AN: Last day :( I hope you enjoyed it and this last one wraps it up good!

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"Every night I pray

down on bended knees

That you will always be

My everything, oh my everything"

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My Everything

Day 07 – Comfort

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Gray frowned in his sleep when he felt someone trying to shake him awake. When the movement repeated, he opened his eyes just to see his five-year-old daughter looking at him, biting her lower lip.

"Daddy?"

"Rose?" He asked, still a bit disoriented when she threw herself at him, her plush black cat in her arms (just like her uncle's friend Lily, whom she was absolutely charmed with ever since she saw him for the first time). "What happened, baby?" Gray asked in a whisper while putting his arms around her. The girl started to sob and Gray caressed her back lovingly. He reached for the nightstand and turned on the light. "Bad dream?" She nodded, face still on his chest. "What about?"

"Mama." The little girl said between sobs and Gray tightened his hold on her. "Mama didn't come back."

"You know Mama always comes back, sweetheart." It was the first long mission Juvia had taken ever since Gris had been born six months before – it was her second night away and it had been an adjustment to the four of them: Gray had to take care of both children on his own for a couple of days, Rose had to get used once again after almost a year and a half year of having her mother every day, and it was Gris' first time away from his mother. To Juvia, though, it was worse because she'd be without the three of them.

Gray had seen himself crazy with all the responsibilities just like the first time he had to be with Rose for a couple of days on his own. But they had managed. Until that moment.

"But this time she didn't." The little girl sobbed.

"Remember when you were little and she had missions too?" Gray asked and Rose nodded. "It's just like that. You are just scared as it's been a long time since she went in one because she was expecting your brother." He tried to soothe her. "She is coming home tomorrow."

"What if she's doesn't?" Rose asked,

"She will." He whispered. "I promise she's coming back tomorrow. Go back to sleep, baby. I'm here if you have another nightmare."

"Thanks, daddy." She snuggled closer to him. "I miss Mama."

"Me too." Gray told her and hummed a song and in no time she was back asleep, but Gray couldn't just yet, he was feeling scared about Juvia's mission. He knew she was strong and more than capable. The mission was easy enough and Gajeel was with her, but even so.

Almost half an hour later he heard his son cry from his bedroom and, after pushing Rose gently away from him, Gray got up and went to fetch his son, who, just like his sister, had Gray's dark hair (but not curly) and Juvia's blue eyes. Just as Rose looked more like Juvia, Gris looked like a tiny version of Gray with blue eyes.

"Alright, kiddo." Gray said when he entered the bedroom and saw the infant red crying face. "I've got you." He took the baby from the crib and Gris' crying turned into soft whimpers. "You are hungry, aren't you?" Gray walked to the kitchen and, with one hand, heated a bottle Juvia had left. A few minutes after they arrived at the kitchen, the bottle was done and he started feeding his boy.

It took Gris a moment to latch on – it seemed he didn't like the bottle as much as he liked to be nursed (Gris was a good eater, Gray knew the boy had an appetite on him) – once the baby realized there wouldn't be another option other than the bottle, he started to eat dutifully.

"Miss your Mama too, huh?" Gray whispered to his son while walking back to the master bedroom. "Your sister too and so do I." He sat on the bed, Gris' blue eyes on his, his tiny hands opening and closing, mesmerizing Gray. Just like with Rose, the moment Gris was born and looked at him, he promised the little boy the world. He was quieter than his sister, but it only made even more special. "But she'll be here tomorrow and I bet she will coddle you and Rose for days. You'll be sick of her." The boy moved his tiny fists, kicked his legs and Gray chuckled. "Alright, alright, you won't. And neither will I, by the way."

Once Gris was done eating, Gray burped him and then started to hum a song to put the little boy to sleep. In a few moments, his eyelids became heavy and Gris fell asleep. The Ice Mage kissed the baby's forehead and pushed Rose away gently – the little girl was such a heavy sleeper that all she did was roll to the other side and hug her cat plush tighter.

Reasoning he'd feel better with his children next to him that night, Gray put Gris on the middle of the mattress between him and Rose.

Gray kept staring at them for a long time, wondering how did he get there, married to a wonderful woman who gave him the most perfect children he could ask for. He was so happy it scared him whenever Juvia was out in a mission where he couldn't protect her. It was all so fragile. He couldn't see his life without any of them anymore.

Morning couldn't come soon enough.

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The second time he woke up, it was when he felt fingers going through his hair. Finding it odd, Gray opened his eyes just to see his wife sitting next to him, smiling sweetly. By the way she was dressed, still wearing her coat, she probably arrived just a few minutes before.

"Having a slumber party without Juvia?" She asked and when Gray frowned, she glanced to the other side of the bed and once he saw their children, he smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, that." He pushed Gris, who had his tiny body pressed on his, away gently and sat down. "Rose had a nightmare and then I fed Gris. Plus, the bed gets too big when you are not here." He shrugged. "How was your mission?" Gray yawned.

"Good. I missed the three of you, but it was good." She told her husband.

"We missed you too." Gray told her. "Expect Rose to be glued to your side for a couple of days and I think Gris will nurse like a starving boy. He doesn't like his bottle." Juvia nodded and he decided to lighten the mood a bit. "I can't really blame him; these" he pointed to the general area of her chest "are pretty good."

"Gray-sama!" Juvia slapped him on the shoulder, but she was fighting off a smile. "You are terrible."

"But I'm your terrible." He grabbed her left hand and pointed at the ring there, a grin on his lips. "Forever."

"As long as you let me be your terrible forever as well, we are good." Juvia smiled.

Gray chuckled. "Deal." He let go of her hand and stretched his arms. "I found a new respect for you." She looked at him in question and got up when Gray pushed the blanket away. "I know it was hard to take care of Rose alone when I was not here because we took turns going into missions and all that." He put his pillow where he had been so Gris couldn't roll off the bed. "But your missions were short, always two days max. Mine were much longer and you had to take care of her by yourself." He turned to look to his wife. "Then we got Gris and let me tell you: taking care of a hyper five-year-old and a baby is exhausting. I don't know how you haven't gone insane yet."

"Oh, Juvia has been insane for years." She waved him off. "Remember our first meeting? Two children can barely alter that." She smirked and Gray laughed.

"Fair enough." He put his arms around her. "I'll try to take shorter missions while Gris is still young, to help you out."

"Thank you." She hugged him. "If that's what you want, sure. But Juvia can manage just fine."

"I know. I just want to enjoy them being little. In no time Gris will start to walk, Rose's going to learn magic and before we know, they will be moving out to have their own lives." His heart ached already with the thought if his children leaving home.

"Okay, you went a long way to the future and Juvia is the insane one here, both of us can't be insane at the same time." Gray snorted at that. "It will take a while for all of those things to happen, no use fretting over it now." She put a hand on her husband's cheek. "Let's enjoy them."

"Alright." They stayed in each other's arms for a while, Juvia's ear pressed against his chest so she could hear his heartbeat and soaking in his warmth while he was resting his chin on the top of her head. The moment was broken, though, when Gris started to fuss and woke up, whimpering.

Juvia let go of her husband to sit back on the bed and took her youngest child. "Don't cry, my baby boy. Mama is here now." Recognizing his mother's voice, Gris stopped wiggling to look at her. "There you are, no more crying." The child patted her coat and Juvia chuckled with it. "Alright, alright."

Once she unbuttoned her coat and moved away her shirt, she started nursing Gris, who, unlike the night before, latched on the first try. Gray snorted. "I knew he preferred them better."

Juvia laughed and it must've woken up Rose, because the next thing they knew, the little girl was kneeling on the bed behind her mother and hugging her from behind. "Mama!"

"Hello, baby." Juvia turned her head a bit so she could kiss her daughter's cheek. "How are you? Mama missed you."

"Missed you too." Rose hugged her mother tighter and then looked at her father. "You were right, daddy! Mama always comes back."

"Told ya, darling." Gray winked at Rose and caught her when she let go of Juvia and raised her arms to be picked up by her father.

"I love you, daddy." Rose said, kissing Gray's cheek and then resting it on his shoulder. As it always happened, Gray felt his heart get filled with love for his little girl.

"I love you too, Rose." He stared at Juvia and with one look in her direction, she smiled, understanding what the look meant.

Gray was happy.

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AN: That's it, folks! I hope you enjoyed it and to see you again in my other stories. ;)

Thanks to: inukekarynatsusu, Snavej, endingsarenotalwaysbad, Darkhope, moonfairy014 and bubblegum03 for the review the last chapter!

12/14/2015 ~ BonneyQ