AN: The consequences of Silver's arrival.

#

The moment Gray turned around to face her, Juvia saw him and she had never seen him so afraid, not even when he had rescued her from the river she fell in.

"Do you see him?" Gray asked in a terrified whisper, his eyes were wide and he had gone so pale Juvia put a hand on his cheek, worried. "Do you see him?" He asked again.

"Yes, of course I see him." Juvia told him quietly and he nodded. "What is going on? Who is he?" Juvia must've heard it wrong, that could not be Gray's father. The Duke blinked a few times before shaking his head.

"He was supposed to be dead." Gray whispered and Juvia frowned, heart beating faster.

"Gray!" They heard from a few feet away and the Duke turned back to look at the man who was being held by two guards. "I need to talk to you."

"No, no, no." Gray said to himself and then back at the unknown man. "I don't know what is happening, but it can't be good, not after all these years." Juvia saw the man's face contort in pain with the words.

"Gray, please. I'm sorry I left you, but I-" Juvia came out from behind Gray to take a better look at the older man and the moment their eyes met, he stopped talking to look at her and all Juvia could see there was pain. His dark eyes – eyes that reminded her of her husband's – roamed over her figure until it settled on her swollen stomach and his expression became softer. Juvia frowned and opened her mouth to speak to him when her husband put himself in front of her, hiding her from view.

"Don't even look at her." Gray snarled and when he turned to look at Juvia, he was shaking, in fear or in anger she didn't know. "We need to go." Gray told her.

"Juvia has to go to the-" She tried, but her husband cut her off, putting an arm around her shoulders and pushing her towards the castle.

"Juvia, we are going home." Gray's tone was hard and left no room for questions.

"Gray-sama, you are scaring me." Juvia told him, a hand over her stomach and fear making her heart beat faster. Gajeel, who always accompanied Juvia wherever she went, was just a few feet behind them, his jaw set and his hand on the sword he had on his belt and she never felt even more afraid than having the two men in her life looking like that.

He looked at her and his expression turned a bit relaxed; she was probably looking even more scared than he was. Gray nodded and put his hand on top of hers over her stomach. "I know and I'm sorry. I'll have you safe at home in-"

"Gray! Look at me. Please, son."

The Duke stopped and his whole body tensed. Juvia looked up and saw his face harden and the grip on her shoulder tightened almost painfully. Gray let go of her and looked over his shoulder. "Gajeel. Stay with Juvia."

"Sure." The tall man stepped closer to Juvia and without even a glance at his wife, Gray turned around and walked to where the older man was, still being held by two guards. Juvia took a step in his direction, but Gajeel put a hand in front of her, holding her in place. "Don't even think about it."

Gray took a few steps and stopped just in front of them. The older man tried to speak. "Son, let me explain, I-"

"Don't call me that! And you are not going to explain anything because my father died years ago. I don't know how you're here or why, but you'll leave me and my family alone."

"I will leave you alone if it's what you want." He answered after a few moments and lowered his head. "But I won't leave town. I'm staying at the River Kraken Inn if you want to-"

Gray got closer to him, their breaths mingling with one another, and he hissed: "You are going to leave as soon as you can, do you hear me? The next time I see you, I'll kill you myself." He looked at the guards holding him. "You can let him go once we're far enough."

The Duke walked purposely towards his wife and her guard, ignoring the people who stopped to see what was happening. Juvia couldn't believe her ears. Was that man really...?

Gray stopped in front of her and Gajeel stepped aside to let him through. Gray grabbed her by the hand and they started to walk again towards the castle. "We are going."

"Gray-sama, was that who I think it is?" Juvia asked, surprised.

"Yes." His jaw was set. "I don't know how, but it's him."

Juvia looked over her shoulder and saw Gray's father staring at them as they left, his expression of sadness and it broke her heart. "Shouldn't you talk to-"

"No." Gray cut her off. "We need to get back to the castle. I don't know what he's doing here but I am not taking any chances with you or our child."

"Gray-sama." Juvia stopped, he was walking way too fast for her waddling.

"We'll talk when we're home." Gray pulled her gently and Juvia took a few steps before she stopped once again. "Juvia, come on."

"Look at me." The blunette asked and Gray tried to pull her away but she didn't let him. "Gray-sama, talk to me."

The Duke finally looked at her and Juvia could see he was more afraid than angry. Gray let go of her hand just to step close to her, both his hands cupping her face. "Juvia, please. I don't know what is happening and I need you back at the castle where I know you are safe. Please." Juvia took in his expression, the way his hands were trembling, how pale he was and his fast breathing. "We'll talk there, but we need to leave now."

Juvia nodded and Gray released a breath in relief. "Okay, but we need to go slower; I really can't walk any faster at the moment."

"Yes, yes. I'm sorry." Gray kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry. We'll go slower, alright? But we need to move."

#

After yelling he needed to talk to his advisors as fast as possible, Gray pulled Juvia to his office and closed the door behind them. He took her towards the chair in front of the fireplace and made her sit down. He kneeled in front of her, looking at every inch of her.

"Are you alright?" Gray asked.

"Of course Juvia's alright, Gray-sama." She put her hands on his shoulders and he let out a long breath. "But you are not. Talk to me."

Gray looked up to her, his eyes wide. "I... I don't know what is happening, Juvia." He whispered. "My dad was dead. The bandits killed him alongside with my mother, but I recognized his face today, and his voice." His voice shook. "I don't know how..."

"Did you see his body?" Juvia asked him, gently. "What do you remember?"

"I..." Gray seemed to think for a moment. "No, I didn't see his body. I... I remember yelling, my mother screaming and then something hit me, the house was burning. I woke up here in the castle." If it was possible, his eyes became even larger. "I never saw it. Neither of them. I believed what people told me."

"Do you think your mother might be...?"

He shook his head. "No. She wouldn't leave me and by the way my fa-" he caught himself before he slipped the word "he looked, there is no way she is alive as well."

Juvia hummed in agreement and stood up from the chair; Gray got up from the floor to help her, a hand on her lower back and grabbed one of hers with his other.

"We need answers." She told him. "You need answers and you won't get them from your counselors, not if they have been lying to you all these years. We need to talk to him."

Gray frowned. "We?" He shook his head. "Oh, hell no. I am not going anywhere near him and neither will you. Especially you. I saw the way he looked at you; your stomach got his attention and I am not letting you out of this castle until this is handled."

Juvia raised her eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"If you think that you are leaving here for the foreseeable future, you are very much mistaken." Gray informed her. "I need you safe in here. I almost lost you twice and I am really not looking forward to a third."

"You can't keep me here. I also saw him look at me and he just looked... sad." Juvia told her husband. "During the time you were talking, he just looked pained to see you after so long. He really seem to just want to talk to you."

"Well, I am not going to talk to him." Gray snapped at her. "And neither are you or anyone else I care about."

"Gray-sama, I know you are hurting right now, but-" Juvia was cut by a loud knock on the door and pushed it open. Gray's counselors entered the room and bowed once they saw her, muttering her title in respect.

"We were told you wanted to speak with us, Sir." One of them, Junes, said and Gray nodded.

"Yes." Gray turned his attention back to Juvia, putting a hand on her cheek. "Go rest for a while, put your feet up and don't worry. I'll figure things out."

"If you could just-" Juvia tried, but Gray kissed her to shut her up.

"Go. It will be fine." He told her. "I'll come and find you when I know something."

With a sigh, Juvia just nodded and walked out of the room, the door closing behind her. Gajeel was leaning on the wall across of her, arms crossed over his chest and waiting for her.

Juvia started to walk toward the great hall, Gajeel a few steps behind her without mutter a word. The moment they were alone in the hall, Juvia huffed in annoyance.

"'Go rest, Juvia.'" She mocked Gray's voice. "'Put your feet up, Juvia.' 'I don't need your help'." Gajeel raised an eyebrow at her and Juvia narrowed her eyes in his direction. "What? Do you think I need to go lie down and out my feet up as well?"

"I think that you are heavily pregnant and your husband is trying to protect you." Gajeel shrugged.

"Oh, shut up. Not you too." Juvia groaned. "If he could just hear me and go talk to his father... You saw him, Gajeel-kun." Juvia asked her friend. "He was sad. By the way he looked, he didn't even seem to find us on purpose; he just wanted a few words with his son."

"I think it's Gray's choice to make." Gajeel told her. "And I think that yes, you should go rest. Your face is red and that cannot be good, especially with the pregnancy thing."

"Argh, no one listens to me! The key is communication and my husband seems to forget that." Juvia groaned and put a hand over her stomach when the baby started to kick her a little too hard with all the excitement. "Shh... it's alright." She whispered to herself, caressing the bump and taking deep breaths to calm herself. "I'm calming down now."

"What is happening?" Gajeel took two steps and stood next to her, clearly worried. "Do I need to get anyone?"

"It's fine." Juvia pulled one of the chairs and sat down slowly with Gajeel by her side. "The baby gets fussy when I get too worked up."

Gajeel frowned. "Is this normal?"

"I guess." Juvia shrugged.

"We need to change the subject, then." He looked nervous and Juvia rolled her eyes – Gajeel always looked uncomfortable when the topic was her pregnancy, apparently he was terrified of babies. "Stop getting nervous about shit."

"Yes, because it's that easy." Juvia snorted and after a few moments, the baby finally calmed down. "It's over for now."

"Good, good." Visibly relaxing, Gajeel took a step back from her. "Stop thinking shit and calm down."

"I'll try." The Duchess nodded and eyed her friend carefully; he was different, she couldn't pinpoint exactly what, but he seemed less worries since they moved to Winter. "What is happening with you?"

Gajeel frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You are different." She narrowed her blue eyes.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." He shrugged but she saw right through him.

"Tell me or I'll get worked up again trying to figure it out." Gajeel looked away. "Is it about your job?"" Gajeel didn't react. "Or someone?" He looked at her quickly by the corner of his eyes and she knew she was on the right track. "You did! Is it a girl?" He groaned in annoyance and Juvia beamed. "It is! Tell me!"

"Can't you let this go?" Gajeel muttered and his cheeks got redder.

"Oh, no. You wanted to speak about something else, let's speak about something else!"

Gajeel looked at her for a few seconds, assessing her and he sighed in defeat. "Alright, remember that girl, Levy?" Juvia nodded. "Well, I am taking her to the festival next week."

Juvia squealed in happiness and for a few minutes, there were only her and her friend to worry about.

#

"They said my grandfather never told them about how I ended up here." Gray told his wife when they were getting ready to go to bed. "He told them the same thing he told me: both my parents had died and I was his grandchild." He stepped behind her and helped her take her robe off.

"That is strange." Juvia said and she sat on the bed. "Why would he do that? He must've known your father was alive."

"And he didn't tell me." Gray's tone was bitter, but he arranged the pillows to her liking before watch her lie down and put the blanket over her. "I don't know why, nothing makes sense." He walked around the bed to his side and got underneath the covers next to her. "And why would my fa- why wouldn't he seek me out? Everyone knows my history, about where I come from." He pulled her close to him, her big stomach between them and, just as he liked to do when upset, Gray put a hand over it.

"You know what you need to do." Juvia told him, her head was over his chest, hearing his heartbeat and it started to beat faster with her words. "He said he's not leaving until he talks to you."

"No." He gritted his teeth. "I told him I wouldn't go to him and I won't. I don't know what he wants, but it can't be good."

The Duchess sighed. "I really must insist you-"

"Juvia, please." His tone was harsh. "I'm done talking about this. I just need to sleep right now and you need it as well."

After a moment, Juvia nodded. "Alright. I'll drop it off for now."

"Thank you." He kissed the top of her head. "Try to sleep, your due date is getting close." Juvia couldn't help it but to smile at that bit of information. "I want to make sure you don't have any complications, not if I can help it."

"I'm going to be fine." She looked up at him. "Both of us will be fine."

"I know." Gray caressed her back and kissed her lips lightly. "Good night."

"Good night." She whispered and saw him close her eyes. He was still so tense even when he tried to sleep that Juvia couldn't help but to start to plan on how to make him go talk to his father.

But first, she had to make sure his father wasn't there to hurt her husband in any way. She needed to talk to him face to face, even knowing Gray would most likely be very angry at her.

#

"This is the shittiest idea you've ever had, just so you know." Gajeel said while he was sitting next to her at the River Kraken small tavern. "Your husband will kill me once he realizes we left the castle. And you know what, I'll let them because I should've kept you there in the first place."

"And you know I would've found a way out either way." She shrugged and took another bite of the lemon cake she had ordered to the innkeeper – the robust red haired woman seemed delighted to have the Duchess at her inn and even more so when Juvia liked her cake so much she ordered another piece. "What would've you done? Tackle an eight months pregnant woman to the floor? Chain me to the wall?"

"Chaining you up seems like a really good option." He hissed and she shrugged. "I don't know why you are so confident; he'll be even more pissed off with you than you know. You are putting his kid at risk too."

By instinct, Juvia put a hand over her stomach. "Juvia would never put her baby in danger. Do you really think that if I thought this was dangerous, I would've come here?" She sighed. "I just want to make sure he doesn't want money, or to do something to hurt Gray-sama even more than he already has."

Gajeel looked past her, towards the door and lifted his chin that way. "I guess we're about to find it out." Juvia looked over her shoulder and saw the innkeeper talking with Gray's father and point in their direction. Silver, Juvia knew it was his name, looked at them and was clearly surprised to see her there. "Last chance to go back at the castle without people notice we're gone."

"I don't think so." Juvia straightened her back the best she could when she saw Silver approach their table with hesitance. He stopped in front of the table, eyeing her carefully and she did the same to him. He looked so much like her husband would in the future, the resemblance was uncanny and she wondered if her own child would inherit the dark hair and eyes, the shape of their chin.

"Lady Juvia." He bowed his head her direction and nodded towards Gajeel's direction. "I am... surprised to see you here. I thought my son would keep you away from me."

"He tried." Juvia tried to remember every single thing she learned from being the Duchess for a year and tried to approach him with the same coldness she did Gray's counselors. "But I wanted to speak with you." She waved at the remaining chair. "Seat, please." He did what he was told and waited. "I hope you don't mind my friend staying with us for this talk, Mr. Fullbuster."

"Just Silver is fine, I haven't been treated as 'Mr' in a long time, Lady Juvia." He tried to smile. "And the guard doesn't bother me, I think is better if you tell my son you had backup because if he's anything like he was as a kid, he'll be very angry to not have been heard."

"Thank you." She tilted her head his way. "And you can call me Juvia. No matter what happened between you and Gray-sama, you are still my father-in-law."

Silver frowned for a moment. "Oh, that's right. You are my daughter-in-law." He smiled and Juvia's heart ached with the sight, she just sensed he didn't smile much. "That's good." Juvia couldn't help but to smile a little as well. "But let's talk. I have a feeling you'll have to come back to the castle soon."

"Yes." She agreed. Juvia studied him for a few moments and saw the bags under his eyes, the scar on his forehead, his hands were callused and his worn out clothes. But the pain in his eyes was what broke Juvia's heart. He didn't have an easy life. "Are you here to harm us?"

The straight question took him off balance because he blinked a couple of times before his eyes widened in surprise. "What? No." He looked in question in Gajeel's direction, but the guard remained stoic. "Gods, no."

Juvia decided the reaction was real and so was the answer. "Then why are you here?"

Silver looked conflicted about speaking, he looked down to the floor. "I left because-"

"No." Juvia raised a hand and cut him off. The older man frowned when he looked up to her, clearly confused about her reaction. "I didn't ask that. I don't want to know why you left. That story you need to tell to your son first and if he wants to share it with me, he will. That is between you two and only you can resolve." Juvia told him. "But you are here right now and this is between us." She told him with confidence. "I want you to know why you are here now."

By the way he was looking at her, it was as if he was seeing her for the first time and Juvia could swear she saw respect in his expression. "I am tired of running." His shoulders dropped. "I've been working on ships ever since I left, passing crews, never really getting attached to any of them, just trying to find somewhere to sleep and get enough money to eat. Some days I didn't even have that, but I had accepted my fate." He took a breath. "Last month the ship I travelled in, sank."

Juvia tried to remain impartial, but she was sure her surprise showed in her expression, but if Silver noticed, he didn't show, just kept talking. "I thought I was going to die, I thought I would drown, going to die and go to the afterlife to see my wife. All I've ever wanted was to see her again." He stopped for a moment. "I was drowning, I had given up but then... I saw my wife, right there in the water with me."

Even Gajeel raised an eyebrow at that. "Yes, I know it's unbelievable but it's what I saw and I heard her speaking inside my mind about how my life wasn't done yet. That I had another mission here, that I had to survive and find our son. She told me he would need me." Silver sighed. "The next thing I know I am swimming and hanging on debris from the ship. I got rescued a day later alongside with two crewmates." He passed a hand through his hair, just like Gray did when nervous. "I've been here for weeks, I've seen you at the shelter, I've watched you and my son when he walked you there."

"Meeting us was not in your plans." Juvia said and Silver nodded.

"I thought about it but I was afraid he'd be angry with me." He offered her a sad smile. "And I was right."

"You have to understand how much of a shock this is." The Duchess told him.

Silver nodded. "Of course. I know he doesn't understand what is happening, but I'm not leaving. I'm staying here even if he tries to kick me out." He looked into her eyes. "I know I screwed up, I know that and I am not expecting for us to be a happy family, I'm not even asking for him to listen to me. But he is my son and he'll need me. And I'll be here when that time comes."

"What if it never comes?" Juvia asked.

He shrugged. "I really hope it doesn't. But I am not going anywhere. I'm here to stay."

Juvia rubbed her stomach absentminded while she considered his answers. "Do you understand it will take a lot for him to trust you again, to even talk to you?" Silver nodded. "Alright, Juvia will help you."

"You will?" Silver was clearly surprised.

"Yes." Juvia nodded and then narrowed her eyes. "But I'll let you know that if you even think about hurting him or even do it by accident, I will make you pay." She leaned on the table, her elbows resting on it. "I am not a violent woman and I have absolutely no skills to do this myself, but he" she pointed at Gajeel "is a completely different matter. If I give him the order, he'll see it carried." Juvia didn't even need to look at Gajeel to know he was smiling evilly. "I will protect my husband even if it is from his own father. Juvia is trusting you and you'll only get this chance. I might regret this later and I don't care if I sound naïve, but everyone has the right for a second chance and this is yours. If you mess it up, it's over."

With a nod, Silver agreed. "I was given a second chance in life and now with my son. I won't mess it up even if he refuses to see me."

Juvia hummed in agreement. "I'll try to make him come here. It might take a while, he is stubborn."

"I waited more than ten years to talk to him again; I can wait a few more days." Silver said and then offered her a feeble smile. "And most of his stubbornness comes from my side of the family. Fullbusters are very stubborn. But my wife was also very strong minded, so I guess he's even more stubborn than me."

Juvia smiled. "I hope this child doesn't inherit that particular trait."

"I wouldn't count on that." Silver chuckled and when he glanced at her stomach, his expression softened.

In the spur of the moment and seeing his expression, Juvia decided to give him something to look forward to. "Do you want to feel the baby?" She asked slowly, not knowing if it would scare him away. "It's been active for a few minutes."

Silver shook his head. "I shouldn't; Gray wouldn't want me to."

With a smile, Juvia shrugged. "You are this baby's grandfather and no matter what happens between you and Gray-sama, that will never change." The blunette waited a moment. "But if it makes you uncomfortable of it Juvia is pushing too much..."

"You are not." Silver tried to put her worries at bay. "I... I would..." He cleared his throat. "Yes, I'd like that."

Trying to not do any sudden movements, Juvia reached for his hand and she could feel the calluses, his hand was rough. The Duchess gently placed on the spot the baby was kicking for the past few minutes and surely, a few seconds later she felt the kick and so did Silver by the way his eyes widened.

"Oh." He breathed and the blunette saw his eyes start to water. "I never thought I'd feel anything like that again." Silver used the back of his other hand in an attempt to hide a tear. "I think I forgot how it is to be happy."

And just like that, Juvia's heart broke for him. It should've been hell to lose his wife and then his son, jumping from crew to crew just to be able to have a roof over his head and food to eat.

Juvia wasn't worried anymore, not entirely. She was making the right choice.

They talked for a few more minutes before Gajeel say it was time to go, the people from the castle probably already noticed their Duchess was not there and it would be panic if they didn't arrive soon.

After reassuring Silver she was going to do her best, Juvia asked two more slices of lemon cake to go and her, alongside with her bodyguard, walked as fast as she could to the castle.

Just when they reached the gates, Gajeel stepped closer to her and whispered: "Your husband looks pissed."

The blunette looked up and found Gray coming down from his horse. He look at her with a mix of fear and anger when he walked towards her with quick strides. Instead of being red with anger, his face was oddly pale – like it had been since he met his father.

"Where were you?" He yelled when he was just a few steps away. The moment he was close enough, he had his hands on her arms. "Are you alright?" Gray looked at everywhere to see it she was hurt. "Juvia, are you alright?"

"Yes, of course." Juvia tried to speak; she cleared her throat. "I went to the River Kraken Inn." Of course he recognized the name because in just a second his face lost its paleness and he clearly became angry.

"Do you have any idea the thoughts that went through my mind when I was told you were nowhere to be found?" He asked, his voice still loud. "Especially after I gave you explicit orders to not leave the castle! I was getting ready to search for you. I thought you were kidnapped!"

"I'm sorry." Juvia was truly sorry she worried him, but she had been afraid to tell anyone she was leaving the castle because they would run to the Duke to tell her plan. "We need to talk."

"Oh, yes, we do." Gray said between gritted teeth and Juvia knew he was about to give her a lecture. "Let's get inside. Now." He growled. "You have a lot of explanations to give, Juvia, and I am not in a forgiving mood."