Tail Of A Fairy

20.

"Hold on Luce. I'm coming."

Natsu could only think of his wife as he ran. What had happened to her? Would he make it in time? His mind kept on wandering to what could have gone wrong.

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"Lucy-san, Mest must have found them by now. Natsu will come back. Juvia is sure."

The bluenette looked beside her. Levy was there, as well as Makarov and Mirajane. Erza and Gajeel had gone off to find Porlyusica. They could only hope for the arrival of her and Natsu.

Lucy's eyes hadn't opened yet. Her eyes were scrunched together and her face covered in sweat. Her chest was shaking with each breath. Lucy wasn't doing good. Then, she started to mutter. Everyone leaned in, Is she waking up?

"Natsu... Natsu..."

Levy grabbed Lucy's hand tight. "He's on his way, Lu-chan. He'll be here soon."

The door slammed open, and everyone looked to the door. A small amount of pink hair popped in through the door. The person entered and shoved through to the bed. They even shoved Makarov.

"You idiots!" Porlyusica yelled. "Why didn't you get me sooner?"

She started a basic examination of Lucy. Juvia watched closely, and so did Makarov. Levy had looked away. Gajeel was back, and Levy leaned into him. Her tears soaked his shirt. Erza walked into the room last, a somber expression on her face.

Then they heard the crash. Mirajane rushed out of the room toward the hall. Erza followed suite, pulling out a blade. Juvia stared at the door. Before she could think to stand up, Gajeel had already taken guard and slammed the door shut. Levy's knees were shaking, and she couldn't stand. Makarov focused on Lucy. He knew his children would protect them.

The sounds from the hall exploded all at once — and were followed by a swift silence. Gajeel opened the door slightly, and took a sniff. Immediately he opened the door all the way. The blur was too fast for anyone to see, but he took his place at his wife's side. He had made it.

No one dared say a word to Natsu. Mirajane and Erza walked in quietly after him, bruised. Gajeel went and put his arm around his wife. Juvia and Makarov distanced themselves from the bed so Natsu could be at his wife's side. Happy had fallen onto Juvia's lap, already asleep from the long flight.

Porlyusica sighed. She stood silently, and heads turned. "I don't know why she won't wake up. But it looks like she's okay for now. But she's got to wake up before the baby comes out." Porlyusica sat herself at the end of the bed, waiting.

Natsu leaned his head down. He was holding Lucy's hand, and he held it to his forehead. Natsu closed his eyes. Lucy looked so fragile, Can she really do it?

"Luce — C'mon. Don't leave me here."

Natsu whispered it, but everyone heard. They could feel the sadness that was weighing on his heart. Levy leaned ever more into Gajeel, and Juvia wrapped her hand around her stomach. Erza clutched at her locket. Makarov and Mirajane left the room.

"B-baka..."

Natsu's head snapped up. Lucy's eyes were open — if only barely. He couldn't stop the smile from sneaking onto his face. Lucy smiled weakly at him. But her eyes fluttered closed again. They were heavy.

"Lucy-san," Juvia spoke up. "Your labor, it started."

She was right. Lucy could feel the constrictions in her stomach. Her legs ached, and her breathing was short. She closed her eyes tight. If the baby wanted to come out, it was coming out.

Natsu froze when Lucy's eyes closed again. He went to grip her hand tighter, but she did it first. His hand was gripped hard in hers as her first cry rang out. She was pushing, hard. Natsu immediately knew what she was doing. He held her hand tight, and his other hand went on her stomach.

"Come on Lucy. You can do it. Push!"

She screamed again. Another contraction came and she pushed again. It was getting harder and harder for her to breathe. Natsu felt each wave of tension coming through the muscles under his hand. He felt the shudder as Lucy took each breath. Natsu saw the red in her face. She's so fragile. I'm- Natsu shook the thought away. If Lucy looked fragile, he had to be there for her.

"Lucy, I believe in you!"

Lucy screamed again, but this time a second cry was heard. Natsu gasped, and Lucy caught her ragged breaths. Natsu went to the end of the bed. There, wet and new, in amongst the sheets, was a baby. The umbilical cord was gripped in its tiny hand. Its mouth was open, crying for attention. Porlyusica picked it up gingerly, and handed it to Natsu. He separated the cord from the baby, and he wiped his child gently.

"Lucy, look." His voice was soft. "It's our child."

Lucy looked up weakly. The sudden tiredness was hitting her. She reached up and caressed the baby's hand.

"Natsu, is it a boy or a girl?"

Natsu unwrapped the baby. He looked at his child, his son. "He's a boy. Our son."

Lucy smiled. "Nashi. I want to name him Nashi."

"Yeah. Nashi is a good name." Everyone could hear the sudden tiredness in Lucy's voice.

Gajeel pulled his wife into his arms — Levy was still unable to walk. Erza left with them. Juvia paused a minute to look at the new child. She left with a wish for their health, and took the sleeping Happy with her. And once again, it was just Natsu and Lucy. Their small family, with their newborn son.

Lucy struggled to keep her eyes open. Her hand was slowly slipping off of her child's. Natsu tenderly gripped the two hands together. He grinned. This was it. He was officially a father. Natsu sat down on the bed next to Lucy. Her hand had dropped from Nashi's, and both mother and child were fast asleep. Natsu could feel the heaviness begin to set in on his own eyes. But he looked around the small room and groaned. There would not be enough room for him to sleep comfortably. He looked at the baby in his arms, and his own sleeping wife. He couldn't carry both of them. So gently, he woke Lucy.

"Luce — let's go home. Let's take Nashi home."