The Family of Eight

The Love Story SPECIAL

WARNING: This chapter was not beta read; I merely proofread this.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does.

Jellal laughed and leaned back on his armrest, grinning broadly. He was long past the sad memories of his life, and now he was about to tell the best thing that ever happened to him, which was the first among the next that came. "We had been dating for months then, and I finally decided to propose," he told his children happily. He sounded giddy, like a child in a candy store.

"How did you propose?" Layla asked quickly. She was always one for sappy romance—she wasn't going to let this story pass. "Did you do it on your own?"

Jellal furrowed his eyebrows. "What? No, of course not. She was my second love, and I had no parents so I didn't know what the hell I was supposed to do. I never considered marrying Erza before so I had a big problem. I just knew that I needed a ring, and that I did have, but I didn't know what to do about the setting and the place and how to make it really special."

Meiko guffawed and leaned against his twin, clutching his stomach. "That's so lame, dad!"

"I think it's sweet," Kaiya, Layla and Reina simultaneously said, sighing dreamily.

Gerald wrinkled his nose. "Ugh, no more, please."

"You can always leave the room if you don't want to hear the story, Gerald," Jellal offered kindly, smiling down at his son.

The youngest of the boys crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, huffing. "I'll just stay. I don't have anything else to do anyway," he muttered forcefully under his breath.

Jellal's eyes softened at this. He knew that Gerald was a prideful boy and was too mature for his age, but he was glad that he still wanted to listen to his stories. He didn't want his son to grow up with such a sour look on his face forever after all.

"Who did you ask for help if you didn't know what to do then?"

He looked at Jude who was sitting cross-legged on the carpeted floor, casually leaning against the sofa. He tried to recall the events that happened and when he did, he laughed. "You won't believe I actually asked them when I could just ask someone else, but I felt it was appropriate."

"Who did you ask?!" Layla asked loudly, close to squealing.

He rolled his eyes and clasped his hands together in front of him, his elbows rested on the armrests. "That is for you to find out later, not now." His eyes danced with mirth.

"But why?" Meiko and Reina whined. They turned to each other and glared hard.

"Stop copying me!"

"That's my line!"

"Ugh! Just accept the fact that you like me so much to the point that you copy almost everything I say, Meiko!"

He made gagging sounds. "The thoughts makes me want to vomit forever!"

"That's disgusting!"

"Well, then so are you!"

Kaiya giggled and looked up at Gerald. "How long do you think this will last?"

"Not for long," he mused, his lips finally twitching into a small smile. "I'm sure father will begin storytelling soon."

"I think so too," she whispered to him, feeling like this was a big secret. His smile widened and he ruffled her hair. Whenever Kaiya wanted to lean against him, he would always scoot away from her, claiming that he was a big boy and that she was too much of a baby for his "cool character". But just now, when she decided to try leaning against him once more, he didn't reject her. Instead, he laid his head on top of hers and sighed in satisfaction.

Jellal saw the whole moment and smiled—he was right. Gerald would eventually give up his cold demeanor. "Alright, let's begin," he declared, clearing his throat to catch the attention of the bickering twins and the rest of his children. He wished Lucy was here. Nevertheless, he smiled wryly and started speaking. "I realized I really wanted to be with her forever by the time February rolled in. We were having lunch and we were talking about how faithful her spirits were to her. And then she said…"

"I think it's because I treat them more like humans than spirits," she told him, shrugging. "I mean, they have a right to be treated that way—they aren't mortal, but they do have feelings."

He leaned his cheek against the back of his hand and stared into her eyes. They were the same shade as always: a beautiful chocolate color. He never got tired of getting lost in them and it was his favorite pastime. "I think it's because you're pretty," he said with a chuckle.

She flushed and looked away, puffing her cheeks. "There you go again… you're so…"

"So what?"

"Corny," she finished lamely, blowing her bangs out of her face. "Always corny." She sounded like she didn't care, but the blush on her cheeks betrayed her.

He grinned widely. "Not really. I just like appreciating the beautiful things in my life."

"I am not a thing, Jellal," she said dryly.

"Point taken."

"But I am yours."

He blinked and cocked his head to the side, trying to catch her gaze once more. But she was avoiding him like the plague. He laughed softly and caressed her cheek with his free hand. "After all this time, you're still so shy around me," he mused, his thumb stopping over her lower lip. He tucked her hair behind her ear. "Why is that?"

She was quiet. "I still feel embarrassed about the fact that I stole you from Erza." She finally looked at him, her eyes flicking upwards to meet his. She looked sad again.

He sighed and formed a fist with his hand, tapping her on the crown of her head softly. He clicked his tongue. "Now, now, it wasn't intentional. It was my decision to leave her, so don't tell me it's your fault. I've said this before and I'll say it again—"

"You are mine and I am yours, and that's all that matters," she said in sync with him, smiling bashfully. True, she was still shy, but she was happier now. Especially since Jellal loved her so much. He got irritating and whiny sometimes, but she was exactly like that on some days too so why bother?

He laughed and leaned over the table – it was annoyingly difficult – and placed a soft peck on her lips. She closed her eyes just in time. She could feel his smile for a split second before he finally pulled back, standing up. "I have to be somewhere," he lied, offering her his hand. "Let me walk you home."

Her lips curled downwards in confusion. Still she took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She tangled her fingers with his and walked out of the building, handing the money to a waiter they passed by. She hummed and started swinging their hands. "Where are you going?"

"It's a secret."

"So, I then dropped her home," Jellal said, his lips slowly stretching into a smile. "And while I was on the road, I was thinking. A lot."

Layla's grin was still as wide as ever. "Okay, what were you thinking about?"

"Well…"

He knew he had to do it eventually, but he didn't think it would be anytime soon. But just earlier, when they were speaking, he felt it. The need to be with her forever. The need to go down on one knee and take her hand. It was bursting excitedly inside him, like a flower ready to sprout. But he wasn't exactly ready yet. He didn't know what to do.

Who was he supposed to ask advice from? He didn't have any family members left, Meredy was gone on a mission and Lucy was… well, he definitely couldn't ask her. To sum it all up, he was in a huge dilemma (and an embarrassing one at that). How could he not know how to propose?

He groaned very loudly. This was one of the reasons why he wished he had a brotherly figure, or a fatherly one to ask advice from. He could read books, but that was very stupid. And not to mention humiliating. Who would even read a book just to know how to propose anyway?

"Yeah! Who would?" Meiko said, rolling his eyes. "That's, like, the king of the uncool."

Jellal visibly winced, his pride hurt. "Well… I was seriously considering it…"

"Oh no you didn't!" they all shouted at once, their faces masked with incredulity and shock.

"I didn't read the book—"

They all sighed in relief.

"—but I bought one."

"You WHAT?"

Jellal laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I was clearly inexperienced, and they all say that the books know everything."

"The books do not know everything, father," Layla deadpanned, sighing. "The books know the basics of proposing, but all the unique proposals and whatnot will never be found there."

"Yes, yes, I know. I realized that as soon as I got home with the book in hand. I actually still have it," he said with a sheepish smile.

The looks on their faces were deadly. "BURN IT."

"Okay? Anyway, where were we?" He hummed and cupped his chin in thought. "Ah yes, I bought the book, got home, and regretted it and then…"

"Jellal!"

He turned around and saw Wendy, who he remembered as a child but was now a teenager, running towards him with enthusiasm. He blinked once and rushed forward when she tripped (like always). He steadied her and smiled wryly. He managed to catch her just in time.

He patted her head. "Be careful next time," he said coolly, chuckling.

She flushed and nodded. "Sorry, Jellal-san, but I just really wanted to know something."

"Hm? And what would that be?"

"When will you propose to Lucy-san?"

He stumbled backwards in surprise and made a sound that was close to a squeak and a gasp. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand. "W-W-What made you a-a-ask that?"

She tilted her head to the side. "I just wanted to know. Why?"

He pressed his lips together and let his hand drop. He was the one blushing now. "Actually… I'm planning on proposing soon."

She grinned so wide he thought her face would break. "Really?! Then what are you waiting for?!"

"Well," he paused, unsure how to continue this. "I just…"

"You just what?"

"I don't know how to," he breathed out, like it was a very hard thing to admit.

"Of course that would be hard to admit!" Layla exploded, grumbling under her breath. "Who in the world didn't know how to propose anyway?"

"Father."

She made a dramatic sound. "Of course." She buried her face in her hands. "You may continue now."

She was staring at him like he had grown two more heads. "What do you mean you don't know how?" she asked, blinking her eyes in confusion.

He raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. How was he supposed to explain this to Wendy? "I know I need to go down on one knee and you know, bring out the ring," he started slowly, trying not to explode into fireworks and just die. "But I don't know how to make it special."

"But, Jellal-san…"

He looked at the girl in front of him and frowned. She was smiling. "You don't have to make it special. Just proposing with a ring will make Lucy-san very, very, very happy."

"I know that." He really did. "But I want to make her feel like the luckiest girl in the world, to be proposed unlike any other proposal. I want to make her feel special. I want her to feel like she's soaring through the sky. And yes, a normal proposal will be enough to make her happy, but I don't like thinking that that would be enough. I want to exceed her expectations. I want to exceed my own abilities."

He sucked in a deep breath. "I don't want to be satisfied with just that, but for something more. Something she'll remember forever."

Wendy just looked at him, awed and dumbfounded. And he looked back at her to witness her expression. It made him smile. "Will you help me figure this thing out, Wendy?"

She giggled. "Sure, Jellal-san. But we will also need the help of others."

"Who?" he asked, confused. He hadn't thought he needed more than one person. And even if they needed more, who else were they going to ask help from?

"Fairy Tail!"

"WHAT?!"

Jellal jumped in surprise. He wasn't expecting to be interrupted so quickly. He sighed and then smiled softly, watching his children complain.

"You cannot be serious," Gerald said, his voice laced in disbelief.

"Oh, but I am."

"Out of all the people in the world, why them?" Reina interjected, pulling the ends of her hair.

The father chuckled. "Think. Who else to ask but her family? They knew more about her than I did during that time, so I wasn't really thinking about the consequences."

"They're idiots though," Jude said grimly.

"Not all of them!" Kaiya objected, huffing. "Aunt Wendy is really nice and smart!"

Reina's mouth split into a grin. "And don't forget Aunt Levy! She's really cool! But of course, mother's the best!"

"Aye!"

He shook his head while smiling. "Okay, let's continue."

He couldn't believe his ears. Fairy Tail? The guild that was always the number one problem of the Magic Council? The guild that always managed to reach the top, no matter what happened? He didn't really know what to think of this. But Wendy was nice enough to give him all the help he needed and he didn't want to put that kindness aside. So, rather than fearing for his life, he hoped for a successful plan.

They began walking towards the guild. It was quite a long walk, since he was too busy trying not to panic. What if they end up not helping? He was the reason why Erza and Lucy got hurt after all. Would they even be willing to help him?

Although he was on good terms with them now, especially since Erza had managed to fall in love with someone they didn't know, he was still a bit guilty. Fairy Tail was nice to him though, and they always invited him to the late night parties they had monthly so he didn't know why he was so nervous. Perhaps it was because he was going to be asking them how to ask Lucy to marry him and he didn't know how.

He could already hear their laughter ringing through his head.

He suddenly heard a giggle. He turned to Wendy and frowned. "What?"

"You look so worried," she commented, smiling. "Fairy Tail will help you out—stop pondering over the past. We're all over it."

Jellal suddenly felt very tired. He didn't try to show his distress whenever he was with Lucy or with anyone else, but when he was alone, he could still feel the weight of his actions pressing on him, like a disease he could never get rid of. But now he could feel the tension easing off his shoulders. He felt free and refreshed unlike before.

"Thank you, Wendy," he breathed out.

"You're welcome, Jellal-san."

A few minutes later, they finally arrived at the guild. The building was still as big as ever, the doors so big he had to push them with a lot of force. They entered and saw that everyone looked bored. Wendy raised a hand and smiled. "Good afternoon, everyone!"

They sounded discouraged. "Good afternoon, Wendy, Jellal."

The said girl blinked and looked at her companion. He shrugged and gestured her to follow him to the counter. They went there and was greeted by Mira. He smiled. "Good afternoon, Mira."

"What's wrong with everyone? Why is everyone so gloomy?" Wendy asked, pouting. She never liked it when people were sad, thus the reason why she wanted to help Jellal with his dilemma.

"Everyone's just bored," Mira said with a giggle, wiping the counter with a clean cloth. "Nothing fun has happened yet today. Natsu's looking for Gray but they've been bypassing each other since morning. Gray would look for Natsu here while Natsu would be looking for Gray outside and vice versa. There have been no fights so they're all looking for something fun to do."

Wendy's grin was blinding. "We have something to do!"

Mira tilted her head to the side. "What would that be?"

"Jellal-san is planning on proposing to Lucy-san!" she announced, jumping on the balls of her feet. The people in the guild perked up and grinned just as wide as hers, whistling and shouting their wishes.

Jellal sighed and hung his head in shame. "But I… want to make it special and I don't know how to."

Wendy nodded sadly then beamed. "That's why we're here to ask help from Fairy Tail!"

Mira blinked and touched the side of her cheek. "Oh my."

Suddenly, the whole guild was laughing. Out of his problem or because they were released of their boredom, he didn't know. But moments later, they found themselves seated in the center of the building with the other members sat around them. They were grinning mischievously.

He feared for his life.

"You should be!" his children exclaimed, startling the father.

He rolled his eyes and waved his hand. "Can you please just wait for me to finish the story and stop interrupting?"

"We'll try."

He sighed. "That's better than what I was expecting so… anyway."

"So, you've come to us to ask how to make this proposal special, eh?" Cana said from her seat on one of the tables, a barrel of booze in her hand.

Jellal smiled nervously. "Yeah… I guess that sums it all up."

"Then you've come to the right place!" they all shouted, laughing.

"Someone pass over the beer! Let's have a nice discussion!"

"No drinking!"

"Who said that?!"

"N-NO ONE!"

"Good! Mira, the beer!"

"Yes, yes."

Jellal felt his sleeve being tugged by someone and he looked behind her to see Lisanna. She looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry about this. They're good at giving surprises though, so this should be easy for them."

"I hope so," he said with a wavering smile. "It's okay. I'm the one who's asking for help anyway. They can drink all they want."

"Who said what?!" Natsu suddenly shouted, barging through the door. Everyone greeted him and he grinned. "I heard something about a surprise! What's going on?"

"Natsu! You've come at the right time! Jellal needs help with surprising Lucy!"

He blinked and walked over to Erza who nodded at him. He shuddered as soon as he saw the stars in her eyes. "O-Okay… What's this surprise all about?" He looked at Erza. "Why do you look so happy?"

"He's planning on proposing!" Lisanna informed him, giggling.

"Proposing?" Natsu asked, scratching the top of his head. "What's that?"

A bottle of beer was thrown to his head. "IDIOT!"

Natsu roared fire. "WHO DID THAT?! DIRTY BASTARD!"

"Sit down, Natsu," the redhead beside him ordered darkly, her slice of strawberry cheesecake in hand.

He sat down trembling. "A-Aye sir!"

"Good."

Gajeel cackled evilly behind Levy who could only muster a nervous laugh. He nudged the ice mage beside him who was too busy laughing. He struggled to stop laughing. "O-Oi, flame breath!" Gray called, grinning just as slyly. "What he means by proposing, is that he's going to ask Lucy to be his wife! I knew an idiot like you would need a deeper explanation so, Gajeel, please."

He smirked. "That means Jellal will go down on one knew, bring out a ring, and then ask bunny-girl—"

"I KNOW THAT PART! I'm not an idiot!" He interrupted, growling.

The men in the guild could only snicker while the drinks were being passed around. Mira handed Jellal one and he declined it. "Are you sure?" she asked with a frown. "We'll be up till morning."

"It's okay," he assured, chuckling. "I won't be able to remember their suggestions if I'm not sober."

Mira giggled. "Good thinking. Well then, as soon as everyone has a drink, the discussion will start."

He bowed his head. "Thank you for helping me."

"Oh my, this is nothing." With that said, she smiled at him and then left to tend the other members. He raked a hand through his hair. He was nervous. What if they just ended up drinking all night? What would happen to him in the hands of Fairy Tail?"

"You look like you're shitting your pants," Max said, a crooked grin on his face. "Don't worry. We'll help you. This is just our way of hyping things up."

He could only smile. "I know."

Exactly five minutes later, the guild settled down. There were a few words passed over, shouts and laughter, but they were getting serious—and a little bit sentimental. It was Erza who first spoke. "Do you know when you'll exactly propose?"

"I was thinking it'd be on Valentine's Day, since she would be expecting flowers and chocolates, not a ring," he said nervously. Was it the right decision? To do it on the 14th of February? Or should he do it on another day? And was it okay to be talking about this with Erza? He knew things weren't back to normal with them yet, but she looked better now, just eating her cake like nothing happened before. It made him relax just knowing that she wasn't mad at him anymore.

"That's actually a great idea," Mira said, smiling widely. She was holding her cheeks and was clearly trying not to squeal. "It sounds very dreamy."

"I agree," Levy said with a giggle. "Lu-chan would love it very much."

"Meh. I think it's sappy and corny," Gajeel huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He had a look of incredulity on his face, like he wasn't expecting the ex-criminal to be a hopeless romantic.

"Really? Then when should he do it?"

"A man would propose right now!" Elfman suddenly said, roaring.

Jellal smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I'd love to but I don't have a ring yet."

"WHAT?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?"

He laughed. "I am."

"No!" the women gasped in horror. The men were all looking at him with pity.

"I mean I didn't get it yet," he quickly added. "I asked for a custom made ring, so that only she would have it, and I didn't pick it up yet."

Lisanna sighed in relief, placing a hand over her heart. "Good. I thought you had no ring at all." She then gave him a thumbs up. "That sounds even better, by the way. Lucy likes being treated like she's special."

"Sounds pretty stupid."

"Gajeel!"

Jellal turned to the metal dragon slayer with a frown. "Please stop insulting her. You sound like a pathetic lovesick fool."

Gajeel gritted his teeth. "What did you just say?"

"Oh my god, no, please, stop," Levy said, covering her ears. "Gajeel, if you as much stand up from your seat or attack him, I will never talk to you again!"

His jaw dropped. "That's evil!"

"I know. Now apologize."

"What the fuck?"

Jellal smiled in amusement and waited patiently for the man to finish whining. After a while, he faced the bluenette and begrudgingly said, "Sorry."

"Heh. Submissive?"

"Shut up."

"He actually is," Levy said, giggling.

"Thanks father for giving me a reason to tease Uncle Gajeel," Gerald said, sporting a small sly smile.

"I second that."

"Me too."

Jellal sighed and cleared his throat. "You're welcome. Now, moving on…"

The dragon slayer glared at her. "Shorty… shut up."

"Okay, okay."

"That's so fucking embarrassing!" Natsu exclaimed. He was laughing uncontrollably, tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. Gray was enjoying this as well, and he was laughing just as loud.

"You are such a—"

Erza slammed a fist on the table. "Let's please not stray from the main topic, Natsu, Gray, Gajeel."

"A-Aye."

Cana rolled her eyes and hiccupped. "You guys are such pussies. Anyway, Jellal," she turned to the said man. "Lucy would be happy with a simple proposal. She knows you love her."

"I already told him that, Cana-san," Wendy piped up, smiling. "He would never be satisfied with just something simple since this is Lucy-san we are talking about."

"Yeah!" Levy said, grinning. "If it's Lu-chan, he'll go to big lengths just to make her happy."

"Jellal is a real man!" Elfman shouted, raising his arms.

Natsu and Gray covered their mouths, snickering. "And a sappy one at that."

"He just loves her a lot," Wendy said while blushing. She had always envied the gazes they always gave each other, wishing that she too could experience such love. Almost everyone in Fairy Tail longed for a relationship like theirs. It was too perfect.

"Well," Macao said and rubbed his chin. "I just know you should do it at night, where she can see the constellations and such."

Lisanna gasped. "Sweet Mavis, that's perfect!"

"Juvia agrees," the rain woman said, speaking for the first time since the discussion started. It seemed that she was fantasizing about Gray again.

Jellal pressed his lips together. "So I have to bring her to someplace where we can stargaze?"

"Yeah, I guess that could work."

"Where?"

"The park is a perfect place for stargazing," Bisca said, smiling bashfully. "Alzack and I have tried it before."

The said man grinned. "Lucy will surely love it."

Jellal frowned and absentmindedly cracked his knuckles, deep in thought. Was that really a good place? Wouldn't there be other people present as well? Wouldn't that just ruin the scene? Or was he just thinking too much?

"What? You don't like it?" Carla asked, appearing out of under a table.

"You scared me."

"Really? It wasn't obvious."

"I see."

Gajeel looked at the two rivals. "What the fuck is wrong with them? Are they robots or something?"

"Hopefully not," the ice mage said weakly, flinching. "That would make him immortal and impossible to kill."

"He's skeptic because it's Carla, not Lucy, idiots," Levy muttered under her breath, sighing dramatically. "I honestly don't understand how I ever fell for you."

Natsu burst out laughing, tears already streaming from his eyes. "She doesn't know!"

Gray guffawed and slammed his beer on the table, the drink splattering everywhere. He couldn't stop laughing. "If you want a friend to talk to," he paused and snickered, throwing him a bottle of beer. "You can have this!"

Gajeel caught it and chugged the contents. "You're lucky you gave me a drink or else I'd have already framed your body to a wall."

"That sounds erotic!" the ice mage said while gasping for air.

"Can't you three shut up?! There are children here!"

"Aw please, Wendy's old enough, right Wendy?"

"U-Um… W-W-What d-d-do you m-mean?"

"Crap."

Jellal sighed and buried his face in his hands. "This is hopeless."

"Wait, you're giving up now?!" Layla screeched, pulling her hair.

Gerald rolled his eyes. "Just to remind you, we wouldn't be here if he gave up."

"Oh, right."

He breathed out. "Idiot."

"I heard that."

Mira's lips tugged upwards and she placed a hand on his back in reassurance. "Don't lose hope, Jellal-kun. I know for sure that whatever we end up with, Lucy will love it and she will surely say yes."

"Really?" he asked quietly. He sounded like he really was planning on giving up. What was a man to do if the woman he loved said no? Give up? Find someone else? Or try again?

He heard someone suck in a deep breath. "Look, bunny girl is easy to please. We'll go with the stargazing plan, but I don't think the park is a good idea."

"Then where should they go?" Cana slurred, hiccupping afterwards. She tossed the empty barrel behind her, which hit someone's head—

"THAT HURT!"

—and grabbed another one from Mira who offered it to her with a giggle. "I suggest the greenhouse behind Fairy Hills."

"Oh my, that's the perfect place!"

"You should definitely take her there."

"Yes! You should!"

Jellal laughed nervously. "I'm sorry if I'm rude, but why a greenhouse? I thought we were supposed to be stargazing."

All the women in the guild grinned widely. "Exactly!"

"The greenhouse can transform, you know. The roofs fold when midnight strikes and then you'll see the most gorgeous view of the stars. I promise you, it's the perfect place." Bisca tried not to squeal in anticipation while she was explaining, but now that she was done, she couldn't stop herself. Together with Levy, they jumped up and down, already hoping for the day of the proposal to come.

"But I thought men weren't allowed to go in Fairy Hills?" Macao asked, raising a brow.

"Oh, that." Cana rolled her eyes and waved her hand his way. "We'll deal with Ruchio. But don't you worry about getting in, Jellal."

The said man chuckled and nodded. "Alright. Can I have a group play a song while I propose?"

Gajeel grinned widely. "Sure. I will be enough—"

"Please ignore him," Erza said, her hand clamped tightly over the dragon slayer's mouth. "I believe we should have Mira and the rest handle that part. Just… not him."

Natsu cackled evilly. "If you don't want Lucy's ears to bleed, you should trust Erza's judgement."

Gajeel pushed the hand covering his mouth away, sneering. "Wow, such big words for an idiot."

"What did you just say?!"

They ignored him. "What time will we do this thing?" Cana hiccupped, blinking the stars out of her eyes.

Jellal smiled. "Just before midnight. That would be on the 13th of February. By the time midnight strikes and it's Valentine's, I'll propose and you guys play. Is that fine with you guys?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Of course it is."

"We're going to be the one to dress Lucy-chan like always."

"Hey, hey, don't forget to zip your mouths you bastards. If any of these plans reach her ears…"

"You will face me," Erza growled, glaring at any of the members who she thought were deemed suspicious.

A small smile stretched Mira's lips. "And me."

"A-Aye…"

Cana snickered loudly and moved to stand on top of a table. "Bets are now open!"

"20,000 Jewels say that this will all go wrong!"

"25,000 Jewels say that this plan will be a success!"

"30,000 Jewels on Natsu ruining it halfway!"

"What the hell?"

"50,000 that Erza will be there to see it!"

"100,000 that Natsu will end up in the infirmary!"

"Why the hell are the bets all about me?!"

"120,000 Jewels that Lucy will say yes!"

"HEY! THAT'S NOT FAIR!"

"Okay, okay, 120,000 Jewels that Lucy will kiss him before saying yes."

"Nu-uh, 130,000 that Jellal will kiss her first!"

"150,000 Jewels that they will both kiss each other at the same time!"

"160,000 says that they won't kiss each other at all. Just stare with love."

"200,000 Jewels that Lu-chan will cry!"

"Levy?! You're participating too?"

Cana laughed wildly, clapping her hands in excitement. "I don't even know what the bets are all about anymore but who cares? I'm going to be rich!"

Jellal rubbed the back of his neck, shuddering. "I'll have to make sure I do none of the things they are betting on."

Gajeel cackled and slapped him on the back. "That's impossible! This is Fairy Tail, you can't escape us!"

"Agreed!" the whole guild cheered, laughing.

"Oi, Squinty Eyes, stupid says what!"

"What?!"

"I can't believe you fell for that!"

"What the hell are you laughing at? What's so funny?"

"Your face!"

"Ice Princess!"

"Scaly Dufus!"

"Hey! That's new—what the hell?! I'm not scaly, you exhibitionist!"

"Yes, you are scaly, Flame Breath!"

"Are you asking for a fight?!"

"I only fight strong people, not weak pink-haired idiots like you!"

"It's SALMON!"

"Ah, your hair's a fish."

"That's it! You're going down!" Natsu roared, his fists flaming.

"Bring it on, pinky!" Gray said with a grin, moving his hands in position.

"As usual, they started a fight and everyone joined in. Erza even managed to beat them all because someone spilled her cake, which I admit I never did in fear of the consequences," Jellal said, shrugging. The memories were spilling out now, slowly and surely. He really wished Lucy was here. "We stayed up until morning."

"Did you drink?"

"What? No. I was the only one sober when the sun rose. Well, aside from Wendy and a few other people. Everyone else passed out."

Kaiya giggled, snuggling into Gerald who said, "That's Fairy Tail for you."

"Agreed," Jude said, smiling at the sight of his siblings. He was glad that Gerald was slowly starting to open up. It was a small change, but it was better than nothing at all.

"What happened next?"

"Well…" the father paused, looking at the ceiling to think. "We tried not to let the surprise slip out. It was hard enough for Natsu who practically kept talking about it, but that part is boring so I won't tell it anymore. But we did succeed. She had no idea what was coming."

"So… what's left is the big day?"

"Yeah," Jellal said, grinning. "That's where I'll start now. So, it was February 13, there were already hearts everywhere and couples were wandering the streets. We were among the crowd, talking. The girls at the guild really did prep her. She was… amazing."

"Why are you so quiet?" Lucy asked, raising a brow.

Jellal flushed and covered his face with a hand, smiling discreetly. "Sorry. I was just… I…" he licked his lips nervously and dropped his hand, beaming at her. "You look beautiful."

She blinked then lowered her gaze to the ground, a lovely shade of pink dusting her cheeks. She bit her lip and blew her bangs out of her eyes. A long time ago, she would have wanted to dress up nicely for any kind of date because she rarely had dates. But when Mira asked her if she wanted to get ready, she suddenly wanted to just dress in anything comfortable, in any style, because she was going with Jellal, and Jellal was someone who appreciated her either way.

But in the end, they managed to convince her and here she was now, her hair in waves down her back and her lips glossed pink. She opted for a light blue dress with a modest neckline that ended just above her knees and silver flats, just because she didn't want to walk around in heels. She rejected the offer of eye shadow and mascara so her eyes were bare. She liked them better that way.

Releasing a shaky breath, she dared herself to look back into his eyes and she did. "T-Thank you," she stuttered, smiling weakly.

He beamed and nodded, moving to tangle her fingers with his. "I don't suppose you mind going somewhere else for dinner this time," he said, a little bit nervous. The case in his pocket felt heavy. He knew it was demanding for attention. It wanted to be revealed, but he wasn't ready for that yet.

"I don't mind," she told him, starting to walk in step with the other couples. "As long as I'm with you, it doesn't matter where it is."

"Even when it's in a dark, dirty and scary alley?"

She laughed. "Even when it's in a dark, dirty and scary alley."

He grinned and brought their clasped hands to his lips, kissing the top of her knuckles softly. He chuckled. "Promise me you won't cry or scream later."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Why would I cry?"

"Just promise me."

She went silent and her gaze turned distant. It was obvious that she was deep in thought. He sighed and squeezed her hand. "Lucy, do you trust me?"

Her reply was quick. "Yes."

"Then trust my word that I will do nothing to hurt you and promise me that you won't scream or cry later," he breathed, close to hyperventilating. He was really anxious. It was only a few hours before midnight and he didn't even know if the plan would go well. However, the show must go on.

It took several seconds before she finally gave in, closing her eyes and nodding. "I promise I won't scream or cry later," she assured. Her eyes fluttered open and she melted at the sight of his relieved smile.

"Good. Now, shall we?"

She giggled and began to swing their linked hands back and forth. "Let's go."

The walk around Magnolia was nerve-wracking. He was silently praying for the plan to succeed. And at the same time, he was hoping that Lucy hadn't noticed his anxiousness. His palms were sweaty and he felt bad that she had to keep holding his hand, but if he let go, she might feel hurt so he decided to disregard his sweaty palms and tried his best to get his mind off the big moment for the meantime.

But the guild members of Fairy Tail wouldn't stop teasing him. He'd spot them almost everywhere they went, and it only reminded him of the heavy thing in his pocket. He saw Natsu, Gray and Erza sitting outside a coffee shop with their faces buried inside newspapers. He didn't know if Lucy saw them too, but she should've, since Erza's red hair and Natsu's pink hair stuck out like a sore thumb—or sore thumbs, rather.

Yet she seemed oblivious to the catcalls they were receiving. Gajeel and Levy even spoke to them, asking about where they were going. He knew they were pretending to be innocent, but the glint in the metal dragon slayer's eyes made his insides churn with anxiety. And before they left, they told them, "I hope all goes well later!"

He wanted to murder them, then and there.

"I feel the same way," Layla muttered angrily under her breath. "I swear to god, if I find out that they actually ruined the surprise, I will relive that threat and make it a reality."

Jude chuckled softly. "Relax, dear sister. All will go well. At least I hope so."

"You should listen to Jude more often, Layla," Jellal said, his lips tugging upwards in amusement. The said girl merely huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to say anything else. He chuckled and continued the story.

After two hours of completely walking around town and enjoying the stalls on the streets, he finally directed her to Fairy Hills. She didn't question him about it, so he thought she just didn't know that they were going there. He visualized the greenhouse, with a table for two amidst the colorful plants and the lights they set up the day before. He was hoping with crossed fingers that the dinner was actually prepared well, or else he would go crazy. He didn't want to mess this up after all.

When the view of the hills was apparent and the top of the dormitory was seen, that was when she finally looked at him. Instead of shock, her face screamed of confusion. Lips in a frown, a crease on her forehead, her eyebrows narrowed—he was already trying his hardest not to combust at this moment.

He pushed away his unease and smiled. "Is something wrong?"

Her frown deepened. "Why are we going to Fairy Hills?"

"Is there something wrong with going to Fairy Hills?" he asked nonchalantly, raising a brow.

"No, but…" she paused, beginning to nibble on her lower lip. "Men aren't allowed in there… right? Or did you not know?"

He chuckled. "I know."

"Then why…?"

"Lucy," he called, his voice firm. She looked at him directly in the eye and he smiled. "Do you trust me?"

"Yeah."

"Then let's go," he said, his voice laced with mirth. "I know what I'm doing."

She sighed and squeezed his hand. "Okay."

Together, they began to walk up the hill. No words were said while they headed to Fairy Hills, but there was no discomfort or unease between them. The night was cold and it was a full moon out. There were no clouds blocking the magnificent sky, and he was glad for that. He knew that if the stars were covered, he would've moved the proposal to another day. It seemed that the heavens were with him this time.

When they reached the top of the hill, they did not walk to the entrance of the dormitory. They headed to the back of the building instead where there was a pathway leading to the greenhouse. At this point, the greenhouse could not be seen. But a few more steps and she would be able to see it so he guided her there, slowly and surely.

"Where are we going?" she whispered, knowing that it was better to lower her voice than to raise it. She didn't want to ruin the moment.

"You'll see," he told her, grinning at her annoyance. "Be patient, love."

She pouted. "Fine, fine."

He laughed and changed the position of their hands. He held her hand with the other and used the now-free-hand to cover her eyes. He felt her freeze up. "O-Oi, Jellal! What are you doing?"

"It wouldn't be a surprise anymore if you saw what it was already," he informed her, rolling his eyes. "Don't worry, I won't let you trip or fall. I'll be here right next to you."

"I know that," she muttered. "I just… don't like the feeling of not knowing where I'm going."

He sighed. "I'm not taking you to a place I know you'd hate, Lucy."

"I know that too." She sucked in a deep breath. "And I also know that I will love this surprise so let's go."

He felt her gripping his hand tighter and he smiled. "That's my girl," he whispered in her ear, making her shudder.

He started guiding her to the greenhouse. It was a tough task. She was scared because she didn't know where they were going and he was nervous for the big moment to finally arrive. He knew he wouldn't be able to sit still while they ate dinner so he didn't know how he was going to survive the night. It made him sweat buckets.

When he stopped just in front of their destination, his heart began to race. His unease, however, went away at the sight of the clothed table in the middle of the place and the floating lights illuminating the inside. He even felt a weird sense of relief to see the other members of Fairy Tail hidden behind the plants, eagerly waiting for midnight to come. He admitted that even he himself couldn't wait any longer. But alas, he had to have patience or else the plan would go all wrong.

He released a shaky breath. "We're here."

When he uncovered her eyes, he wasn't expecting for her to feel anything major. He knew she would be happy, but other than that, he didn't know how she would react. He didn't know that she was going to cry.

"H-Hey, why are you crying?" he asked her, wiping away the tears caressing her cheek.

Her lips were trembling when she smiled. "I-I'm just so happy," she told him, choking through a laugh. "I was not expecting something as grand as this."

He cocked his head to the side. "You call this grand?"

She nodded hastily. "I think this is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done to me," she confessed, grinning shyly. "But I've only ever had two boyfriends and Natsu was my first so I don't really know."

He bit his lip. "You promise I'll be your last?"

"You seem to be asking me to promise you a lot of things."

"Lucy…"

She giggled and flicked his forehead. "Silly Jellal, of course you'll be my last."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god." He regained his composure and hooked their arms together. "I bet you're starving. Come, let's have dinner."

She licked her lips. "You read my mind."

"FATHER! FATHER!" the twins exclaimed, both looking very excited. "Can you please skip the dinner scene and just proceed to the actual thing?!"

Jellal rolled his eyes. "Aren't you very impatient?"

"Please, father?" Kaiya asked, pouting. "I want to skip to the proposal."

"Besides, is there actually anything important you have to share us at the dinner scene?" Layla asked, a fine brow raised in question. "Well?"

The father could only sigh. "No, but…"

"We know you two are mushy and stuff so please?"

He pushed his bottom lip out dramatically. "Fine."

When they were finished eating, Lucy helped Jellal with setting the tables aside and they placed a cloth on the floor where they now lay. They stared at the glass ceiling, their fingers linked between their bodies and their heads leaned against each other.

She inhaled deeply and exhaled, smiling. "Ne, Jellal."

"Hm?"

"Do you think… we'll grow up and marry each other?" she asked out of the blue.

He froze, his heart suddenly accelerating. All the warning bells rang in his head and he swallowed hard. "Of course we'll get married someday," he whispered, closing his eyes and imagining the future. "We'll have children… and we'll have our own house."

She sounded happy. "And we won't ever stop being mages?"

"Of course."

"You'll join Fairy Tail?"

He chuckled. "If that's what you want."

"You won't ever leave me?"

"I would never dream of it."

She held her breath. "Will you… continue to love me?"

He turned his head towards her and opened his eyes. "Until the end of time."

She was so close to tears that she didn't even want to say anything in fear of actually releasing them. He smiled. "Hey… do you know what time it is?"

She blinked her teary eyes. "I-I think it's only a few minutes before midnight."

"How few?"

"Three?"

"Then look back up at the ceiling for me," he whispered. She nodded and did as she was told. He watched the way her eyelashes touched her cheek whenever she blinked. And he liked the fact that she was still close to tears. It made him want to hug her forever.

After a minute or so, she spoke again. "Jellal." She sounded curious. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

He couldn't stop himself from laughing. "Just wait."

"Okay."

"I-I'm crying…"

"Hush!"

"Lucy." He liked saying her name. It reminded him of his purpose in life. "Can you count down from ten with me?"

She nodded and together they started to countdown. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven.

"This is it!"

"Shut up!"

Six. Five. Four.

He could already hear the glass creaking.

Three. Two.

He could feel his heart beating faster.

"One."

The glass ceiling folded quickly sideward and she suddenly forgot how to breathe. All she could see was the midnight sky dotted beautifully with stars and all he could see was the tears in her eyes finally falling. He felt a smile working its way to his face.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Lucy. Do you like it?"

She sniffed. "Oh Jellal, I love it."

"I'm glad."

She wiped her wet cheeks with her forearm and faced him, her lips quivering. "This is amazing," she breathed out. "Thank you."

He finally found the confidence to grin. "I'm not done yet."

She blinked. "W-What?"

He pushed himself off the ground and stood before offering his hand to her. She accepted it and he pulled her to her feet. On cue, the instruments started playing. Starting with a piano, then a violin, then a harp—it was beautiful.

She looked around. "W-Where is the music—?"

Jellal placed a finger on her lips. "Let's just pretend that no one else is here, okay?"

"O-Okay…"

He sucked in a deep breath and was about to speak when a voice suddenly shouted, "Get on with it already!"

"Shut up, idiot!"

"I-I'm s-s-sorry!"

Once again, Lucy eyes darted around in search for the people. He sighed and grabbed both of her hands, pulling her closer until their faces were merely inches apart.

"Lucy… a long time ago I would have never imagined a life with you," he mumbled, the past few years suddenly flashing through his mind like pages flipping by. "You were the best friend of my girlfriend but I barely knew you, and so all I thought about was spending my life with her."

She pressed her lips together, holding his gaze. "When I got to know you better, I knew there was a shift in my world. You were something extraordinary and I began to fall deep. I crashed and fell because you were a black hole that seemed to keep sucking me in. I couldn't find a way out. But I'm thankful for that." He licked his lips nervously. "Now I can't imagine a life without you—No, I don't even want to imagine that. It sounds like a tragedy I would never want to go through."

"Don't worry," she cut in, giggling. "I won't ever leave you."

He smiled. "I know. But I want to make it official too."

Her eyes widened and before she could say anything else, he got down on one knee and brought out a flat case from his pocket. She looked at it with excitement and anxiety. It didn't look like it could hold a ring.

He grinned and opened it. The ring, which was a gorgeous silver band engraved with the signs of the Zodiac, twisted as soon as the case flapped open. Suddenly it was facing her, the star-shaped diamond glinting under the moonlight. Words left her and all she could think about was that it was finally happening.

He smiled softly. "Marry me?"

She broke down, her tears falling endlessly. She sobbed and covered her face with her hands, trying to wipe the salty liquid away. But she couldn't stop crying and she couldn't even mutter a syllable without hiccupping.

"Hey… Lucy."

She didn't say anything. She just kept crying.

"Say something already!" Natsu roared.

"That's it!" There was a loud bang.

"Poor Natsu…"

"Shh!"

She sniffed and nodded violently, ignoring the interruption. "Y-Yes, I'll marry you," she stammered, smiling through her tears. She fell to her knees and he caught her in his arms. He squeezed her tightly.

"Thank god," he whispered, closing his eyes. "I can finally breathe easier."

"Did you r-really think I would s-say n-n-no?"

He chuckled. "It's a natural fear."

"W-Well, I'd never say no," she told him, pulling back and staring into his eyes. "I love you, Jellal."

He grinned sheepishly. "I love you too."

She giggled in excitement. "Now, put it on my finger."

He rolled his eyes and took her hand, bringing it up to his face. He placed another soft kiss on top of her knuckles and slid the silver band onto her ring finger. With their fingers linked together, they stood up and was suddenly congratulated by Fairy Tail.

"Man that was great!"

"A m-man does not cry!"

"Congratulations on your engagement, Lucy, Jellal!"

"That was absolutely moving!"

"I think I cried…"

"We wish you a happy life!"

"May the gods always be with you."

"Jellal, you're the man!"

"No one won the bet!"

"Damn it! Levy won the bet about Lucy crying!"

"Wait, there's the bet about Natsu!"

"Oh yeah—hey! I won that bet!"

As they began to thank each and every one of them, all they could think about was the future and the family they would be having together. And at that moment, they were content. Everything was finally falling into place.

"And that is how I proposed to your mother," Jellal said, ending the story with a dramatic gesture of his arm. He looked at his children and was surprised to find some of them crying. He smiled. "What's wrong?"

Layla blew her nose with a white cloth. "T-That was amazing… Mother's so lucky to have you."

"Y-Yeah," Reina agreed, hugging Meiko. "You two were so… in love."

"We still are," Jellal admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I guess you never get out of it. You'll keep falling until you reach the end. Sometimes I think there will be no end."

"I hope so," Jude said, grinning through his tears. "I can't believe I cried."

"I can't believe I'm crying either," Gerald said, furiously wiping at his cheeks. "But that was moving."

"A-Aye," Kaiya said, sniffing.

"This is s-so not cool!" Meiko exclaimed, burying his face in his twin's neck. He was bawling. "So not cool!"

Jellal huffed, smiling crookedly. "Stop being so dramatic guys. It's over now."

"Easy for you to say!"

He laughed and propped his elbow on the armrest, leaning his cheek on the palm of his hand. "How about we go and pick up your mother at the train station?"

"We can?!"

"Well, I'm not sure she's arrived yet but…"

"It's okay," Layla said, wiping the remnants of her tears. "We'll go."

Jellal raised a brow. "Are you guys sure? It'll be late soon."

Jude began to stand up. "It doesn't matter. We'll do anything for mother."

"And father," Kaiya added, giggling. "Don't forget father."

"Of course," the oldest of the six said, smiling while shaking his head. He helped Layla stand up and they grinned.

The father raked his fingers through his hair and stood up, stretching his arms above his head. When he was done, he grinned. "Are you guys ready to go then?"

"Of course we are!"

He laughed and grabbed the house keys from the coffee table, heading out. He paused and looked over his shoulder, staring at his children. They were all so grown up now. Long gone were the babies who cried every time they needed a change of diapers—it made him feel very old and nostalgic.

He cleared his throat and smiled lovingly at them, his heart filled with warmth. "Then let's go."

A/N: After almost two weeks, I finally finished this chapter. Last night, I wanted to write so much but I wasn't able to. I wanted to write so badly that I told my muse to snap out of it and guess what? It actually worked. After meditating for a minute or so and asking myself why I wasn't writing, I gained the motivation to write. And so from 6,000 words I reached 9,000 words and I finished it.

This chapter is a special that I intended to write for Valentine's Day but as you can see, I am one and a half weeks late. I apologize. So many things happened and I kept leaving home so I never had the time to write and when I wanted to, like I said, I couldn't. But I managed to do the impossible last night. Anyways, the special sort of starts right after Jellal finishes the hard part so it seems just like the continuation when in fact the supposed continuation is when Lucy actually comes back home and tells her part of the story. That will be The Love Story Part 4, which is the next chapter. I haven't written it yet but I will.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this special and I hope you guys look forward to the next chapter :) If you liked it, if you found any mistakes and would like to tell me, if you have any questions about how to gain motivation or whatever you'd like to tell me, then review down below!

Oh, and by the way, I've recently been posting drabbles and whatnot on my Tumblr so if you want to check them out (They're GraLu) the link is on my profile :D

"She did not need much, wanted very little. A kind word, sincerity, fresh air, clean water, a garden, kisses, books to read, sheltering arms, a cozy bed, and to love and be loved in return." S. N. B.

Byee! -Anne :D

- Please support/read my other stories: Celebrity Issues, The Devil and the Assassin, Fragile, Life's Challenges, Forgotten Memories, Queen of Stars, A Love That Lasts Forever and Going Against The Current.