Juvia's Greatest Gift

By: juvia0613 (aka FayeValentine00)

Juvia woke up in a flash. Deep, sharp abdominal pain causing her to curl into a ball around her swollen middle, unable to catch her breath. She had gone from sound asleep to an all-encompassing pain in a second and it was immediately clear that something wasn't right.

"G-Gra-ay-Sa-ma." The water mage gasped out her husband's name between gritted teeth, but even as she spoke his name, she remembered that he wasn't home. This was the last job Gray had planned to take before the baby was born and, since Juvia wasn't due for another 4 weeks, it should have been fine.

Juvia knew she needed help. The pain wasn't stopping, and a strange pressure was building in her loins. Before he'd left, Cana had made Juvia a Call Card for Gray just in case she'd needed to reach him, but the waves of agony were too intense. She wasn't sure she'd be able to explain the situation to him clearly. And even if she could, the mother-to-be was certain he wouldn't be able to get to her in time.

Instead, the blue-haired woman reached a shaky hand to her nightstand and grabbed the other card that Cana had made. It was a Juvia Help Card and if activated, it would set off cards owned by half a dozen friends who would come running. Until this moment, the water mages pregnancy had been a breeze, unlike Lucy's late last year, so she'd never considered it would ever see use.

"AHHHHHH!" Another surge of pain ripped through her middle, her stomach feeling like it was being squeezed in a vice. She tried her best to breathe through the worst of the pain and when she could finally think straight again, Juvia steadied her nerves, accepted defeat and activated the Help Card.

At roughly three in the morning, Natsu, Erza and Gray were sleeping under the stars just like old times. It was the Dragon Slayers first away from Magnolia job since his daughter, Nashi was born, and they'd scheduled it to be Gray's last until his son was at least a few months old. The job they'd taken was going smoothly, and they were planning to be home in just a few days. Even though things for Juvia had been going easy, he was still worried.

When the Help Card activated, Gray and Natsu simultaneously panicked. Their packs had been laying right next to each other and each of them had a card for their families. In a flash, both men jumped up and grabbed their packs. The moment they were pulled away from each other, Gray's stomach dropped. It was definitely Juvia's card that was calling, "Help! Help!" over and over.

From his peripheral vision, Gray noticed Natsu visibly relax and the Ice Devil Slayer couldn't begrudge him. This was his worst nightmare come true. If Juvia was just lonely or had a question, she would've used the Call Card or just waited. If she had felt the need to set off the Help Card in the middle of the night, it meant something was very wrong.

Gray felt physically ill. He didn't know how long he sat on the ground staring at the card in horror, unable to even process what he needed to do until a fully dressed and alert Erza put her a hand on his shoulder. Her voice was full of a confident authority, demanding action. It was probably the only sound that could have brought him back to the present.

"Gray. We have to go right now. Juvia is waiting for you."

When he looked up at his friend, the woman who was very much a big sister, his eyes shone with desperation, but it was Natsu who spoke next. His big smile belying his own concerns about his best friend's wife. "She'll kill me and Erza all if we don't get you home soon, right?"

That made the black-haired man smirk. "Yeah. Well, maybe just you. Let's go."

Eighteen-year-old Wendy Marvel was sound asleep, curled up warm in the bed when she heard the Help Card go off. It took the Sky Dragon Slayer several seconds before she realized what was happening. Once she did, Wendy leapt out of bed, grabbed her bag from the desk and dug around for the offending card. She pulled out Juvia's Help Card and her heart sank.

"I've got to go," She called quickly across the dark room, as she retrieved her clothes from the floor, throwing them on haphazardly.

"I'll take you. It will be faster that way," Mest said, pulling his own shirt over his head before crossing the room to stop at Wendy's side.

"If we show up together, so quickly, they'll know we were together." Even just imaging the reactions of her friends, when they found out about their relationship made her face flush brightly.

"This is more important than that," he said, taking her hand that held the still activated card, but his eyes met hers tenderly. "Also, does it really matter if they find out at this point? Will anything change?"

Still blushing and unable to look away from his gaze, Wendy considered his words carefully before smiling shyly. "No. It doesn't matter." And as an apology, the Dragon Slayer went onto her tiptoes and gently pressed her lips to his. "And no, it won't change anything at all. ... Thank you."

A moment later, Mest teleported themselves right into the Fullbuster's living room.

Cana was sleeping on a bench in the guildhall. She'd thought about trying to get back to her room a couple of hours earlier but Bacchus has come for a visit and she'd been drinking enough to just give up. He must have headed home at some point because the room was empty when the card went off, leaving her totally confused.

It'd taken her a moment to fumble through her bag for the noisy card which, in her half drunken, half hungover state, she'd mistaken for a malfunctioning card. However, as soon as she saw the cute chibi Juvia calling for help, she sobered in an instant. Over the years, she'd made quite a few Help Cards for various members of the guild but other than the Lucy Help Card from so many years ago, this was the first one that had activated. Something must be very wrong.

Cana leapt to her feet, grabbed a bottle of water and took off out the guildhall doors at a dead run.

Lucy was up in the middle night with a fussy baby. She had been walking back and forth through the apartment for the last 30 minutes when she heard the Help Card go off and the immediate anxiety that swept over her was like a punch to the gut. Knowing the card could only belong to Juvia, Lucy knew this was bad.

"Sorry, Baby Girl," the Celestial Spirit Mage spoke gently to her daughter. "We've gotta go."

Lucy was just reaching out for the diaper bag when she felt a hand touch her shoulder gently. Only years of experience with her spirit friends kept her from absolute panic. "Leave Nashi with us. We can take care of her."

The Blonde-haired woman spun around to find Loki smiling down at her while Aries and Aquarius stood right behind him. "I'm sorry!," Aries said, gently taking the now sleeping infant from her mothers' arms and laying her on a soft pink wool bed.

"Go take care of the water woman. We'll take care of Nashi," Aquarius added in her harsh way, but the tone was meaningless when she glanced at the sleeping child so lovingly.

"Everyone…" Lucy was nearly overcome with emotion until her water spirit added.

"The Spirit King gave us permission and power to come so you'd better go before we change our minds!"

As a new mother, Lucy almost protested but then she remembered all the times she'd spent with the same spirits when they'd been contracted to her mother and she knew that everything would be fine. One last glance over to her angel and then she smiled to each of her friends. "Thank you! I'll be back as soon as I can!"

Then she was out and door and headed to Juvia's side.

The other two members of Fairy Tail who held the remaining Juvia Help Cards were two of Gray's oldest friends and women he trusted completely.

Bisca and Mirajane had been having a rare ladies night in the Mira's room the night Juvia Fullbuster went into labor. They'd had some drinks earlier in the evening, then sat around chatting about everything from Asuka, to Elfman and Ever's newest addition, to Mira's minimal dating life and back again.

Most recently, they'd been laughing about yesterday's bar fight in the guildhall when two Help Cards activated in unison causing both women to freeze in place. Gray and Cana had given them the Help Cards just a week prior and neither Bisca nor Mira even knew if Juvia knew that they had them. Gray had come the women seriously right before he'd left on this current job to explain that Porlyusica would be out of Magnolia while he was away, and he'd asked the women to help his wife in the worst-case scenario. Both Bisca and Mira had assured him that he didn't even have to ask, they were family, but it had still calmed his mind just a little when they formally agreed.

If someone activated the card, they had to go. It was that simple. In less than a minute, they were out the door.

Juvia couldn't make sense of what was happening to her body, but she was certain it wasn't normal. The waves of contractions assaulting her body didn't relent. She went from severe pain to excruciating pain back and forth every minute or so. Less than two minutes after sounding the alarm, the water mage heard a noise in her front room, followed by worried voices.

"Juvia-san! Where are you?" Wendy's concerned voice called loudly through the apartment.

"AHHHHH!" Just as Juvia had opened her mouth to answer, the worst pain yet hit her and the cry of pure agony was unmistakable.

"JUVIA!" Wendy ran through the bedroom door and rushed to her side with Mest only a few steps behind.

Despite all the pain and distractions, Juvia quickly understood what was happening. The speed of Wendy's appearance, the younger woman's slightly disheveled hair and clothing and the fact that her companion was Mest made everything fall in to place. The only way Wendy could have gotten to her side so quickly was if she and Mest had already been together.

With her love radar in full affect, Juvia could not stop herself from teasing the Sky Dragon Slayer, "J-Juvia is s-so telling E-Erza." She gasped the words out with a hollow chuckle before another wave of pain washed over the woman, causing her to grit her teeth.

The teasing momentarily flustered Wendy but the seriousness of the pregnant woman's condition made her refocus almost instantly. She saw a sheen of sweat had broken out over Juvia's body and the water mage was trembling. Wendy ran her hands over the woman's rock hard swollen belly. She could literally fell the relentless contractions assaulting her friend's body. If she was being candid, she would admit that it scared her to death. It was crystal clear that the Fullbuster baby was coming any minute. In a panic, she turned to Mest.

"I need you to find Gray. Please!"

Mest met the eyes of the woman he loved and then glanced over the Juvia's hunched form for only a second before he nodded once. Then, turning to Juvia, he spoke gently. "I'll find Gray and bring him home as fast as possible."

"T-Thank Y— you," her gasped words were painful to hear, and it even further reinforced the urgency of his mission.

No sooner had Mest teleported out, the other four women arrived at Juvia's house within minutes of each other. Almost immediately, Lucy sat down beside her friend and rubbed her tense back affectionately. Every contraction that hit Juvia's body made the Celestial Spirit Mage think of her own labor not so long ago. Hers had lasted two full days and pain dampening spells from Wendy had been her saving grace. Also, Natsu had been by her side the entire time. But the spells weren't working on the Water Mage and Gray wasn't back yet.

"Hi, Honey," the blonde spoke gently, still rubbing her back and shoulders.

"L-Lucy…" There were tears in Juvia's eyes when they met Lucy's.

"Don't worry. Gray will be here soon. He, Erza and Natsu are definitely headed here right away. I know it."

"T-Thank Y-you." Juvia's gasps were painful to listen to.

While Lucy was comforting the laboring woman and trying to get her more comfortable, Wendy was giving orders to others. Bisca and Cana were gathering towels, hot water, blankets and anything else they might need for the delivery. Mirajane was to find clothing for mother and baby. When this was all over, between doctors who would finally arrive and their Fairy Tail family who would all be concerned, the Fullbuster house would be very busy over the next few days so Mira wanted them properly clothed if nothing else. While they worked, the tension in the room could be cut with a knife. Everyone was only barely containing their panic.

A particularly loud scream escaped Juvia's mouth, making all the women jump. "Juvia thinks he wants to come out now!"

"WHAT?!" Lucy had been at her friend's side praying that Gray would make it home in time for the birth, but it was becoming more and more clear that it would not happen.

Wendy gave Juvia a quick examination and saw that the baby was already crowning. They couldn't hold off any longer without risking both mother and baby.

"Everyone!" Wendy called, gathering the women to her side. "It's time. Cana-san and Bisca-san, I need you to support her legs. Mira-san, please take Juvia's other hand and help support her back."

Once everyone was in place, Wendy looked up at her friend with the calmest smile she could manage. "It's time, Juvia-san. Let's have a baby, okay?"

"O-okay." Before tonight Juvia would have hated having this baby without Gray by her side. Now the pain and fear of the unknown had pushed that selfishness aside. It was all too much. She realized that giving her husband a healthy baby was far more important than anything else.

Things progressed scarily quickly. Only three pushes and ninty seconds later, the Fullbuster baby boy was out but, to everyone's horror, he wasn't crying. Wendy acted quickly. In a flash, she cleared the infant's airway and gave his heel a little flick which did the trick. When the baby began to cry, all the women breathed a sigh of relief. Although early, the infant was breathing on his own and his skin was turning a healthy pink color. He was small, but the little boy seemed perfectly healthy.

It took the women a few minutes to get everything cleaned up and when her son was finally placed skin to skin on her chest, the feelings of motherly love overpowered her. Tears streamed from her eyes as she looked over the tiny human in her arms. He had a mop of black hair on the top of his head, ten perfect fingers and ten perfect toes. The only missing from the moment was Gray.

Deep down, Juvia knew that her husband would never forgive himself for not being there in her time of need and for missing the birth of his son. The Water Mage made a silent oath right then that she would help him overcome that.

There was a buzz around the room as the women cleaned up the mess, helped Juvia put on enough clothes to be decent when the others arrived and generally gushed over the newest edition to the Fairy Tail family.

It was about thirty minutes after the birth when things finally settled down. It impressed everyone when the infant latched during their first attempt at breastfeeding and as the pain in her muscles began to dissipate; the awe set it. The baby had just fallen asleep against her chest when there was a loud commotion just outside the doorway and then Gray, followed by Natsu and Erza crashed into the room.

Gray's eyes found Juvia's immediately and the relief he felt at seeing her okay almost overwhelmed him. Erza caught him by the arm and kept him steady but through it all, his eyes never wavered from his wife and the tiny bundle she held in her arms.

"Welcome home, Gray-sama," she said with a peaceful smile, happiness overpowering everything else. "Come and meet your son."

Everyone in the room got the hint. Lucy got up from her spot next to Juvia after giving her friend a final hug and left the room dragging her shocked husband out with her. After that, Wendy left to check on Mest who had clearly just teleported their three friends to the home, something normally too much strain over long distances. Following the Dragon Slayer, the other woman made their way quietly out of the room. Only Erza stayed long enough to ensure the Ice Mage was steady on his feet but once he seemed okay, she left the room as well, closing the door behind herself and allowing the new and improved Fullbuster family a moment of privacy.

Gray crossed his bedroom slowly. He was still trying to process exactly what he was seeing. The dark-haired man had seen Nashi Dragneel nearly every single day of her life so far but his son, being born a few weeks early, was even smaller than she had been. It didn't seem real. When he paused beside the bed, Juvia reached out and pulled him down beside her.

Gently, she lifted the sleeping infant from her body and placed him carefully onto her husband's strong chest. "Gray-sama, this is Juvia's greatest gift for you."

Not having the words, Gray cradled his son in his arm, covered his eyes with his other hand and openly wept. After a time, he dropped his face to his wife's shoulder and whispered passionately.

"Thank you... so much."