Those hours she used to spend with him seemed to be the best thing that had ever happened to her. It was hard to believe that such an unbearable man could make her happy so easily, not even putting too much effort into it: only a smile of his lips was enough to cheer her up. Of course nobody would ever understand this metamorphose: if only a soul learnt about the relationship between Rouge and Roger, she would be declared to be a pirate's freebee – or they would even find far more offensive words to describe her "despicable" behavior. Ah, why are people always scooping around? Why do they poke their noses into other people's affairs?

Rouge glanced at the tall figure of the man lying beside her. Roger, childishly spread across the bed, was peacefully snoring, appearing to be careless. "Yesterday" didn't exist for him; neither did "tomorrow". He seized the hour, enjoyed what he had now, and Rouge, scrutinizing his tanned face, thought how he was able to keep that vigour and cheerfulness, having such a large number of enemies and envious persons around. Such an unbearable man… she loved so much.

The woman lay next to him and immediately felt his arm wrapping around her waist, bringing her closer to the stronger body as if sheltering from rain. Rouge always surprised at his readiness to help a friend, even if the case was not worth powder and shot; but she was endlessly thankful for those pleasant yet a little bit crazy moments he had brought in her ordinary life, for the care and protection he lavished upon her. But really, was a pirate's life so beneficial that he was ready to put up with the unfair rumours and dirty gossips they talked about him? Rouge cuddled him, placing a hand on his chest, feeling how calmly and steadily his heart was beating. He'd never said anybody they were wrong about him…

Well of course, at times they had quarrels, and Roger could behave like a fretful selfish boy – but this feature of his character was one of the loveliest to Rouge. He could insist on her doing something, he was able to deliver a silly ultimatum – but she was perfectly aware of the best ways to soften him; she knew what words she should say and how to touch his arm to smooth his surly wrinkles upon the forehead and how to make him laugh again, lie down and look at the sky, placing the hands behind the head. He used to tell her about ghostly ideal towns those existence seemed to be a fairy tale. She smiled, asked questions – and pleaded to show her at least only one place he loved the most. He eagerly nodded; and, flattening his moustache with a wide hand, burst out into laughing, remembering some amazing story happened to him on the way to another port. Rouge was all ears; any single detail made her closer to the life of the man she loved more than anything else in the world.

He liked putting his head in her lap and, sipping sake, listening to her simple news and stories. Yes, her life was not as eventful as his own yet Roger found some kind of vague charm of settled life – the type he would never be able to get used to: the sea was not only nature to him. The sea was his father and mother that brought him up. But the more he visited that particular woman, the oftener he thought about his future and his desire to spend the rest of the life with her. Tender and affectionate, Rouge was a bay in a restless ocean, and here beside her he found what he had sacrificed to become a great pirate – calmness and peace. She had never tried to change his mind about a dangerous thought stuck him at night – she knew, it'd be all in vain – but anytime she gently squeezed his hands and asked to be careful and stay alert, devotedly looking into his eyes. She laughed at his jokes; laughed and softly kicked him in the back when he picked her up and put on his shoulder, bringing her to the most beautiful place on the whole island – just to watch a wonderful scenery of the infinite ocean.

Rouge suddenly remembered his great surprise at the news of her being pregnant. She was frightened for a moment: wasn't he going to leave her?.. No; instead of doing so, he seemed to be ready to whirl her around the room, although he just kissed the backside of her hand, carefully squeezing it.

"Will we go away from here?" he suggested with that usual adventurism he always had in his voice. "We'll find a nice place where nobody will find us, settle down…"

Roger was already imagining the pictures of their coupledom, but, being a shrewd woman, Rouge knew: he would quickly miss his ship and a tight-knit crew. Not answering his question, she tenderly pressed his head on her chest and kissed the top of his head, slightly ruffled his thick hair.

"You're the most famous pirate in the world. Do you really think they will forget us so easily?" she smiled gently.

"So what? Another clown will appear to entertain the World Government!" he grumbled, twirling a strand of her light hair around his finger. "All in all, I'm not the only pirate in the world; you know yourself how many emulators I have!" he laughed loudly and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Roger, that's impossible and we both know why." she replied warmly, putting her head on his shoulder. "You will never be able to leave the sea."

"I will be." he repeated insistently like a fretful child, picking a flower and putting it in her fair hair. "You just don't know me well."

"I do. That's why I say so," she demurred softly and, braided the flower in the tress of her hair, gave a slight sound, placing her hands on her stomach.

Mirth vanished from his tanned face forthwith.

- Rouge? Are you all right?

She nodded and smiled, carefully putting his hand upon her own.

"Can you feel it?"

His lips immediately stretched into a silly happy smile. The expression on his face told Rouge a lot – and she couldn't but kissed his not well-shaved cheek.

"We can't go anywhere right now. Why not wait for some time?"

"But then – I promise – we will sail away from here to the most distant island. The Marine will never guess where we are."

"Anywhere you want. But… when you go off the deep end… please, visit me and our little one, okay?" she joked mildly.

Oh, how funny it was to hear him assuring her! He swore he would never put out to sea – and nothing could cool him. Well, a bit later Roger confessed he had exaggerated: the ocean was as needed as the air; and finally he agreed that the settled life was not the thing he was looking for. Yet he understood he should be cautious: his child must not be taken as a criminal only because his father was a pirate, so he was ready to do everything to give the boy or the girl the start in life.

Roger sniffed in sleep and muttered something. Rouge, hurrying to calm him down, touched his careless tanned face with her smooth warm lips.

"I love you", she whispered in a low voice, and, glancing at the soft yet indistinguishable sweep outline of her belly, touched it with her fingers as if assuring the little one she loved them too. Roger, who was clearly enjoying the dream he was having, smiled and hugged the woman tighter, clumsily placing a kiss upon her head, lulling her to sleep.