Gray stood in front of the door, his heart beating fast, hands sweating and he honestly didn't know exactly what he was feeling.

When he left the castle earlier that day, all he was going to do was to ride to a nearby village to check on some of the structures that needed to be remade and then ride back home, after all, even three days later, Juvia was still bedridden per doctor's orders and he didn't want to leave her on her own for too long.

Somehow, he ended up in front of his father's room at the River Kraken's Inn.

"You can go home, Gray." Loke, who had accompanied him, told Gray. "You don't have to talk to him if you don't want to."

"I do." Gray said to his friend. "Juvia is right, I need answers and he's the only one who's got them. I don't want to be confused anymore. In a few days I'm going to be a father myself and I can't start that with this heaviness with my own." Loke nodded. "Stand outside, I want to speak with him alone."

"Very well." The orange haired man took a step to the side and watched as Gray finally gathered enough courage to knock on the door.

"One moment." His father's voice from inside the room made Gray's stomach turn with nervousness and he suddenly felt ill. Even though he had days to assimilate his father was alive, the notion still surprised him. A few seconds after the knock, the door was opened and Gray was facing his father. "What is....it?" Silver finally registered who stood in front of him and his eyes widened. "Gray." He breathed.

Trying to be as expressionless as he could, The Duke nodded once. "I need to talk to you." Even as nervous as he was, Gray tried to sound as clear and polite as possible. "Is this a good time?"

Silver blinked two times and finally opened the door wider. "Yes, yes. Of course." The older man stepped aside and Gray walked inside the room. "Is he coming in?" Silver asked about Loke.

"No. You may close the door." The Duke said and after his father nodded and closed the door, Gray looked around the small room; it was very simple, a single bed, a dresser and a table with only one chair, all bare, and a small suitcase by the corner. The bed was impeccably made, but there were some laundry that appeared to be clean and some were folded.

"You are accustomed to greater rooms, I know. I'm sorry for the mess and the simple room, I... that's what I could afford if I were to stay a long time." Silver looked ashamed and Gray could see the lines on his face much clearly, then.

"I know where I come from." Gray raised his chin. "A simple room doesn't bother me."

Silver nodded, his hands behind his back and he was looking to the floor. "Yes." Gray narrowed his eyes but said nothing. "May I ask how is Lady Juvia? I gather you know she came to visit me; I hope you didn't get too angry with her, she came with a guard and we were in public."

Gray felt his throat close for a second and guilt crashed down on him, but Silver didn't seem to know about the altercation between them, he was merely asking out of curiosity.

"She's the reason why I am here." Gray managed to say. "We exchanged words when she returned home and she fainted due stress."

Silver looked up from the floor, his eyes wide and clearly worried. "How is she? And the baby?"

"They are fine." Gray answering, studying his father's expressions. "But the doctor was worried about an earlier delivery, so he put her in bed rest."

The older man breathed in relief. "Good. That's... good. She's a sweet girl, nice."

"She is." Gray agreed and they stayed in silence for a few seconds and Gray couldn't hold his questions any longer. "You know why I am here. You know everything I will ask you, don't you?"

With a tired sigh, Silver nodded. "I do, yes."

"Then tell me." Gray could hear bitterness in his tone. "Tell me why you made me believe you were dead."

Silver closed his eyes for a few seconds, took a deep breath and finally looked in his son's direction. "My parents died when I was twenty, I never had any other family: no grandparents, no uncles, aunts, siblings. But they left me our farm and I knew how to take care of our flock. It wasn't much, but it was what I had and I was grateful." Silver gulped. "When I met your mother, gods, she was such a brat. She didn't know how harsh life would be when she ran away from the Castle. But your mother was strong. She got a job as a barmaid, got herself a room in an inn for girls. Every second I spent with her made me fall in love harder until I just couldn't breathe without her around, she... became my lighthouse. All I needed to be happy.

"To this day I don't know what she saw in me, but we started to develop a relationship and when I asked her to marry me, she said yes and that was the best day of my life. And then she gave me, you. I still remember the strong cry you gave when you were born. I remember being so happy I couldn't even speak when they put you in my arms. We didn't have much, the winters were always rough but we were together. And then, the Deliora Bandits arrived at our village."

Gray's body tensed and so did Silver's. "It was night, we were asleep when we heard the screams coming from the town. I wasn't a fighter, but I was going to protect my family with whatever I had. We got you out of bed and I hid you and your mother inside the cupboard. There was no room for me, but I didn't care. All I needed was you two safe." Silver took a few breaths. "When they arrived at our house, they wanted our supplies, our money. Like I said, we didn't have much, they thought I was lying. They hit me a few times, pulled me out of the house.

"The next thing I know, I am getting beaten up to a pulp and your mother comes from inside, waving an old dusty sword that probably didn't even have a proper edge and takes two of them on before they disarmed her and hit her on the jaw. At that point I was so beaten up I could barely move. Their leader, Deliora, took his dagger and stabbed her. She had hurt his precious ego when she managed to cut him."

Gray was fighting his tears, then. His memories of the night were always foggy and having someone finally tell him what had happened hurt him a lot more than he thought.

"I tried to get to her, I tried to save her, but they held me down. He stabbed her again and the rest of his gang beat me up so much they thought I was dead. They took a torch, threw inside our house and it started a fire. I crawled to be next to her." Silver dried a tear. "She was still alive and all she was muttering was your name, Gray. You were inside and everything was burning; she was dying and the only thing that mattered to her was to keep you safe." It was Gray's turn to dry his tears. "I gathered all my strength and went in, the cupboard's door was jammed but I managed to open it. You were almost without consciousness when I got you and we were almost out, a beam fell out, hit us."

"I think I remember that." Gray said in a low voice. "I woke up at the Castle."

Silver nodded. "When we were finally out, your mother... she was almost gone. She asked me to give you the best life I could, told me how much she loved us and she was gone." Silver let out a sob and needed a few seconds to speak again. "And there I was; beaten to an inch of my life, you were hurt and your mother was dead."

Gray took a deep breath. "How my grandfather enters in this story?"

The older man dried his cheeks before speaking. "There was a makeshift hospital, someone took us there. You were unconscious still, I was half dead and then enters the Duke of Winter himself. He knew where we lived, he knew his daughter got married and had a son. I've only met him one time and that man hated me. He thought I was the only reason why she didn't return home, and that I couldn't take care of her. Turned out he was right." Silver looked up to Gray. "Doesn't matters his faults and how much we disliked each other, he was suffering with her death like I was, like you would be when you woke up. She was his only daughter and if she was my lighthouse, she was the sun to your grandfather.

"You and I were sharing a blanket on the floor and that was the first time he ever saw you, hurt and unconscious. He looks at me and asked me what happened. When I finished my story, he told his guards to go and hunt the bandits down. We never heard of them again, so I know he had them killed and if I had to guess, tortured first." Gray nodded; he didn't doubt at all his grandfather had ordered the killers of his daughter to be assassinated. "He asked me what would be of us and I told him the truth. I had nothing, they had stolen our supplies, our stock, money and I had no family left. I was in a daze, Gray. I had nothing to give you; no food, no clothes, you were hurt and would need care and I... I had nothing.

"Your grandfather, then, proposed to me for you to be brought to the Castle. You would be taken care of and raised as a Lord; you'd want for nothing but his condition was that you were to think I was dead as well." Gray gritted his teeth. "My immediate answer was to tell him to go to hell, that I promised my wife to give you a good life."

"He used her words to get what he wanted." Gray realized.

Silver nodded. "I had nothing to give you and he had all the means possible and his only condition was for you to never learn I was alive. He convinced me. What did I have? What could I have done for you?"

"You could've told him 'no'." Gray said, angry. "What kind of father gives up his child?"

"The kind of father who thought you would be safer and better taken care of if you were with your grandfather." Silver said, also getting angry. "Don't you think I haven't asked myself this a million times? Because I did. I asked if I had made the right choice and-"

"And it wasn't!" Gray yelled. "I didn't need a Castle, a big bed, a title. I needed my father, the man who woke me up early so we could take care of the farm, the man who threw me up in the air and caught me, the man who played snowballs fights with me and tucked me in bed. That's what I needed!"

"Well, I couldn't give you that anymore, Gray." Silver's voice was also raised. "Do you think I am broken now? I was a hundred times worse when I lost everything. You were the only thing I still had, that I hadn't lost and-"

"And then you chose to abandon me-"

"No, I chose to give you a chance!" Silver finally yelled. "Everything I touched seemed to have broken but there was hope for you. It hurt me so much to give you up, it took away my last shred of sanity but I knew you would be fed, clothed and educated. All things I couldn't give you." Silver was breathing hard. "You don't know the length a parent will go for their child. The hurt he'll take."

"And you didn't take that road. You chose the easiest one."

"You will become a father in a few days, Gray. You can come back and judge my decision when you have your child in your arms, nothing to feed it and nowhere to live." Silver's tone was dark. "It's easy to judge me when your wife is safe back in your Castle, when your child will be born in a safe environment and when you'll never have trouble providing for them."

Gray looked away, he didn't want his father to see him break down even more than he already had. "Was it that easy of a decision to leave me? Just because grandfather could take care of me and you couldn't?"

Silver took a few steps towards his son and put his hands on his shoulders. "I had to make a hard choice and I can't come back from that, but don't you dare say it was easy. I loved you more than anything, I thought of you every day and I lost every important milestone while you turned into a man. It was painful, but my only consolation was that you were alive and well."

The Duke shook his head. "I never really fit in, I would've given up everything if you had come back."

"No, no, son." Silver put a hand on the back of Gray's head. "My life was never the same – I was never the same. I never got a home again, I worked hard to gain almost nothing. You were better off at the Castle. You became the Duke, you got married to a lovely woman and there's a child on the way. Don't get lost in the 'what ifs' because there's no come back from that."

"I wish you had stayed." Gray told him. "There were times I needed you more than anyone and I thought you were dead."

"I know. I know." Silver pulled Gray for a hug. "I'm so sorry things went down that way, son. That awful night changed our lives forever. If could change the past... But we can't, no matter how much we want to. I learned that the hard way." Silver sniffled. "Just... let's focus on the future."

Gray finally hugged his father back, his face on the older man's shoulder to hide his tears. "I haven't forgiven you yet." Gray mumbled, stubborn. "There's too much we need to talk about."

"I know, kid." Gray could feel Silver smile as his cheek rested on top of Gray's head. "But just you letting me give you this hug already means much more than you know."

Deciding to not say a word, Gray just cried silently as his father held him for the first time in a decade. Gray didn't know how much he had missed that until he had it again.

His wife was right, he was lucky.

#

Juvia was knitting while seated at the comfortable chair in front of the fireplace. She had to glare at her guards – especially Gajeel – to get out from her bedroom since her husband had told her not to leave there, but her doctor told her she could walk, just not overdo.

She smiled at the little yellow sock she was knitting and her heart beat faster because in just a few days she would be a mother, there would be a new life in the world made by her and her husband.

Feeling her back ache after being in the same position for a while, Juvia got up with difficulty and walked towards the tall window and she could see the village's lights. She sighed, knowing she wouldn't be going there until she and Gray fixed the problem of her assassination attempts and she felt sad; she loved going there.

The Duchess was so lost in thought she failed to notice her husband standing on the door's threshold until he spoke. "Will you ever listen to me?" She looked over her shoulder and smiled his way. "Don't give me that smile, the doctor said you needed to rest."

"He said that, yes. But Juvia is resting, just not in bed. Besides, I was seated until five minutes ago, I need to stretch my legs. I won't do anything to overdo, don't worry." Gray snorted and finally walked her way and she noticed his expression and his puffy eyes. She got worried right away. "Gray-sama?" She put her hands on his cheeks when he was close enough. "What happened?"

Gray stared at her for a moment. "I went to see my dad." Juvia's eyes widened. "I didn't even planned it, I was coming back home and the next thing I know, I am at the inn."

"How did it go?" She asked.

"He told me his reason why he left. I still think there was another way, but he made a point that got stuck in my mind." Gray put a hand on her stomach. "I don't have to worry about having this choice because you are here with me and the baby is fine. I haven't been through what he had been through, so how can I judge him?"

Juvia smiled sadly. "It's going to be a long road until both of you understand each other again, but you gave the first step and that's amazing."

"We'll see how it goes." Gray told her and Juvia nodded. The Duke kissed his wife on the lips and got into his knees, resting his forehead on Juvia's stomach and she caressed his hair. "I'll try to do better than he did." Gray whispered to her stomach. "I promise not to make the same mistakes. I will make some, but hopefully you will forgive me for them." He kissed her belly and the only thing between was the soft fabric of her gown. "I'm waiting to meet you."

"You are making me cry." Juvia was drying her face when Gray got off his knees and he smiled at her.

"Sorry. But that was a talk between the baby and I, what were you doing eavesdropping us?"

Juvia giggled and hit him on the shoulder lightly. "Oh, shush."

Gray's smile widened. "I, uh... I invited my father for dinner tomorrow, if that's okay." Juvia looked surprised. "Yes, yes. I was surprised too, but what you told me about me being lucky to have him back didn't leave my mind and if we are to be alright again, we need to see each other. I am not asking him to move in here, but I figured a dinner is a start."

Juvia's eyes watered again. "I am so proud of you." He blushed and she kissed his lips. "So proud."

"Yeah, well. Seeing you pass out like that in front of me a few days ago and thinking you were going to die really made me more sensitive."

"At least that stupid fainting got some purpose, as annoying as it was."

"Let's not do that again, please."

Juvia shrugged. "It was the baby. It got mad when you were being stubborn with its grandfather."

Gray was very amused. "Oh, so now I answer to the baby."

"Yes." Juvia smiled. "Better get used to it."

"Will do." He agreed. "Now, should I escort you back to bed? You had your adventure for today."

"Very well." The Duchess sighed in resignation and twined her arm with her husband's and rested her head on his shoulder, glad he was learning to give people a chance at redemption.

#

Juvia was excited for dinner, she really enjoyed talking with Silver when she visited him and Gray was willing to at least have his father in his life, they needed to figure out how much, of course. Her husband had told the tale of why his father had left him and by the end of it, she was sobbing so hard Gray was panicking.

She hoped she'd never given that choice; her baby wasn't even born yet and she already loved it so much it hurt. For someone to give that up, only utter despair and hopelessness.

Feeling the baby kick hard, Juvia pushed the thought away to not get upset – the child was kicking her too hard that day it hurt, but she didn't say a word, afraid Gray would reschedule dinner and she wouldn't have it.

After conferencing with the cook and getting the menu right, Juvia went to take a bath to get ready, but the annoying pain she had been pushing away the whole day was getting harder to ignore. The maids helped her put on her beautiful dark blue dress and the moment they looked away, Juvia cringed with the pain and the reason finally became clear.

"Could you call Lucy-san here, please?" She asked a maid and the girl was prompt to help.

After a few minutes, the blonde woman knocked on the door and entered the room, her son in her arms, Ryuu was the cutest baby and Juvia was very fond of him.

"You look beautiful." Lucy told her friend and put Ryuu on the bed and he crawled his way to Juvia and the blunette gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you." Juvia said. "Erm... Lucy-san." The other woman looked at her. "How long it took you to not stand the birth pains anymore?"

"What? Why are you-?" Her eyes widened. "Juvia! Are you-?"

"Shhh." The blunette tried to get up and Lucy helped her. "Maybe I am. Probably. But I don't want to ruin their dinner."

"Don't want to ruin their din- Are you hearing yourself?" Lucy was far then baffled with the Duchess. "If you are in labor, you need to send for the midwife."

"I know." Juvia agreed. "But dinner starts in half an hour, maybe, and when they are finished I'll tell them? They need this."

"And you'll need to push that baby out in a few hours." Lucy picked up her son, who had crawled back in her direction.

"Do you think I can hide it? For a bit?" Juvia asked and Lucy sighed.

"Yes. But not for long. They get really painful at a point and you can't ignore it anymore."

"Alright, I can do this." Juvia tried to convince herself but she remembered the screams she heard when she went to talk to Natsu as he waited for his son to be born and she was suddenly nervous.

"Whoa, you've gone pale, Juvia."

"I'm going to be a mother." Juvia's tone was of surprise and realization. "Today, probably, and I am terrified."

Lucy smiled. "Of course you are. Are you sure you want to go to this dinner?"

"Yes." She nodded. "Juvia can hold on a bit longer."

"I will call the midwife and ask her to wait here; we'll prepare everything for when you think it's time to stop being stubborn and let nature take its course."

"Thank you." She felt the pain again and she tried to hide it but Lucy looked at her knowingly. "It's fine now. It's alright."

"Sure it is."

#

Silver was happy to see her just like she had been to see him. He hugged her and thanked her for be there for Gray. Juvia, of course, wave him off and told him that what family was for. Gray had his arm around her shoulder in a very protective way even though there was nothing, to worry about.

At first, her husband had been incredibly stiffy with conversation, but once Silver started telling embarrassing stories about Gray's childhood, he began to laugh at the memories and each time Juvia's heart doubled sized with the warm sound. She just couldn't cut their time together, not because of manageable pain. They were so focused on the conversation they didn't notice Juvia barely touched her food and the times when she became tense as a contraction hit her.

"...and then comes my wife, covered in mud Gray perfectly clean behind her and she looks so angry at him." Silver laughed. "Oh, son, I thought she was going to kill you."

"Well, the time she tried, I got out of the way and she fell into the mud. I wasn't worried." Gray smiled and then glanced at his wife. He frowned when he noticed her expression and the drops of sweat on her forehead. "Juvia? Are you okay?" His father looked her way and also looked worried.

Juvia let out a long breath and when she looked in their direction, eyes watering. "Sorry."

"What for?" Gray became even more worried.

"Juvia... Juvia thinks she's in labor." Both men had their eyes wide open in shock. "I-I tried to give you time to t-talk and..."

"You are in labor?' Gray got up immediately and went to her side. "Juvia!"

"I know, and I'm sorry." She sobbed. "But you ne-needed this din-diner."

"What I needed was to know you were in pain and giving birth!" Gray was angry at himself for not seeing sooner she was uncomfortable. "We need to call the midwife and the doctor and-"

"Lucy-san called the midwife." Juvia got up from the chair and Gray held her, Silver was by her other side, holding her by the elbow and both men leaded her outside the dining room and towards the stairs.

"Juvia-chan, you really should've told us. I would've understand." Silver's tone was calm, but she felt like a naughty child caught doing something she shouldn't have.

"I'm sorry." She said and they started to walk up the stairs and Gray yelled for someone to get the doctor as well, since the midwife was already waiting. Once they were up, Juvia stopped walking. "Wait, wait" Both men stopped and another wave of pain hit her, that time worse, she gritted her teeth and held on their forearms with all the strength she had in her. After a few seconds, she breathed out. "Alright. Alright. This one was bad."

"Shit." Gray cussed and he looked terrified. "Juvia-?"

"I'm fine." She told him and started to walk again in direction of their bedroom. "I want to lie down."

"Come on." Silver said and kept helping her until Gray told him to get the door of the next room.

Thankfully, the midwife and a nurse were already there and the room seemed to be ready for the birth of the baby. After greeting the two women, Juvia sat down on the bed and Gray kneeled in front of her, he held one of her hands.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me." He told her, stern and Juvia smiled guiltily.

"Sorry." She breathed.

"They will kick me out soon." He kissed her hand. "I don't want to leave you."

"Me neither." Juvia smiled. "But think about the fact that the next time we see each other, we'll have our child with us."

"Yes." Gray's smile was clear nervous. "Just... Promise you'll be alright."

"Of course." She said. "I love you." He looked to her and got up from the floor so he could kiss her lips.

"I love you too." Gray whispered and her eyes watered.

"Now you tell me?" She laughed through the tears. "Couldn't you have found a time when we were alone and I wasn't giving birth?"

"Sorry." He smiled and kissed her again, but stopped when she winced in pain and her hand went to her stomach.

"Lord Gray, I need to ask you to leave." The midwife, an older woman named Hazel, asked gently. "We need to prepare Lady Juvia. I will update you as much as I can."

Gray didn't move until Juvia was no longer in pain for the moment. She breathed hard and tried to smile at him, but he could see that she was just as scared as she was.

"I'll be on the other side of that door" he pointed towards the room's door "until the baby comes, alright? I'm not leaving for a second. Do you understand me? I'll be right there."

"Alright." Juvia nodded, relief was clear in her expression. "And, uh, well. Juvia will be here."

Gray smiled and kissed her again, stalling his leave. "I'll see you in a bit."

"See you in a bit." She answered and waved good-bye to Silver, who hadn't left the room yet and he smiled and waved back at her before following his son out, a hand on his shoulder.

Gray looked over his shoulder to where Juvia was one more time before they left and he closed the door behind him, breathing a few times very quick.

"There you go, son." Silver patted Gray on the back. "You got it together very well."

"She was in so much pain." Gray looked at his father, pale and eyes wide. "She was hurting."

"Yes." Silver agreed. "And it'll be worse before it gets better." Gray nodded and finally controlled his breathing. "Should I... Should I leave? I will if you want me to." Silver asked, uncomfortable.

Gray thought for a moment and after a moment's hesitation, shook his head. "No. If you want to stay, stay. You said you missed a lot, right? Can't let you miss this now that you are back."

Silver looked surprised and Gray could've sworn he saw the older man tear up and blink the tears away. "Well, then. Get ready, son, because these are going to be the longest hours of your life."

#

Gray didn't know what he hated more: Juvia's moans of pain coming from inside the bedroom or the fact that he was useless.

It was almost dawn and the midwife had come outside only three times before, reassuring it was normal for a first delivery to be that long. Lucy was also inside and it made Gray feel better there was at least one friend in there with his wife.

At some point some guards brought chairs for them and Silver and Gray finally sat down and even when Gray told his father he could use one of the rooms to sleep if he wanted, Silver declined saying he wanted to be there for the birth of his grandchild.

The fourth time she came out, was to declare the Duchess was finally ready and it wouldn't take much longer. At that point, Gray started to walk around in circles in front of the bedroom, nervous, praying to the gods for it to be over already so he could see his wife and hold his child.

He stopped walking when he heard a rather loud groan, his heart beating so hard inside his chest and he didn't dare to breathe. Long seconds passed and then the sound of a newborn echoed through the halls of the Castle.

Gray let out a breath he had forgot he was holding at the same time his father clapped him on the back, both of them laughing, Gray didn't even care he was teary eyed when he turned to look at Silver.

"I'm a father." He was feeling so happy Gray felt he could explode.

"Yes, you are." Silver's smile was wide and he brought Gray for a tight hug.

"Holy shit. I'm a father." Gray said once Silver let go of him and he panicked. "Dad, I am a father."

"And from this moment on, everything in your life will be different." Silver told his son. "The moment you see that little person, you'll promise the world. Sometimes you'll fail, but you are going to love it forever, no matter what."

"I- I-"

"It's alright to feel overwhelmed, Gray." The older man told him. "I know your world is a mess right now, but somehow everything will come to place when you look at your child. Trust me."

Gray nodded and they heard the door open. It was Lucy and she was smiling, her eyes tearful, but it was clear they were from happiness. "Come in, Gray. You have someone to meet."

With one last look to his father and after receive a nod from him, Gray stepped inside the bedroom and saw the midwife and nurse step away from the bed and his eyes focused on his wife and the bundle she was holding. Juvia's hair was in a messy plait, she looked pale but the way she looked at the baby in her arms was priceless, even if he couldn't see it properly.

"Juvia." Gray whispered and his wife finally looked away from their child to look at him.

The Duchess' smile widened and even though she was all sweaty, and really needed to sleep, she was radiant, her eyes were sparkling and she didn't even looked as if she remembered the hours of pain she went through.

"Gray-sama." Her voice was hoarse. "Come meet our daughter."

He took in a sharp breath. "Our... daughter?" Gray knew he sounded like an idiot and looked like one too, standing by the end of the bed without moving.

"Yes." Juvia's gaze returned to the bundle, her smile never faltering. "Come see her." Gray took a few steps and sat next to his wife, facing her and Juvia moved a piece of the blanket away and Gray's breath got caught in his throat. "This is your father, love. And he has been waiting to meet you like I did." The baby was still a bit dirty, but Gray fell in love at the first sight. Her hair was black, her eyes were closed but he truly hoped she got the color from her mother, her tiny nose was adorable and she was moving her mouth a bit as she seemed to be trying to get used to being outside. "Here, Gray-sama." Juvia started to pass the newborn into her father's arms and Gray quickly complied, arranging her against his chest and he looked at her mesmerized when she yawned. Juvia chuckled. "She is tired after such work today." Juvia touched her little nose.

"She's-" Gray's voice sounded constricted, but he managed to speak. "She's perfect." He looked at her little hand and started to count her fingers. "She's absolutely perfect." His eyes watered a bit and he blinked them away before looking at his wife. "Thank you, Juvia."

The Duchess smiled and kissed his lips lovingly. "What should we name her?"

Gray looked at the newborn again, under her spell. "You spent the whole night giving birth, you choose."

Juvia hummed in agreement and thought for a moment. "I was thinking Ava. It means 'life' and it brings back memories about when we found out about me expecting her. I remember Nina-san telling me that day was about hope too. And what is better than a new life to hope?"

"Ava, huh?" Gray thought about it. "What do you think about Ava Fullbuster, little girl?" For the first time the baby bothered to open one of her eyes to look at them and Gray was glad to see a shade of blue and he chuckled. "I think she agrees. Welcome to the world, then, Ava."