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moonydustx · 24 days

Note

how they would react to F!Reader saying she's pregnant but with Shanks, Rayleigh and Law?

Oi oi! Turu bem? Vou deixar até o comecinho da resposta em português porque sim hahahahah primeiro, obrigada pelo pedido e segundo, eu acho que me empolguei escrevendo de novo, sou inimiga do resumo. O do Ray acho que pode ter ficado um pouco confuso porque tentei usar as duas eras (como pode ele ser tãão saborosíssimo toda vez que aparece, af). Mas é isso, obrigadão e espero que goste <3

And here’s the translation of the day: Hey Hey! How are you? I'll even leave the beginning of the answer in portuguese because yes hahahahah (for those who don't understand PT-BR, I discovered that the requester is brazilian like me) firstly, thank you for the request and secondly, I think I got carried away writing again. I think Ray's might have been a little confusing because I tried to use both eras (how can he be so delicious every time he appears, haha). But that's it, thank you and I hope you like it <3

Oh, and hello @badlandsx! I'm tagging you here because I saw your request about Law, but don't worry, I'll soon write the other part that you also requested. Thank you <3

requests open | one piece masterlist (other pregnancy stories are here)

Warnings are place individually in each story.

Rayleigh

Warnings: mentions of new and old Ray, like I said I love them both. Buggy and Shanks kids are one of my favorite things about Roger's era, so we have them here. Mention to F!Reader being an herbalist. Brief not-so-canonical mention of Sabaody's arc.

Acid temperament, answers on the tip of the tongue, a captivating smile. Rayleigh didn't have much of an option but to fall in love at first sight when you two bumped into each other in a random bar on a random island. It didn't matter anymore when he managed to convince you to be part of the crew. Your knowledge of herbs and medicines was just an excuse he used to get the captain to accept - and Roger knew Silvers Rayleigh enough to know it was just a pretext for you to get on board.

It didn't take long for the glances exchanged and toasts proposed to turn into hidden moments at Oro Jackson, kisses stolen when others weren't looking, that turned into a golden ring around your finger. Now, such moments had turned into a new life being generated in you.

"You should stay less agitated for now, please." Crocus asked. You had come up with a lame excuse for him to stay on the ship with you while the others had disembarked. "By my reckoning, these are still the first few months, it's the most sensitive period. Any more aggressive activity can bring risks."

"You will die?" Buggy's squeaky voice caught the two of you's attention. When you found the spot where the boy was hiding, you saw Shanks cover his companion's mouth.

"Nothing like that, come here." you leaned on the counter, calling out to the two who soon stopped in front of you. "How much of our conversation did you hear?"

"That you don't really know what to do, and that you need to be less agitated and that you're sensitive." Shanks took the lead, listing, Buggy came further behind, eyes attentive to your every movement.

The two boys already saw you almost as a motherly figure, always trying to hide and lean on you whenever they got into trouble, of course they would be scared to hear such loose information.

"I'll trust you two, but I want you both to keep your mouth shut." you bent down to his level. "I'm pregnant, but it's too early for anyone to know, okay?"

"Pregnant?" they both screamed and you covered their mouths. Further behind you, Crocus was deliberately laughing at the two boys' reactions. "Does that mean it's the baby that's hurting you?" Buggy completed.

"No one was hurt." the doctor took the lead, explaining to both of them. "A pregnant woman requires more care and is also more sensitive. Well, you knowing this can be of great help."

"What do you mean by that?" Just like you, the boys seemed to have doubt written all over their faces.

"Someone here loves to get into trouble, until Rayleigh finds out and can keep an eye on you, you two are responsible for it. No fights, no crazy adventures, no almost anything." the man laughed when he saw your indignant expression.

"I promise to keep her and the baby safe." Shanks puffed out his chest, taking pride in what he had said.

"What? I promise more than him." Buggy grumbled.

"As long as you both promise to keep quiet, that's fine with me."

When the two youngest saluted, you knew you were screwed.

It was difficult to disguise such a situation when in the following days the two of them became your shadow. The only time you could see yourself alone was going to the bathroom. If you went to your little corner to work, one of the two would be sitting next to you, following everything you explained to them - since they were there, they would learn something. In day-to-day tasks, one of them always set out to do his part. Rayleigh was already finding their little movement strange, but he knew how attached you were to both of them, so it wasn't something that bothered him.

"I'm going to take advantage of the fact that it's our last day here and I'm going to go down to the village, I need to get some materials." you announced. "Does anyone need anything?"

"Everything's fine here." Gaban warned and one by one, the other companions agreed.

"Wait!" a panting Buggy ran across the boat. "I'll go with you."

"Get out you fool, I'll go." Shanks shouted from the other side.

"Come on, the three of you, what do you think?" you suggested, before his little fight escalated.

"You two don't think you're stealing much of my wife's attention, do you?" Rayleigh proposed, seeing the two swallow hard and deny it. "Alright, enjoy the little walk."

It was supposed to be a quick visit to the island, if the boys didn't decide to start trouble with one of the sellers, you got in the middle and now you were lying on your ass on the floor - in the pushing and shoving, there ended up being a push for you while arguing with the seller . Before you could calm the boys down, you saw them running towards the ship, shit.

Rayleigh's attention was stolen when he saw the two crew members rushing into the Oro Jackson. Buggy burst into tears and insults directed at his friend, while Shanks seemed to be looking for someone specific. You, however, were not with them. It didn't take much to connect the facts.

"Where is she?" He approached the kids, completely ignoring them. "What happened?"

"A tragedy." Buggy, dramatically, started crying even more.

"You idiot! We can't tell them anything." Shanks poked Buggy, who immediately retaliated with a push.

"Crocus said we should keep an eye on her and now she's fallen and is going to die!"

"She fell?" Rayleigh was already impatient with their drama, unable to find any connection in their grumbling. "Explain this properly."

"It was just a fall, nothing big." the redhead tried to alleviate the situation.

"Boys, it was just a fall, she's definitely gotten herself into bigger trouble." Roger laughed, watching the two boys pushing each other.

"I don't want to know. Where's Crocus?" Buggy grumbled, ignoring the captain's own laughter and his friend's false calm temperament.

"What kind of fall was that for you two to be so worried about?" Rayleigh held out his hands, pushing the two boys apart by their foreheads.

"This idiot went looking for a fight." Shanks tried to reach the clown, stopped by the first mate's hand.

"And this idiot who doesn't know how to keep his tongue in his mouth." Buggy fought back, only hitting the air.

"First she said we were supposed to be quiet."

"You knock down a pregnant woman and I'm the one who has to stay quiet!" The words that came out of Buggy were able to provoke silence among the other pirates. "Shit!"

"She's going to kill us man."

"Where is she?" Crocus appeared, stopping in front of the boys and an astonished Rayleigh. "How did she fall? What's all that crying, Buggy?"

"Is she the pregnant woman?" Rayleigh asked in a much calmer tone than usual.

The hands were now no longer used to separate the boys, they just hung beside his body. Seeing the two kids swallow hard and look at each other, Rayleigh no longer needed any more answers.

"Rayleigh, Crocus go to her, now." Even with Roger's orders, Rayleigh was already heading in the direction of leaving the boat, not worrying about who would follow him.

Upon entering the village, it didn't take many steps for them to find you - only then did Rayleigh notice the doctor's presence. What was strange was finding you still lying on the floor, your elbows propped up to keep your face up while you were still arguing with the man in front of you. You didn't look hurt, you just looked mad at the man.

"It was just some herbs!" you shouted, excited.

"You idiot! If it was just some herbs, you should pay." the man shouted back.

Before you could respond, a body appeared in front of you and you didn't need much to recognize that it was your husband.

"What is happening?" his patient voice asked, looking at you over his shoulder. "I see that you seem to have problems with my wife."

"You see, she allowed two boys to steal herbs from my store."

"That is true?" he turned to you, finding a wry smile. Your permissiveness with the boys would still kill him. "How much does she owe you?"

The man spoke and almost as if predicting the problem, Crocus threw some coins to Rayleigh, who handed them to the man. A few seconds later, they were both around you.

"Did you get hurt?" the doctor asked, seeing your eyes dart from his to your husband's. "Buggy accidentally told him that little secret."

"Shit." your grumble was low, in a way you avoided looking at Rayleigh. "Maybe I spent my money buying some sweets for the three of us, but I needed those herbs too." you list, feeling your face burn with guilt and shame.

"Do you feel any pain?" Rayleigh asked, his voice almost forcing you to face him. Without finding words, you just denied it. "Great. Let's go back to the ship."

Crocus supported you by the waist and as soon as you stood up, you bitterly regretted having denied the question your husband had asked. The excruciating pain that shot up from your foot made you scream and fall forward, being held by Rayleigh.

"I was wrong, so wrong, what the hell." you grumbled, taking your aching foot off the ground. "It fucking hurts, it really hurts, Ray, do something." your teary eyes searched for his, who looked attentively in your direction.

"First I need you to calm down, sweetheart." he asked, wrapping his arm around you and providing even more support. "Crocus, what do we have?"

"Let me see." he bent down again, finding a swollen ankle. "It could just be a sprain or it could be broken, let's go back and that way I can see calmly."

"Go ahead, I'll take her."

The doctor took a few steps away and the two of you remained there for a few seconds, until Rayleigh took you in his arms and took you back to the ship. You knew he wanted to tell you something, but you also knew that that wasn't the appropriate place.

Before you could receive the necessary medical attention, you needed to calm both boys down. Maybe the explanation you and Crocus gave the two of them earlier had been too much for them to think that a little fight would bring you down. Rayleigh ushered them both out and closed the door behind him.

"When were you thinking of telling me?" he asked, still distant.

"To be honest, I still don't know." a light laugh escaped your lips. "They both found out by accident, hearing me talk to Crocus."

"I still can't believe those little idiots found out before me." his expression softened as he approached you.

"Are you mad at me?" His hands circled your waist, pulling you to the middle of the bed.

He gently created space for himself between your legs, taking care to place your bandaged ankle to the side. The fierce kisses this time were replaced by some caresses along your lap, some quick kisses on your lips.

"Furious?" His smile floated to your forehead, turning into a small kiss. "I just found out that the woman I love most is about to bear me a child. How can I be furious with such good news?"

His mouth once again met yours and despite the softness in which your tongues tangled, the gentle touch of his hand sliding down your side - curious fingers floating over the fabric on your belly - before your dress found a different path than your body, a small external noise caught the attention of both of you.

"Sure." Rayleigh pulled away just enough, allowing you to still feel his breath against yours. "You know it's Roger who's waiting, don't you?"

"Yeah." you laughed, seeing him groan as he let go of you.

"And that he's about to come out screaming with joy" he asked again and you nodded, trying to adjust yourself in bed and hide any evidence of what was about to happen.

Rayleigh barely opened the wooden door and Roger followed by other companions entered, a smile from ear to ear.

"A child!" He pulled you from the bed, hugging you tightly. "Another crewmate for us! This is incredible, get ready today we're going to drink, we're going to celebrate."

"Oi! She can't drink." Rayleigh pointed out and saw Roger let go of you a little and then hug you tightly again.

"Then let's eat, eat a lot. I'm going to order an incredible feast!"

If before your concern was to escape the needy and attentive claws of Buggy and Shanks, now the two boys seemed to have found company. Your other companions - being practically led by Rayleigh made you feel adorable all the time. Even with your hormones screaming at the top of your skin, even with all the strange desires and the constant need to be attached to your husband, everyone seemed to be ready and happy to see you pregnant. Rayleigh felt proud and a little overprotective of you, no wonder, since you had already returned to the boat covered in blood that didn't belong to you just because someone had tried to rob you or when you almost convinced Roger to loot a village because you wanted cakes from a bakery that was closed when you docked. You still preferred to stick to your herbs, but that didn't mean you were harmless.

Little Arthur came into the world calmly and quickly, as if everything was meticulously planned for him to arrive on that peaceful afternoon. Even though you were still uncomfortable and tired after giving birth, you couldn't contain your laughter when you saw the two youngest members of the crew fighting over who would pick up the little one first. Knowing the affection and care attached to you, you proudly allowed the two of you to carry the title of little Arth's uncles - provoking yet another argument over who was the favorite.

The bonds between you and Rayleigh became even tighter after the birth of Arth and, shortly after, little Dalia. A few years after the gang broke up and Roger was executed and on that day, you and your husband stepped back from the role of parents and allowed yourselves to cry on each other's shoulders. The tears of pain at the loss of Roger soon turned to missing your eldest son, a fruit doesn't fall far from the tree and of course, Arth never let you two tell him everything you knew, he would find a crew so that together they could find the One Piece.

The door to your house opened and you saw a familiar face enter. A mother knows very well what each child's traits could bring and when you saw an almost identical copy of Rayleigh rush through the door, you knew it was your boy back. He had finally found a crew - one that carried a straw hat familiar to the one you knew.

"What?" the voice of his companions shouted in unison as Rayleigh properly introduced the two of you.

"You mean you know everything?" Usopp turned to Arth, who just shook his head. "Oh, that's a lot of information at once."

"We never told him anything." you explained, holding your third child in your arms, a girl who had just turned four years old.

"You said your parents were pirates, but you never specified which ones." Luffy pointed out, his mouth full of food.

"My parents already had their time, now they have other priorities." Arth took little Lure from you, the girl's laugh echoed throughout the room. "Just like this little one here."

"You only have these two children?" Nami asked, interested in the difference between you and Rayleigh to the white-haired child.

"In fact, only Dalia and Arth were born to me. Ray saved our little Lure from being sold to those damn nobles. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to save her family, but we took it upon ourselves to take care of her."

"And Dalia is also a pirate?"

"Not for now, but she's on an island with some of our friends, training." you simply informed, seeing that Arth had understood the message.

That same day, you saw your son disappear before your eyes, into the hands of the tyrant Kuma. Luffy looked desolate and you followed suit, both screams echoing through the damp Sabaody forest. Only when Rayleigh managed to drag you back home did you understand that your boy would be far away, safer and according to Kuma himself, with someone you both would trust with your eyes closed.

Almost two years have passed since Rayleigh took on a mission and left you alone on the island, taking care of what was left behind.

"Father?" Lure's voice caught your attention. At the door, Rayleigh crouched down, waiting for the white-haired girl to jump towards him.

"My sweetie you are so huge!" he let the girl hang onto him, filling the top of her head with kisses. "If I took a little longer, you'd be bigger than me."

"I missed you so much." she clung to Rayleigh, who was walking towards you. "Mommy too."

"I bet she felt it too." With one of his free hands, he circled your waist, lightly kissing your lips. "I hope two of my favorite girls are okay."

"Dad, did you know that Uncle Duval asked Mom to stay with him?" The girl laughed at the little gossip told, earning a reprimanding look from you, even if it was a joke.

"Uncle Duval, hm? I'll have a little talk with him." Rayleigh placed her on the floor, yet the girl remained there beside you, paying attention to everything.

"Just a friend of the Straw Hats, we took care of Sunny while you were gone. I even tried to start the plating, but I'd rather focus on my teas." You explained, allowing yourself to hug him completely. "How are things over there?"

"By things, do you talk about our Dalia?"

"Perhaps." the passive tone in your voice became even calmer when your face was buried in his chest. "I miss my little girl."

"She promised to come soon and she's doing great, she's been one of Kikyo's right-hand men. She's so strong, you'll be proud." he felt you nod against his skin, the distance of two years seemed too far for a quick hug to satisfy. "Want to know about Arth?"

"Have you heard from him?"

"Is little brother Arth coming?" Lure clung to Rayleigh's leg, watching her father. Even without the blood connection, the black king found it comical to say the least how similar you two had become.

"Not yet, my dear. And I haven't heard from him exactly, but rather where he is." Rayleigh began to explain, meeting your curious eyes. "I only received a small note."

He took it out and handed you the small crumpled paper. The tranquility that had been missing for two years invaded you as you read each word.

I hope this reaches you and your wife, Rayleigh-san. Knowing her, I believe she is distraught over Arth's disappearance. He has been training with me and I promise that I will keep that old promise to keep him safe. No clumsy clowns this time.

Shanks.

Shanks

warnings: F!Reader and Shanks don't have a fixed relationship at the beginning of the story, F!Reader has a restaurant. Maybe wrong use of haki, brief spicier section and brief mentions of childbirth. Shanks is an adorable girl dad here. Emony, in some language that I don't remember, is a name related to treasure.

"When are you going to go to sea with me?"

That question had already been repeated countless times every day that Shanks decided to stop at your restaurant. He always made up a little excuse that his crew was hungry and that no other place in that city would be able to fulfill his orders. He repeated every time you served dishes wearing the apron he said made you look amazing, every time he convinced you to stop working for a bit and share a dish with him, every time he was on top of you. you on the bed, as you asked for more and more.

However, every time the answer was the same.

"Give me a good reason red-haired, one other than me ending up in your bed, and I will."

You had already lost track of the times he did this, that he asked and you refused, that you shared hours together and the next morning he left you to return a few months later. This time however, it was difficult to lose track of time, as with each passing day, you discovered a change in your body. It started with irritability, then the aching body, nausea and finally, the positive test on your hand and your shocked family right behind you.

The whole city already knew that you were the redhead's favorite person and at that point, no one dared to mess with you or insinuate anything. Knowing how quickly rumors could spread, you chose to keep it a secret until it became impossible. The secret only lasted four months before his jolly roger appears on the horizon. Already knowing the routine he used to have on the island, you prepared yourself to soon find him entering the door.

"Finally, my favorite cook." his voice hit you before you even saw him. "Long time no see you."

"Yeah, it's been a while." out of habit, you allowed his hand to hug your waist, but you tried not to tighten yourself too much in his embrace.

"Everything is fine?" he asked, noticing your more distant behavior.

"Yeah, it's just been a busy day. What can I get you guys?"

"What's good on the menu today?" Lucky Roux asked, his typical piece of meat at hand had already reached its end.

"A fish stew, we also have some pies. Did you bring any new recipes for me?" You reached out to him.

Since the first time you met the red-haired pirates, you and him had gotten along well and the little deal was that he would always bring new recipes and in return, he was the only one who didn't pay at your family's restaurant.

"Spicy noodles and oysters with honey." he stretched out the two papers in his hand. "Two recipes, two dishes."

"Okay, you win. Anyone else want some stew?" the men piled in, affirming yes. Before you could leave, you felt Shanks' hand grab yours.

"Wait a second." a chill passed through your body as his eyes analyzed you. "You look different, I don't know. It's like you're even more beautiful."

"Don't give me those cheap lines, redhead." you warned in your playful tone. "A stew for you too?"

"The day I deny this could rip my other arm off."

Like the other times they appeared there, Shanks and the others stayed almost the entire day. Much of the food at that point had already been replaced by drinks, which forced you to practically dodge the glasses that were offered to you.

The restaurant was already empty, even your brothers who used to help you had already left, leaving you alone with the leftover dishes and tables to organize for the next day.

"It doesn't seem very gentlemanly to me to leave a lady alone." Again, just like that afternoon, you saw Shanks enter the door, ignoring the "closed" sign.

"You don't need to worry about me, I'll sort it out in a few minutes." You gave your best smile, seeing that he wasn't convinced.

"Then I can help you solve something else."

Not giving you much room to deny it or to at least try to address the issue that was hovering between the two of you, Shanks revoked his right over your mouth. Amidst the scattered tables and trying to turn off the light in the room so as not to attract so much attention, you went unnoticed by his hands taking off your apron and immediately undoing the buttons on your t-shirt. When the piece became a small puddle of fabric on the floor next to your apron and Shanks slid his hand down your torso, you realized that he had indeed noticed.

"What is that?" his voice was low, even though there were just the two of you there.

"I think you're smarter than that, redhead." you tried to alleviate the situation, seeing that it had been in vain.

"It's mine?" His eyes met yours, his serious expression made chills run up your body. Shanks was adorable, one of the kindest people you'd ever served at your restaurant, but he was still a pirate. "Hey, look at me, is it mine?"

"What do you think?" you responded immediately, seeing him take a few steps back. "I found out a few weeks after you left here last time, so far it's been easy to hide with dresses and aprons, but it looks like it won't last long."

"So it's mine?" he insisted, making you huff in frustration.

"The last time you came here, I remember you making me scream a few times that I was yours. I am a woman of my word, there is no one else who is the father of this baby but you."

His expression soon contorted from something serious to a slight smile that turned into a loud laugh. His hand found your face, stroking it with some delicacy.

"You told me you needed a good reason to leave with me." he started, seeing you already look disbelieved. "And no, I don't want you just in my bed. I want you by my side, forever. I want you to leave with me so I can make you my wife. To make you the mother of all my children." his hand reached down and caressed the bump on your belly. "This explains so much."

"So much, tomato head?" You let your hand rest on top of his, enjoying the affection.

"Your bad mood when you saw my face or you refusing to drink with me." He approached, pressing his face to yours. "You look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you."

"Shanks…"

"Please say yes."

He used that entire night to convince you to go on board with him and the next morning to help you pack your bags and head to his ship. When the other companions saw your face, they were in disbelief for a while until the true reason for your presence was explained, to everyone's delight.

For a moment, it was too much information for your head, learning a little about the life of a pirate, understanding what Shanks was like as a captain and the changes in your body seemed too much for you. It wasn't surprising that you had practically hijacked the ship's kitchen all to yourself and it was very common to find you in the early hours of the morning, up to something.

"What's the recipe for today, mummy?" Shanks appeared, his face still crumpled indicating that he had just woken up from a good sleep.

"A cake, that's all." you just responded, feeling him press himself behind you and slide his hand over your big eight-month-old belly.

"And what's the name of the cake?" He leaned over your shoulder, still caressing you. "Is it "I'm worried about my baby's future." or "The baby woke me up by kicking me in the ribs"?

"How do you know that?" you laughed, taking some of the still raw dough for him to taste.

"Delicious." he muttered before he could follow up on any thoughts. "Daddy's Haki. I always know what's going on with my baby."

"Oh, of course." you laughed and immediately felt the same pain that had gotten you out of bed a few hours ago and had been recurring in the last few moments. You knew what it was, you just wanted to enjoy the time you still had with your baby inside.

"Honey?" Shanks asked as he saw you lean your body against his and groan in pain. "My love, what is it?"

"Didn't daddy's haki help you this time?" you tried to laugh but the pain hit you again. Before you could continue your sequence of laments, you felt your dress and as a result of the proximity, Shanks got wet.

"No, it didn't help, it's happening now, isn't it? Hongo!" he started screaming, trying to pick you up.

"Shanks, what if…" your eyes moistened with anxiety and accumulated tears. "What if I'm a terrible mother? What if nothing works? What if I can't bring our baby into the world?"

"There's no what if." he pointed out, gently pulling your chin. "Look at me, we're going to bring our first child into the world and everything will be fine. Come on, it's time to meet our baby."

Emony was born after long hours of labor. The small tuft of red hair was identical to Shanks's and her cry was celebrated by the entire ship who had woken up with your screams of pain and with Shanks running back and forth behind Hongo.

The girl was a little copy of her father, from her red hair to her attitude, which made you constantly laugh - after all, at the age of five she had already declared that she was going after One Piece alone when you two gave her a little scolding for her coming out of hiding during a fight you were involved in. You should also anticipate that the girl's strength would be derived from her father and not hers. A break on an island meant having the two of you spotted by enemy pirates while you were taking a walk with little Emony. After trying to escape and fight, you both ended up surrendering, you were on your knees, a gun against your head and little Emony was lifted by the collar of her dress.

"My daddy is going to finish you off, your shit" she declared, trying to kick the man, completely in vain.

"Will he really do that?" the man teased her, seeing the girl become even more nervous. "I'll be waiting for."

"You know this is his territory, what do you want on this island?" you asked and felt the gun being pressed even more against your head.

"Take it away from my mommy!!" Emony screamed and you felt something different in the air.

The man who was pointing the gun at you fell, fainted, as did the other men who accompanied the pirate. Their captain let out a loud laugh, pressing his hand even tighter against Emony's dress.

"Haki? At such a young age?"

"Mommy!" the girl jolted towards you, seeing you get up and walk towards her.

"I suggest you take your rotten hands off my daughter." Shanks' voice came from behind the man.

By dodging a little, you can see the crew approaching. Benn was already pointing a gun, almost glued to the head of the tyrant who had his hands on your little Emony.

"This here?" he shook the girl dismissively, turning to face Shanks. "You know, lately the navy has been investing a lot of money in Yonko's children." the man threatened, a stupid smile adorning his lips. "What's your offer for the brat?"

"Lucky, Yassop?" Shanks just signed. "You guys take my girls inside."

Without waiting for the man to respond, the redhead punched him in the face and before Emony could reach the ground, Lucky caught her. The two of you were taken inside a small store, where some vendors offered water and a place to calm down.

"Where are my girls?" Shanks' voice reached the two of you, but your daughter ran to him, hugging her father's legs, who picked her up. "Are you hurt, my little one?"

"No daddy." she smiled, victoriously. "You see, I'm ready to be a pirate." the joy in her voice brought some peace of mind to both of you.

"I thought you were already a pirate." Benn, who accompanied Shanks, commented and got the girl's response by sticking her tongue out at him.

"I'm going to be the greatest pirate! Just like dad." she replied, shaking herself off Shanks' lap. "Come on Uncle Benn, I bet I beat you."

"Bet? Let's see." The first mate let the girl hit him a few times, laughing at her effort.

"And you, love, were you hurt?" Shanks stood next to you, holding your shaking hand.

"I just got scared. Shanks, she…"

"I felt it. That's how I knew she was in danger." he replied before the question even left your thoughts. "She's barely trained and can already do this? She's really going to be a great pirate."

"Babe…" your warning tone made it clear that this was not the time for him to encourage such ideas.

"Imagine, she's a captain? Our daughter has a big future. In fact, we know who she takes after." the man boasted, earning a shove in response. "I think she needs companions."

"She can arrange it over time."

"Or we can help." the mischievous tone was already almost inert to the way he spoke to you. "Just a few more babies, a first mate, a cook." He started to list, seeing you deny it. "But you look so beautiful pregnant."

"Forget it Shanks."

"Daddy, mummy!" Emony's voice drew you both in. You watched the girl pose as victorious, on top of a Benn Beckman, Lucky, Yasopp and Limejuice piled on the floor, pretending to be defeated. "I won!"

"Now I challenge you, my little fire hair." Shanks joined in the game, going over to the girl.

Maybe some brothers for Emony would be nice - and maybe Shanks would have given you a good reason to accompany him every time you saw him love your little daughter.

Law

Part 2 here

warnings: angst, more angst, arguments with a fluff and happy ending. I mean, do I really need to inform you that our boy is going to freak out about the possibility of amber lead in his baby? Perhaps not very common uses of his DF, Law freaks out for a while, but then becomes the best dad in the world (we saw so little of Law with Lammy, but I bet he was an amazing brother and that he would be such a great girl's dad). And of course, Rosi comes from Rosinante. This text here is huge, sorry.

Being subordinate and companion to a captain who happened to be a doctor was one of the most practical things in your life. Did you catch the flu? He would solve it. Were you injured in battle? Just call the captain.

This meant not having any problems, especially after you decided to start dating. Law became even more attentive to every detail of your health, which made you realize that you didn't have much time to deal with the situation in your hands - more precisely, the situation in your womb.

The tests remained hidden in Ikkaku's drawer, with her being his only confidant at that moment. You wanted to know how many months it was, to be able to share such news, but you knew that as soon as Law found out, he would freak out and that's why you were avoiding him.

Avoiding, in the past verb, after all, he had already noticed something wrong between the two of you. Two knocks on your bedroom door startled you and your roommate.

"Hey." he looked dejected when the door opened, his attention automatically turned to Ikkaku. "Mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?"

"Of course captain." a pious look came from her towards you, before the woman disappeared from your field of vision.

Law, not knowing what to say, sat next to you. As you tried to grab his hand, you felt him move away. Damn it.

"How long have you known?" his cold tone dictated that he was probably not happy at all with the news.

"How do you know?" you answered his question with another, trying to buy time before the approaching storm.

"Today marks two months since you haven't asked me for help with any colic or complained about being sinking in a red river." he laughed, even though he didn't look happy. "By my reckoning, it's also been two months since that day in the kitchen."

Of course, the day in the kitchen. You and Law were always careful, even if you already used your contraceptive method, you preferred to use other types of protection. Except when you arrived at Polar Tang drunk and alone, which resulted in a unprotected sex session on the shared kitchen table.

"Quite a recipe we made." You tried to make fun of him.

"What do we do?" For the first time at that moment, you saw Law's eyes actually find you, worried and afraid.

"What do we do?" you repeated. "I'm pregnant Law, I don't know if there's much to do other than wait for the baby to be born."

"You know what worries me." his harsh response cut through any kind of excitement you held back. "You know very well what will happen to this child."

"What can happen." you corrected him.

"Would you rather risk waiting the nine months, giving birth and seeing your child die some time later? Sounds like a great idea to me." Cynicism echoed in his words just as your two voices were already much louder, taking your hatred to levels you didn't yet know.

"Would you rather I have an abortion and then spend the rest of my life wondering what if my baby had been born healthy?" his silence was the answer you needed at that moment. "You know what? Leave me on the next island, I'd rather take a risk and have my baby happy than have to abort it or even worse, my baby has to live with a parent who hates its existence."

"You don't understand what this could entail." He stood up too, trying to put something that looked like sense into your head. "You stay here until this is resolved."

"This has already been resolved and you don't need to have any involvement in my baby's life." you were sure the entire submarine was already listening to that argument between the two of you. "Get out of here, Law."

"But…"

"Get out of here!" you screamed even louder, seeing the man give up and leave. It only took a few seconds for Ikkaku to appear and allow you to cry for hours on her shoulder.

Anyone looking from the outside could see that you two were in pain. Law had become a shadow of the captain he was, only having small appearances to issue orders or to follow you - even without saying many words - every time you approached an island, fearing that you would leave the crew. Even though the two of you didn't talk anymore, you knew that his disappearance was related to studying everything he could about the disease that ravaged his country and was also present in him.

In the two months that had passed, Law had stopped being your boyfriend and practically become your doctor. Without exchanging many words, you only met when he decided to do some examination on you. To break the mood, you always took one of your friends along. The little information you had about Law came from Bepo, Shachi or Penguin, the only ones who were still able to invade his room and talk to him. Like that afternoon, when they insisted that you convince him to leave the room and have dinner with all his companions.

"Law?" two knocks on the door accompanied your voice. His tired look hit you immediately.

"How can I help you?"

"I wanted you to come have dinner with us." you tried to appeal to what you want. Many times, before pregnancy, that had worked.

"I am a little busy."

"I can bring something here." You suggested, approaching him. On the table, you saw accumulated papers, the vast majority of which titles were not related to Amber Lead.

"No need to worry, I'm fine." he simply replied, seeing that you were reading the papers on his desk. "I found some new studies."

"Law, I told you that you don't need to worry about that right now, we don't know yet…"

"When would you rather I worry?" the cynicism was once again there in his voice and he knew how much you hated it. "When you die on the table because for some reason this shit got to you? Or when I watch our baby die?"

"Now is he our baby?" you used the same resource as him. "From what I remember, I had made it very clear that I didn't want you to be involved in this."

"But it's my obligation."

"Your obligation as a father? I think you lost that right when you made it very clear that I had to take my baby away." you started to walk away from his desk. "Or your obligation as captain? As a boyfriend that isn't, I don't know what it's like to have a boyfriend for a good few months."

"I was busy, trying to find a cure for you two."

"We're both not sick." you sounded offended by what he had proposed. "But keep it up, sink into your books, don't worry when I disappear from this fucking submarine."

You left slamming the door, stressed. The looks that reached you seemed full of pity and concern. You only managed to get as far as the kitchen before a pang hit your head and stomach. Being supported by your colleagues, the only request you made was that no one tell Law about it. You wouldn't give him reason in his incessant search for something he didn't yet know.

Alleviating your worries, the diagnosis arrived quickly: just a spike in high blood pressure. A few hours of rest and an IV should do the trick. When you saw Bepo murmur an apology, you knew exactly what he was going to do and so did your friends, as little by little they left you alone. You remained turned away, even though you heard the door open. Something in the air had changed, it was as if you immediately felt more tense and prepared for another argument.

"Babe, can we talk?" Law's voice sounded much lower than normal, definitely attracting your attention. His affectionate way of calling you was an easy way to make you fall for his words. You turned around, facing him and started to adjust yourself to sit on the stretcher. "No, please, stay still there."

"I'm just going to sit down." You did so, your movement being followed to the millimeter by his eyes. "Just to be clear, I don't want to fight."

"I didn't come here for that reason." he approached, hesitating with every step he took. "Actually, I know you didn't want me to come here for any reason."

"I just don't want to have to hear from my doctor that I'd better have given up on the idea." you turned around, allowing your legs to dangle. "I understand your concerns Law and I would be lying if I said I haven't been terrified of the idea since I saw the first positive test."

"I know." He finally stopped a short distance away, but he still didn't touch you. "I… I-I, damn, why is it so hard?"

"Just let the words come, don't think about them." you suggested, figuring it was just pride keeping you from apologizing for all the previous argument.

"I-I feel like shit." a sigh came out along with the words. "You're right, as a boyfriend I've been terrible, as a doctor then, just look at the fact that you're in a hospital bed and the last person to be informed is me." his fists clenched and then loosened, his tattooed hands rubbed against his face, perhaps in an attempt to get the words out of him.

"Law?" your heart broke when you heard a sniffle come from him, it was the last gesture you expected after everything, it was difficult to connect the information like this.

"I can't lose you and I know it doesn't seem like it, I know I've been a terrible person, but I love this child. I can't lose this too." For the first time after so long together, you saw tears run down your loved one's face. His hands stuck to his hat, pulling in a failed attempt to hide his face. "I can't stop regretting saying that to you, what if our baby hates me for it? What if our baby knows that for a moment, even a small moment, I didn't want him or her to exist."

"My love?" You extended your hand, being accepted by him. Law fit between your legs and buried his face in your neck, even with the muffled sound, you only heard his murmurs and sobs.

"I'm sorry, please. For yelling and being an idiot." he asked, still not letting go of you. "I just can't deal with the thought of losing either of you."

"My dear, look at me." his irises remained almost hidden by the tears that accumulated at his waterline. Your hands dried his face and you didn't know how you weren't crying together. "We still don't know if our child will have amber lead disease, we don't know the scope of your fruit in the cure."

"What should we do in the meantime?"

"As I told you, wait. Make the best of this little time we have until the baby is born." you suggested while your hands traced caresses on his face. "And I just want, I need, my boyfriend back. I don't know how far I can go without you by my side."

"I promise to get better, I promise to take care of you." he replied, taking a deep breath and composing himself. With his hands rubbing his face, Law looked much more centered. "What happened today? When Bepo called me, he just told me it was a blood pressure problem and that you were resting."

"I said I want my boyfriend." you insisted with a smile on your face and saw a small ghost of what would be a smile on Law too.

Law first checked the serum that was being applied to you and then took off the hat he was wearing, placing it on your hair. With his face millimeters away from yours, he placed a quick kiss on your lips, followed by one more and another, until finally you gave way to him. The skin of his face was still damp against your face and your fingers caressed his scalp, the gesture he loved so much and god, how he had missed it. When Law pulled away, you almost pulled him back. Two months were too long apart - even under the same roof.

"I missed you so much." You confessed, not wanting to let go of his hand.

"I missed you too my love, I'm sorry for being such an idiot for so long." He sank against your skin again, this time stealing a few kisses along the way. "What do you think we make up for lost time?"

"That sounds interesting to me."

"No, no sex." he cut you off as soon as he saw you smile mischievously. "Room."

You were back in his room, now lying on the soft bed with gray sheets. Along with the two of you, only the serum and support tied to your skin had come. Law adjusted himself, sitting with his back against the wall and adjusting your body to be against his skin. You saw from the corner of your eye his hand go towards you and retreat, ignoring any complaint he would make, you pulled it back and placed it flat against your belly.

"I don't think you can feel it yet, but I've already started to feel some small movements. In fact, I thought I had stomach gas, until Ikkaku and I found a book explaining that it was the baby." You explained and looking over your shoulder, you could see bright gray eyes staring at you. "Right now, from what I feel, the baby is here." you slid his hand away, stopping next to your side.

"Can I tell you something?" he asked, using his other arm to hug you even tighter. You nodded and saw him smile at the likely thought that crossed his mind before the words came out. "The other day, I accidentally spied on you in your room. I think you had just gotten out of the shower and were in front of the mirror."

"Oh no Law, I don't believe it." you laughed, already knowing what day it was.

"I think you spent about fifteen minutes posing in front of the mirror, caressing our child in your womb. God, you looked so beautiful, so radiant." he allowed himself to almost melt against the wall behind him. "I'm sorry I wasted so much time, so much stuff."

"Can I tell you something too? I actually need to update you on a few things." you asked and felt his face move against your skin, nodding. "Did you know that our baby is already just like you? I can't even see a piece of bread before I'm ready to spill my stomach."

That night, the two of you spent a lot of time there. You telling him about the little news that Law had missed in the time you didn't talk and him explaining little curiosities to you, things that seemed incredible to him because they were happening in the body of the woman he loved and he didn't have the courage to tell you before.

In the fifth month - now with a new version of Law, one much more adept at the idea of being a father and much more attached to you. You were dragged by him to a small room, finding Ikkaku, Shachi and Penguin sitting at the table waiting for you.

"What is that?" You sat down in the chair that Law arranged for you, he soon took the place next to you.

"You said you didn't want me as a doctor, so if you want and you have time to think about it, they will be your doctor."

"And you?" your voice was almost cornered, trying to connect the pieces of the situation that was presented. "Aren't you going to be at the birth?"

"I'll be there all the time and any problem, I'll take care of it. But I want to be there for you, for our baby. Instead of scalpels and speculums, I just want to hold your hand." Law chuckled as he saw your little pout that you made start to tremble. "Sound like a good idea to you?"

"T-This is in-amazing." despite Law seeing you get emotional, the loudest crying came from the other side of the table.

"Man, that was beautiful." Shachi was struggling, leaning on Penguin.

"It's so good that you guys are back."

"Idiots." the woman commented, turning to you. "Come on, tell me everything you expect from the birth of our little baby."

After spending the remaining months buried in books next to him, this time looking for good information and not just a cure for an illness, you learned that the stretcher was not a good place to give birth and that sensations were an important part of the process, in other words, goodbye Ope Ope no Mi's anesthesia powers. Law seemed to want to make up for the distance by always staying close to you and always reminding you how special you were to him, like when you looked adorable when the jumpsuit stopped fitting around your belly or when you and Bepo joined in complaining about the heat.

With the help of your own nature, the chosen doctors and Law behind you in that hot tub, your girl arrived into the world quickly and much less painfully than you thought. In the first few hours, little Rosi didn't let go of you and only when the water around the bathtub became cold did Law manage to take his focus off the little baby to take you two to a more cozy place.

In the early days, Law's hands seemed tied to Rosi. When the girl with eyes as gray as her father's wasn't on his lap, Law was following you like a shadow to ensure the health of both of you. Sometimes looking sideways, you could see Law observing every inch of the girl, in a constant search for signs of the cursed disease that had once taken his family from him. He would never allow that to happen to his little girl.

The worry lasted for years and there was never a sign of the disease or any other illness. Before, if everyone at Polar Tang had a strict health care schedule, with the arrival of the girl, attention redoubled.

Rosi was like seeing a mini-version of Law walking around, especially because of the copy of his hat that he had gotten for her. All the love that Law took to give you and her, when it was just a fetus inside you, the doctor seemed to make up for it with the girl, there wasn't something she wanted or asked for that he wasn't ready to do.

Rosi seemed to love accompanying her father in laboratories and studies, this seemed to change when she was once injured in an attack, in fact Rosi lost her balance with the Polar Tang speeding into the sea and ended up getting a cut on her forehead, patched by Ikkaku since Law was busy fending off enemies. That had been enough trauma for little Rosi to not want to know more about medical things.

"Please, my sweetie, it's just a small remedy." you tried to pull the girl out of the closet.

"No, no, no." she grumbled. The little gray eyes full of water. "It's going to hurt a lot."

"It won't hurt, my love." you insisted, seeing her deny it.

"My princess?" Law bent down, reaching her height. "Come on, this is to make you okay."

"Daddy, it's going to hurt a lot, I don't want it." she grumbled even more, knowing that Law was much easier to convince.

"Doesn't your throat hurt too?" he asked and the little girl nodded. "I promise it won't hurt anymore."

"But what about the injection?"

"Daddy also promises it won't hurt at all." he reaffirmed and saw the girl come out of hiding, heading straight into his arms. "Babe, she's a little feverish." he murmured to you, almost despair forming on his face.

"Law, it's just a cold." you warned him, following him as your daughter rested against his shoulder. You knew that when it came to Rosi's health, Law was the most concerned of all.

"Daddy, it's because I was lying on the ice with Bepo." the girl confessed the information, adjusting herself to reach Law's field of vision. "I'm just a little sick, that's it." she created a small space between her fingers.

"That's great, my love." He placed the girl sitting on the stretcher. "It means it'll only take that long for you to get better." he repeated the gesture she had made with her fingers. "Ready?" he saw her deny it, laughing. "Do you want mommy to hold your hand?"

"Yes!" She reached out her little hand to you. "Mommy, what is this?"

"It's dad's way of taking care of us." You tried to sum it up the best way. Maybe she was too young to understand how akuma no mis works.

"Ready? First take a deep breath…" Law imitated, holding the air for a while and making her laugh when she saw him puffed up. "And now…" he applied the injection to her arm. He knew it hadn't hurt at all, but the girl automatically started to pout. "My little princess, what happened? Did it hurt?"

"No." she said, her voice breaking. You both had to laugh when you saw her asking you to hold her without even moving the arm that Law had given the injection to.

"My love, what do you think…" Law bent down to look into her eyes as he spoke. "We can go to the kitchen and steal…"

"Bepo!" the girl stretched her arm towards the bear that appeared in the field of vision. "I want to be with Bepo."

"With Bepo?" Law pretended to be frustrated.

"He's warm and I'm cold." you passed the girl to Bepo, who was her favorite company. Law insisted that it was because the mental age was identical, but you always laughed at the accusations while the bear grumbled.

"What do you say we read a little?" Bepo suggested, letting Rosi climb onto his shoulder.

The two of you accompanied him to the living room, giving Bepo information about the girl being feverish. It only took a few words from the bear who started reading one of her favorite stories for Rosi to fall asleep. Law carefully took his daughter from him and started walking alongside you to the girl's room.

"I can't believe she chose to go with him."

"Well, you had just given her an injection, she harbored some resentment." you joked and saw him frown. "Maybe the next one will like us more than a huge, cuddly bear."

"Next, huh?" he spoke in a low tone, not wanting to wake the girl in his arms.

"Exactly. Or have you forgotten about the ten minutes hiding in your living room when Ikkaku was having a girls' night out with Rosi?" You saw his expression light up, a smile that you hadn't seen the first time you had this kind of conversation and that was one of your favorite things in the world.

"How long, is a month half?" he tried to hold back his louder, surprised voice.

"Yes, I took the test last week." you watched him open the door and place little Rosi on the pink bed. Before you could return to the subject, you felt him take you in his arms and lift you up, filling your face with kisses.

"I love you so much, I love you both." he put you down. "To be more exact, the three of you."

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theflashdriver · 2 months

Text

Gintsugi

Heavy heels clicked across the tiled floor, marking the passing of each quarter second. Blaze the cat could usually maintain a relatively aloof façade, only breaking from it under the most dire of circumstances or when pushed to her absolute limit. Yet, all through this morning, afternoon, and evening, a certain aggravated frown had fused itself into to her muzzle. Today had been one of the, if not the, most draining day of the princess’ life. She had been locked inside the great hall from sunrise to sunset, answering questions, signing papers, and listening to her advisors. Yesterday had been difficult, almost impossibly difficult, but something about today’s monotonous crawl had dragged out that pain and made it far more insufferable. There had been questions about restructuring, expanding the royal guard, assigning watches, public appearances, and reconstruction, the likes of which she’d surely still be dealing with for weeks if not months to come.

As her glare glanced one of the castle’s many maids, Blaze watched her shrink back and bow her head. Though she felt an immediate upwelling of guilt, the princess couldn’t bring herself to stop. With every second that past, she knew she would further regret being away from her desired destination; as she began to scale the stairs, she found her pace had only further increased. She knew this path well but not out of practice, only because she had wandered this trail so often in her mind. Even as she finally walked it, the feline found herself dissociating from her surroundings and lost among her thoughts.

Yesterday replayed in her mind, the attack had come without warning. From the sea just south of Southern Island, as the sun set and they day came to its end, a titan milled from metal had emerged from the sea. The warning bells began to ring only after the first of its tentacles had burst from the ocean, soon followed by a gaping maw filled with saw blades. Whether its limbs numbered in the hundreds or the thousands Blaze could not recall but an endless hail of them had jettisoned from its body and rained down as a concentrated missile strike on the palace grounds. Blaze could visualise the moment so clearly, hearing the initial explosion as rocket after rocket rose from the ocean. She had stood, stunned, as they arced through the air and towards the palace she had just left.

A second intruder to her world hadn’t been so blindsided and, what’s more, he had been in a position to act. She’d watched a tiny cyan speck ensnare the explosives, preventing them from breaching the palace, and heard him call out… something, something she couldn’t recall but it had brought her back to her senses. She’d took off like a shot, racing to secure the Sol emeralds. Just as she’d laid hands on them, just as she thought they’d be safe, an explosion shook her to her very soul.

As she reached the landing, seeing the long stretching hallway of visitor guest rooms, Blaze could still visualise what had happened. She’d emerged from the basement expecting to find the castle in ruins only to see it was untouched, hardly an ornament out of place and nary a window broken. She’d rushed outside, emeralds prepared and fists aflame, only to find him on her doorstep. Crumpled, smouldering, unmoving; barely recognisable. The fit of rage she’d fallen into, emeralds sparking and clashing into her being, had been more than enough to see off Eggman Nega and his cruel device... but it had been too little too late. While the day was saved, it had come at a cost.

Blaze found herself on the threshold, her forehead practically against the door. She couldn’t bring herself to reach for the doorknob. The guardian hadn't been allowed to see him yesterday, doctors and surgeons had rushed back and forth from his room all through the night, but she’d been told partway through the morning’s first meeting that his condition had much improved. Unfortunately however, that fact had come coupled with some more negative news.

Certain medical practices, common to this world, could not be safely used on him; they had taken blood and were running tests, trying to determine what could be done to help him. He came from a totally different world, let alone a time without medicine, he could have had a negative or allergic reaction to any number of this world’s standard medical treatments. They’d cared for him as best they could but all they could really do was bandage him, monitor him and wait for his body to heal. Even his blood was thought to be abnormal, due to the psychokinetic energy that ran through him. Blaze couldn’t help but expect the worst.

Swallowing hard, she dared to rap against the wood. The silence that hang in the act's wake was deafening.

Finally, she forced her hand upon the doorknob. She couldn’t feel what should have been cold brass in her hand, heat was flagging from her frame and pouring into it. Her emotions were building beyond what was manageable, beyond what was acceptable. This wasn’t safe, not for her and certainly not for him. When her emotions got the better of her, control was lost- her powers would escape her form without her say and run rampant throughout her surroundings. If she went inside she had to be calm, otherwise he’d only-

“Good evening, your majesty,” A familiar voice spun the feline on her heel.

"Good evening, Gardon," The cat greeted the guardsman.

The older koala, dressed in blue, had evidently followed her up the stairs; she'd been too lost in her worries to notice. He plainly had something in his satchel, be it to deliver to her or the hedgehog within. Regardless, the immediate formality of his poise and tone brought sickness to her stomach. She had wanted to meet with Silver alone, without the barrier of ceremonious trappings.

"I presume you've come to visit our guest?" He enquired, surely knowing the answer.

"Yes, I wanted to ensure his recovery is going smoothly," She half lied.

"That's very kind of you, your highness," A small smile crept across his fuzzy muzzle, "I'm certain that he will appreciate your visit."

The stiffness of his frame was different from his usual overly formal manner, the cat could read on his face that he was perturbed. Between that and Silver not coming to the door, something was clearly wrong. Why had the guard even travelled up here?

"Is there something on your mind?" The ruler asked, cutting straight to the point.

"Forgive me for prying," He bowed once again, "But, prior to his unannounced appearance, I hadn't heard of this Silver the hedgehog, yet he plainly sacrificed life and limb to defend the kingdom. Has he visited prior?"

Gardon wasn't verbalising the full scope of his intrigue, but Blaze knew him well enough to read between the lines. In reality, the elder was asking if the hedgehog was another threat to the kingdom, if Silver was being kept close because he was a danger to her people. Did others think his appearance signified a further threat?

"He has not, but I know him," She answered, "He however does not know me."

"Ah, so you had only heard of him before his arrival here," Gardon thought aloud, "That-

"No, we are acquainted, I am simply far more familiar with him than he is with me," She cut him off, "It is a complicated matter."

"It certainly sounds to be," The koala paused for a moment, perhaps expecting more of an explanation, but Blaze offered none.

Instead, she asked, "Has he eaten anything?"

"A small amount this afternoon, we offered more but he claimed to be full quite quickly... he is a rather gaunt fellow," That much would have been made all the more of obvious by the shearing of his fur to treat his wounds, "You instructed that we should keep him here rather than transfer him to a hospital. Are you certain that was wise?"

"If they cannot offer him any further treatments, then I can see no reason why he shouldn't be here," She much too quickly responded.

"Oh, yes, of course," The harshness of her tone had plainly rattled him, "I only asked because of how unusual the situation is," He was starting to ramble, "After all, as you answered, he is a relative stranger to this world. It is unusual that he is staying here..."

"What are you implying?" She felt her brows furrow.

"N-Nothing, Princess Blaze," He averted his gaze, "I am simply explaining that, due to your busy schedule, and the straightforwardness of your initial orders, there is confusion amongst the staff as to why he is being kept here. There are questions as to whether he is a captive, thought to be partially responsible for the attack on the palace. Some think you have been rather..." He was scrambling for words, "Uncommunicative regarding your intentions for him."

A sigh escaped Blaze's lips. Between the combat yesterday, the public interfacing that had followed, this morning's meetings, and the time he'd spent in treatment- she knew she had been both blunt and short with people. There hadn't been time for true explanations, it was no wonder that her staff were confused. Had she been taking out her frustrations on them?

"I'm sorry, Gardon," She apologised, "He is a guest, not a captive... but I have no idea why he appeared here or for how long he intends to stay. His arrival is in and of itself an anomaly," Again, she leaned into formality, "My intention would be to hold him here until he has fully recovered, though I have my doubts that he will agree to such."

"If you know him as well as you think you do, don't you stand a chance of convincing him to stay?" Gardon asked.

"I intend to try," Though she knew she would be unsuccessful.

"Well, regardless, there is no need to apologise your highness, there was simply some confusion and concern," Gardon seemed to squirm where he stood, "Especially regarding that right arm of his."

"Right arm?" Blaze questioned.

"I was visiting to deliver this," From a his satchel, he revealed an overlarge golden bangle, "The pieces of it were recovered from across the palace grounds, I had it reconstructed... though I am uncertain if its function will have been restored. Regarding that arm, there were some difficulties..." The elder shrank under Blaze's stare, he was avoiding explaining, "There was an incident this afternoon."

Concern again overflowed, "What kind of incident?"

"He seemed to lose control of the uncuffed arm while his bandages were being changed," Gardon grimaced, "No one was hurt, but you'll find the room in a rather dysfunctional state. I've taken the lead communicating with him, most of the staff are rather intimidated."

Blaze's gaze drifted back to the door before returning to the golden band in Gardon's hand. She had never seen him without those cuffs, even when he'd been young and they'd been overlarge on him. The cat had no idea how they functioned, and hearing what he'd done without one of them flared her anxiety.

"I will return this to him," Blaze took the trinket, "Thank you."

"You are very welcome, your..." The guardsman seemed to catch himself this time, "Blaze," Despite that, he still gave a small bow, "I hope his recovery will bring you some comfort."

With no more than that the koala moved along, walking the hallway before descending the stairs and out of view. Again Blaze found herself alone outside of his door, would he have heard all they had discussed? Was he even in a state to have heard their conversation? She should have been comforting him, not conspiring behind his back.

Straightening her shoulders and taking a deep breath, the pyrokinetic tried to muster her professionalism. Blaze didn't give herself time to overthink, slipping into the room without another attempt at knocking. She pinned her back against the door to shut it the moment she was inside, both hands behind her. Her blood ran cold as she took in the space.

The room's floral wallpaper was gashed, it looked to have rolled off as if torn by the claws of some gigantic beast. Everything right of the bed was in complete disarray; where once a vanity and desk were stood, now lay a pile of rubble and an indentation into the wall it had been crushed against. The carpet was fanned up and clearly some of the floorboards had come with it; twisting to form the likeness of a gnarled hand and revealing the plumbing beneath.

He was sat on the far side of his bed, parallel to the balcony window across the room's centre. Light was shining from him; psionic power, the likes of which would only typically glow from him in the midst of combat, almost blinding to look at. The energy was bleeding through the bandages that covered his body, displaying markings-

"Oh, it's you," A bandage covered his right eye, the dressings over his wounds left little for the cat to imagine, "Hello."

Silver's arm stole her attention, the right limb he'd apparently lost control of. The symbol that usually sat on the palm of his hands had distorted and stretched; cyan light now traced all the way up the limb as multiple strands, now more of those circular sigils marked his elbow and shoulder but the colour didn't end there. From his shoulder further lines, jagged and rough, stretched up his neck to mark the right of his face. The extensions faded as they neared his quills but Blaze swore she could see a circle faintly flickering at the centre of his forehead.

"Good evening," She greeted, quickly feeling the need to explain herself, "I knocked but you didn't answer."

"I was distracted," He turned away again, "The moon's nice tonight."

He was lying, but the cat still had no idea how much he'd heard of her conversation with Gardon. His fur had been shorn short, even his quills were reduced from their usual branches to mere twigs. Blaze's heart ached at the sight of him, not just damage but demoralised. Feeling her muscles tense as anxiety swelled, the cat slipped closer, arriving by his bedside.

"How are you feeling?" She managed to ask.

"I've been worse," He shrugged, "How about you?"

He was hurt, how could he stand to ask? "I've been worse too..."

The view from his window wasn't anything special, it didn't overlook an especially grand section of the royal garden, but her timing had been just right to centre the full moon within the peak of the glass. Despite its shortened state, his fur reflected the moonlight in a manner that only added to the otherworldly glow that filled the room. She'd never had a chance to see him awash in the glow of moonlight. Only the red of flames.

Her chest ached and heart pounded, she could see in her minds eye all she would have loved to do. To re-bandage him as she had so often before, to wrap her arms around him, and to promise that she would protect him. Now these would be surprise acts from a stranger; likely unwanted by a more self-sufficient hedgehog.

"They told me that you beat Eggman Nega's machine," His gaze was still locked on the window, "Do you know what happened to him?"

"He had some sort of emergency escape advice, a form of crude teleportation," The cat answered, "Once I destroyed his machine, he vanished in a flash of green."

"He probably went back to mess up my world," Silver grumbled, "I don't even know why I'm here, I've already caused you far too much trouble."

"Nonsense," She huffed, "You injured yourself saving the palace, you've done the opposite of causing trouble."

"You don't think Eggman Nega followed me here?" He shot back, "I made a mistake, I fell through time, he must have followed..."

"Based on the design of his machine, I doubt that was the case. He always intended to strike here," Blaze quickly countered, "It was just a fortunate coincidence that you arrived at the same time."

"Maybe..." Her words were falling on deaf ears, "Still, I know what I did to this room..."

His optimism was at an all time low, things were surely dire in his timeline. Whether it was conflict with Eggman Nega or an apocalypse induced by failures in the world's past, the Silver she'd known had certainly struggled but never fallen to the kind of despair that this one was presently wrestling. She'd seen him hurt, but he'd always longed to jump to his feet and keep fighting for what was right. Perhaps keeping him here to heal wouldn't be so difficult after all...

Why did she long for him to be so foolhardy? Did she want him to hurt himself, just so that she knew that her partner was still in there? Was his state of self-sacrifice not proof enough of that?

Blaze started to reach out, just to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but she thought better of it before her fingers could meet with bandage and fur. This was not her Silver, he did not know of her shared past. To him she was an ally but a quiet and distant one, just as she was to everyone else. She didn't know how he'd respond to comfort, let alone her sympathy. Besides, if she let that wall down then what more would follow? Even visiting him in the night like this had been foolish.

Her gaze drifted past him, landing on the bedside table. A platter of sandwiches still sat uneaten. Had that been his lunch? Had they not brought him dinner? Regardless...

"You need to eat more," She lowered herself to sit at the foot of the bed, "It's clearly affecting your head."

"I'm not hungry," He refused, "I feel... strange."

His bluntness irked her more than it should; Blaze felt her teeth grit. Were this her Silver, she would have called him naive and made him eat. The hedgehog would have complained but he would have seen it was for his own good, understood and trusted her guidance as she would his. But, again, this was not her Silver.

She didn't know what to do with herself, let alone him. This hedgehog had plainly been hardened by a time spent struggling alone; he had not learned to rely on others in his moments of weakness. He didn't seem comfortable with showing weakness at all in fact...

"I've never seen your arm like that," The cat professed, "Does it hurt?"

"No, it doesn't," He turned to her, "But it's more than just my arm."

He reached up and shifted the bandaging over his eye, revealing what lay beneath. Rather than the bright yellow iris she had anticipated, the hedgehog's eye was glowing with psychic intensity. One of the lines stretching from the mark on his palm had cut up over his cheek and through the pupil.

"Can you see through that?" The cat asked.

"Barely..." He replaced the binding, "My whole body feels so sluggish, but my psychokinesis is surging. Just keeping it under control is making me nauseous. I can't eat, I can't sleep..." His stare fell to his lap, "I'm going to be a burden if Eggman Nega returns."

He was wallowing in his self pity, this truly wasn't the psychic she'd known. Her Silver was far from immune to his emotions, but his response to them had so rarely been to cower. He would rush forward, headstrong; she would have to wrestle him to sit still and act rationally. He may have at times thought himself a burden, but his response would never have been to admit it. He would have struck out even harder, been even more self sacrificing!

As his eyes flickered back to her, she quickly turned her gaze to the window. The hedgehog had once compared her to the sunlight they'd sought, but he had been that very light to her. She had not held hope that life could improve before she'd met him, every day had been a joyless struggle. Would this Silver be like the moon? He was colder, but did he reflect the light of that prior hedgehog, no matter how many times more weakly? Was his soul still within this new mind and body?

The cuff Gardon had given her no longer looked like the others on his person. The koala was right when he said there had been issues with its restoration; vein like lines of silver filled what had surely once been cracks in the golden metal. It held together as one solid piece, but it was neither whole nor smooth to the touch. Even ignoring that the cuff's initial crafting was a mystery, its restoration had plainly been a struggle.

Blaze glanced to him again, finding he had returned to sullenly staring into the moonlight. Again the princess looked to his arm, she was certain it hurt more than he was letting on. She had seen him lose control of his power before, how rage could turn what was would be a gentle psychic grasp into crushing force. If that same energy was flaring uncontrollably within him, then the cat could imagine how it felt. The least she could do was try to help him, she owed that much to the hedgehog she'd known.

A flinch pushed her back as she touched his arm, feeling the psychokinetic surge that was pulsing through his body. Her second grasp carried her purpose, she would not let go of him no matter how it hurt. She would gladly suffer any pain if it meant that Silver could finally rest properly after all the good he had done.

Surprised creased his muzzle, "What are you do-

"Give me your hand," The cat insisted, "Now."

He didn't resist, but his expression remained perturbed. His fingers were thinner than she recalled; was this a result of psychic energy draining him, or the world he came from? Regardless, Blaze pushed on.

She wasn't even certain what she was doing, the cat went off of pure instinct. It was a little difficult to squeeze the cuff over his hand, it always had seemed to fit so perfectly around his wrist, but with a shove and a tug the jewellery found its way back to its proper place. Almost immediately light filled the dark band in the golden cuff, cyan energy immediately flared and the wristlet solidified itself into place.

Blaze interlocked her fingers with his, still feeling the psychic static continue to buzz through her bones. Hard callouses were obvious to feel, as were the bones of his knuckles, these things were at least familiar to her. She watched with baited breath as his cuff grew brighter; as it did, the lines stretching up his arm thinned slighter and slighter. Where silver had been used to fill the cracks of gold in the cuff, the cyan light was sparking like wild electricity- would that impurity prevent his recovery? Would the cuff break again?

The cat clenched her teeth and held him tighter, she felt his body spasm. The light was fading from both him and her surroundings, only amplified on the metal armlet. Finally, when the limb was too bright to look at directly, she turned away from his arm and up to him. The lines hadn't fully faded, but they had been greatly reduced.

Gently the princess reached up with her free hand, pushing back the bandage that obscured his eye. There was a hint of cyan, a tiny speck in the depths of his pupil, but otherwise the glow had fully left his face. There was no flickering symbol on his forehead, no lines down his cheek. The cuff wasn't containing the spread of psychic energy as successfully as it had before, symbols still stretched as far as his bicep, but he immediately looked so much less alien. So much more familiar.

"How's that?" She asked without thinking.

"Better," His gaze fell to his wristlet only to squint at the brightness, "I think."

Her eyes searched his expression for warmth but still found only confusion and shock. Was he surprised that the cuff had been restored or that it had partially cured his affliction? Was he simply puzzled why she was still holding his hand? She should have been able to read his expression, she used to be able to read him like a book.

He didn't understand why she was doing this for him. This Silver had never known her; did he have any companions? Did he know the kindness of others? Did he act out of his own kindness or a hardened sense of what was right and wrong? It was her fault he was like this; she had left him for a good cause, but she had abandoned him. She was responsible for what he had become. No wonder she was keeping him so close, this was penance.

The cat released his hand, pulled away from his forehead and rose to stand. He didn't know her. She didn't know him. His body and mind were plainly different; it had been foolish to pretend that his soul would differ.

"Please excuse me, I have further duties to attend this evening," Blaze announced, "If you require anything, do not hesitate to ask. You are a guest here."

Despite pushing away she lingered for a moment longer, staring at him from the middle of the room before making for the exit. She had needed him; when the feline had been but a kitten she had been painfully nihilistic, not illogically given the world that she had found herself living through. Silver had helped her, his naive drive to restore their broken world had inspired her to work toward the same and want more than life had dealt them. Now he needed her, it was her turn to mend him, and yet she hadn't the strength to do any more for him. It was only as she reached the door that his voice again reached her ears.

"Blaze?" She looked back to him, still sat on the bed, "Thank you."

Without so much as a goodbye, the princess shut the door behind herself. The weight didn't leave her shoulders, if anything it redoubled. Across this second lifetime she had always been pressured; to hold herself to royal standards of etiquette, to defend her kingdom, and to protect the Sol Emeralds. The weights she'd carried had been countless, and yet... they had never been personal like this. She'd always tried to deflect, to isolate her dutiful self from the true thing. That wasn't an option with him.

Blaze slumped against the door, eventually sliding to sit on the carpeted floor. She couldn't bear to open that door again. Not until he was able to open it for himself.

#silvaze #blaze the cat #silver the hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog #sonic rush #silverxblaze

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