" The latter nagged, making the girls giggle.

"So young and already causing so much trouble," Erza kept her hand outstretched. It was regarded with curiosity, and eventually, a tiny hand reached out to grab on. "True members of Fairy Tail," she approved. It made both parents grin from ear to ear.

Tetsu gave a noise of complaint when the outstretched hand retreated. Erza pursed her lips in thought, then rose to her feet. Placing Rosemary against the headboard, safe and snug at Levy's side, she took the more outgoing of the twins onto her lap, sitting down at the side of the bed. The brothers exchanged coos, watching the other intently as well as the change in position.

"So heavy already," Erza chuckled, letting Tetsu rock up and down on her knees. Rosemary burned her gaze into the motion, both hands springing forward in an effort to join.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Levy held the redhead back. "I'm almost glad we don't leave the house – I'd have to buy them new clothes every week; they grow up so quickly…" she shook her head. Smiling gratefully when Jellal picked up his daughter, she relaxed back into the cushions.

"It's certainly astonishing how a few weeks make such a difference," Erza agreed. When having her daughter land on her lap, right between her stomach and Levy's boy, it became even more evident how much smaller Rosemary still was. "And how unamused he looks despite enjoying himself," Erza laughed at the fierce frown on Tetsu's head, infecting Levy easily.

"Maybe this will finally tire him out… how do you do it?" She tilted her head.

"Well, she doesn't sleep for long either, but Jellal usually stays up with her," Erza explained. "Oftentimes, she sleeps next to me, so she finds me before starting to cry, and we just came from the guild – new faces knock her out without fail," she elaborated. "The same happened when we had visitors at home."

"You went to the guild already?" Levy asked, again with a hint of longing lacing her tone. "Isn't it much too loud for her?"

"They behaved themselves rather well," Erza reported. "If you feel insecure, I can always accompany you to keep them in check," she offered. Gajeel cleared his throat meaningfully, obviously feeling attacked. Levy did not give him a soothing glance – they must have clashed manifold when it came to leaving the house and going to the guild.

"The outcome it rather desirable…" she glanced at Rosemary again whose eyes were starting to fall shut, movements becoming slacker.

"Lucy will be so happy to see you, and Droy and Jet too, of course," Erza encouraged.

"Lu was there?"

"They returned only this morning; she was exhausted from walking all the way back," Erza illuminated. It allayed Levy visibly. She must have been disappointed about her friend's absence – or lack of attempts to gain access to the house. "Master asked about you too," Erza went on. "Lily's reports aren't enough, he says, and that he wants to see you all for himself," she smiled. Levy mirrored it softly.

"I would love to, but I'm afraid they'll cry the whole time," she lamented. "It's a miracle they're so quiet now; if it wasn't for you coming in, they wouldn't have stopped, I'm sure."

"Then the guild is exactly what you need," Erza argued, ignoring the Dragon Slayer's growling next to her. He was relaxing though, she noticed from the corner of her eye. Not only with the guests but the way Erza seemed to be able to handle his child without making it cry – or breaking it. It made the exhaustion on his face more evident. "Lots of faces and new sights. You could invite someone over first."

"Not in this state," Levy glanced away, then gasped lightly, realising how they must have seen the mess around the house.

"It hardly matters – you're a mother and of twins at that," Erza nodded sternly. "Tidiness should be your least concern from what you told me," she shot Tetsu a gentle but scolding glare, tapping his tummy with the hand she had around him. It made him give a noise, distracting enough for him to focus on the sensation, looking around for its source. Levy smiled lovingly, deflating with yet another sigh.

"I've lost count of my concerns – oh! I was so scared after they were born and I still looked four months pregnant!"

"I thought I'd gained weight," Erza remembered, and Levy nodded avidly.

"And when I didn't start bleeding even after a month!" Levy went on, receiving more affirmation. It was Gajeel's cue to leave. Deliberately. Trust was not an issue anymore, and fortunately so. He exchanged the fleetest of glances with Jellal; perhaps not even purposefully, but the latter followed the Iron Dragon Slayer out anyway.

Shuffling their feet through the shirts and towels and whatnots, they made it to the couch in the bordering living room. Gajeel slumped down with a harrumph, almost sliding right off the cushions, hanging from the backrest where his arms hooked onto.

Jellal sank down with less of a flop but still a drop that was hearted enough to make the old springs of the sofa squeak.

"I can't wait till they don't need to eat every few hours…" Gajeel groaned. Two fingers pinched the bridge of his nose, wandering to rub his eyes. Jellal watched with a mixture of understanding pity and amusement. He wondered how much more tired both he and Erza would be with another baby, remembering well how utterly exhausting the very first week had been. He was as glad as he was proud that he now knew what his daughter needed whenever she started to whine, capable of reading her better than she did herself.

"I'm really grateful to Meredy – she's been helping out a lot when we needed a break," Jellal said. Gajeel was the embodiment of protectiveness, but he had calmed down by now. He seemed the type whom one had to prove something to, after which there was no problem anymore. And they could really use a babysitter.

"Yeah, Lily has been doing his best, but there's only so much he can do," Gajeel grumbled where he kept his eyes closed. His head was tilted into his nape over the backrest of the sofa. Somehow, Jellal felt like there was more to it than just tiredness. "He's either a tiny, cute kitty with lots of limits or too awesome and intimidating to face them," Gajeel explained.

"What about someone from the guild?" Jellal proposed. It was futile to suggest an actual babysitter. The protective Dragon Slayer would never let a stranger into the house. All except for Rosemary of course.

"And have them experiment on my kids to learn how to handle a baby? No, thanks…" Gajeel huffed weakly. "Bisca has her own brat to take care of, and I don't need that girl snooping around my house while I'm gone," he pulled an awkward face. Jellal rose a curious brow. Gajeel did not open his eyes to see, though he must have felt it, pressured to continue. "And it wouldn't be any longer than a few hours anyway."

"I could ask Meredy if you like," Jellal offered. "She's trained with Rosemary and I can't tell you enough how reassuring it is to know that she can handle her," he retold. "Since she's there all the time, Rosie feels safe with her for at least a few hours before she starts complaining about our absence."

"The milk, remember?" Gajeel intervened.

"You can bottle some."

"Really?" He sat up, intrigued.

"Of course," Jellal nodded, "it takes a while, and you have to warm it up again, but it works."

"Dope," Gajeel looked as if revived, his eyes sharp and his mind racing with plans. "So you just kinda…"

"Squish it out and put it in the fridge," Jellal finished. He blinked twice when the expression of the Iron Dragon Slayer changed completely.

"Now you're makin' me hungry…" There was a wanting growl in the back of his throat. His hands were raised, twitching where they imitated the squishing in the air. Jellal knew the hunger did not refer to metal, the gesture speaking for itself. His brow arched again, this time with amusement. And understanding. "I think that's the worst part about all this," Gajeel complained. "The sleepless nights I don't mind so much if only…" he bit his lip, groaning wholeheartedly in frustration. "How can someone be too tired for that?" He frowned directly at Jellal, the most help-seeking he had probably been in weeks towards anyone who was not Levy.

"I haven't even thought about that yet," Jellal mused. His mind had been kind of preoccupied with marvelling at his beautiful daughter, and since Erza was just as tired or busy, neither had considered making love. Now that there was no barrier – a.k.a. her huge pregnant belly – it did sound tempting.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gajeel blankly stared at him, nearly bewildered. Jellal had to smile.

"Well, Erza is usually the driving force," he disclosed.

"Lucky bastard," Gajeel groused. "I bet she's into all that kinky stuff, too," he pondered, images of what he probably liked to see Levy wear flashing before his inner eye.

"Running out of ideas by now…" Jellal muttered, more to himself. The hiss and light blush on Gajeel's face told him that he heard. He chewed on his lips, piercings furrowing above his eyes as he thought, driven by more than the need of a break now.

"So Meredy's good with babies, huh?" He asked. Jellal stifled his laughter.

"Very much so with Rosemary."

"Damn, that sounds like a plan," Gajeel was as if exchanged. He jumped up from the couch. "Titania has a lacrima thingy, right?" He asked, already on his way to the bedroom. That Meredy possessed a miniature communication lacrima appeared to be common knowledge, or maybe the Dragon Slayer did not think that far. One instinct reigned over the other, Jellal concluded as he followed.

Both halted in their steps at the sound of a cry. A baby cry. It died down as suddenly as if had come, making the men exchange puzzled glances. So much for the twins being impossible to please.

Opening the door, Gajeel peeked in. He was frozen for a moment, and Jellal wished he could see what was going on – both in the Dragon Slayer's head as well as in the bedroom. Gajeel pushed the door open as he entered, Jellal on his heels. A smile replaced the initial concern.

Rosemary was where she loved to be most – drinking greedily at her mother's chest. She had only just eaten before they had left, so she really was enjoying herself more than she was hungry, Jellal suspected. That dessert-want she had undoubtedly gotten from her mother. His gaze shifted however, falling onto the tuft of black hair right next to his daughter.

Levy was beaming with content, serving merely one of her sons while the other had opportunistically seized his chance elsewhere.

"Oh, so you're jealous of her but not of your own brother?" Levy shook her head in a well-meaning scold. Jellal adapted the soft smile of his wife where she watched the two contestants in her arms. "I'm sorry, Erza."

"Don't worry," Erza glanced up, directing a kind smile at Levy. It transferred, both of them shining with motherly love. "It's no trouble – there's supply as long as there's demand," she soothed. They giggled, taken with the innocent claim.

Jellal frowned when Gajeel had shuffled in front of Erza, wordlessly interrupting the girls' conversation. And he did not look as if he was going to ask for the lacrima, not even pilfer it.

Slowly, carefully, Gajeel bent down. Erza opened her mouth in question, but the only thing she managed was a confused stare when Gajeel gently took Rosemary by her sides. Then he plucked her away from her mother.

Rosemary gave a noise of complaint, preparing to cry when suddenly meeting the face of her father. She blinked at him, and all he could do was blink back for a moment as she was shoved into his arms.

Gajeel repeated the procedure with Gale, detaching him from his wife.

"What are you— Gajeel?" Levy protested mildly, unable to fight his actions when busy with pulling her shirt down. Gale inhaled strongly for a wail, ready to turn the siren on without any whining overture. Just then, his wide-open mouth was met with a new breast, and it did not take him longer than a heartbeat to choose food over effort. His brother gave a muffled coo, having it returned. They exchanged whatever they had to say about their new buffet until any noises faded into eager suckling.

"Geehee," Gajeel grinned triumphantly. Then he grabbed Levy's arm, pulling her to her feet. "Come on, Shrimp, we're going out," he declared, laughing with exhilaration all the way out the door.

"Gajeel, wait!" Levy protested.

"Get dressed, hurry."

"Gajeel!" She fought her arm out of his grasp, less successful in getting back to the bedroom. "We can't just—"

"Pretty sure we can," Gajeel was still grinning. "She said she didn't mind, amiright?"

"Not to a whole evenin—"

"Let's go!" He thrust her coat at her. "Diapers are in the bathroom; don't touch anything else! Thanks! See ya guys!" He called over his shoulder while fleetly shoving Levy out the door.

"Sorry, Erza!" Levy managed. Then the door fell shut. Their bickering was audible for another few seconds, until silence fell. Jellal was still focused on the door, Rosemary the spitting image of his slight frown where she had her head turned in the same direction.

"Uh…" Was all he stammered after a moment. Erza chuckled, watching him and her daughter fondly. Her gaze travelled, and she mellowly stroked down one tiny back, then the other. It really was a lot more complicated with two babies, Jellal plainly saw. There was hardly ever even a single hand free.

"My, my," Erza tutted playfully. She scooted upwards on the bed, leaning against the headboard with her torso bent, giving the twins a less trouble with staying balanced. "Someone was in a hurry," she chuckled. Jellal smiled as she brushed two fingers over the tiny tufts of black hair, appearing rather complacent with her task. He lifted her legs onto the bed for her to be more comfortable.

Sitting down at the side of the bed, he let Rosemary sink from his chest to his lap. She had already forgotten her quick surge of craving for dessert, happily engaged in flicking at his cufflink.

"And it's not so much the dinner he's after," Jellal supplied. Her eyes sparked up, meeting his as her smile stretched into a smirk.

"What about you?" She beckoned him to her with the curving of her fingers. Securing Rosemary to his stomach, Jellal crawled forward as if invisible strings pulled him to her. Rosemary giggled at the harmless rollercoaster ride she got, gripping his shirt. The twins replied by giving a small coo into Erza's chest, though not ceasing to help themselves.

"Mmh, what about me?" Jellal hummed. His face hovered mere centimetres away from hers.

"Wouldn't you want a not-out-for-dinner night with me?" Erza purred where she fondled his chin like one would with a cat.

"Anything with you, my love," he returned, the vibrating of his throat rumbling deeply as he murmured into her mouth, lips meeting tenderly.