Sum weekend reading for you guys! Hope you enjoy it xx

Marco went to his room, which was the only place he could think of to take her, found a blanket and embraced her with it. She looked like something from a fairy tale. Her thick hair was damp from the rain but still as bright as moonlight. Her eyes were as light but bluer. Marco did not know what to do; she was looking at him with a confused look on her face, but other than that she was lifeless. He needed to warm her, quickly. But he did not want to make any sudden movements, like run like hell towards the kitchen and lit a chair on fire. He sat down with the girl that had started to make tiny noises. Her foot had fallen out of the blanket and she tried to pull it back in with poor result. Marco took it in his hand and reacted on how cold it was. With no further wait, he felt himself get warmer and his blue fire surrounded the two. He started with her foot and let the warmth spread through her body. She started to relax and he could feel her fall asleep. Is that good? Should she fall asleep? He got a bit panicky, got up and went out to find Dory.

It was still raining up on deck where he assumed Dory was, back in the nursing cabin, taking care of injured. There was a little bit of a walk towards it and the rain was pouring down. The last thing he wanted was for the girl to wake up from being drenched in cold water again. The blanket had slid down a little and Marco tried, without waking her up, to take the blanket and cover her again. After a few failed attempts, he succeeded but he had to keep a piece of blanket in his mouth while carefully, and as fast as he could without waking her, make his way towards the nursing cabin where Dory put a band aid on Otto's forehead.

"Uuh Dowy-shan…" Dory turned around and started laughing at the sight. A soaking Marco was standing in the doorway in a very awkward position with a little bundle in his arms, which he had obviously tried to keep warm and dry, without moving too much. Some of the blanket that surrounded the child, he had between his teeth and he held one of her feet in his hand while the other was busy holding her steady.

"Sche fell achleep or phassed out... helph" Marco said worringly.

"You're fine" Dory said to the boy she had put a bandaid on, lovingly slapped his head so that he would leave the bunk.

"Doing well there?" She smirked and went up to Marco to take the blanket from his mouth. This revealed the child who still held onto his shirt with her eyes open.

"She's awake now. Marco, come here. Put her on the table",

Marco did what he was told, and put the girl on the table, while she protested.

"It's just for a second." Marco soothed but Dory went in between.

"Go see if there are any clothes we can put on her. Check with Haruta, he must have some shirts or so that could suit her somewhat, that he's willing to give up." Dory knew that was not true. Haruta had a hard time giving away his precious shirts, since they were hard to find. He only went for the 16th century image which was not easy to come across, if you did not sew them yourself which he often did, bless the boy. He would not give a shirt up that easily. She knew Marco would have to fight him for it. Marco did not seem too happy about the idea but Dory thought it would be good to get his worried mind out of here. She looked at the girl who stood in front of her, looking at Marco.

"Hello there". Dory said to the girl in the softest voice she could, which was not very gentle. She was used to bullying around big strong men all day. You could not win their respect by being soft.

"I will need to take those clothes off, dear, they are very wet and you will get a cold".

Marco hesitated in the door before he left. The little girl protested once more, looking at the door where he had disappeared, but one look from Dory and she put her arms up in the air. Dory's heart melted a little. She undressed her and drew a cloth with warm water on her face and back, and gave her a clean dry blanket from a drawer. She had done this quickly but had noticed the marks that covered the child. Swirling patterns, not even an inch wide, covered most of her little body like snakes. They were not very noticeable, just a bit lighter than the rest of her skin. Dory had never seen anything like it… They did not seem to hurt her or anything. Before she could study them more, Marco came back with a white shirt and a black eye.

"Fought him for it"... He stated and gave it to Dorothy who took out a nail and thread and started adjusting the shirt while Marco went to stand by the girl.

"I saw some marks", Dory started and Marco turned to her.

"What? Like is she hurt? Are you hurt?" He turned to the girl who still stood there, looking at him with big eyes.

"No, but there were light marks over her body. It seems it is a part of her. Look at them." she said. The girl had taken a few steps and was now right next to Marco and he had to lean back a little bit to be able to take a damp string of hair from her face and saw that, crossing her cheek was a light pattern swirling its way down towards her neck.

"It is like that on her whole body". Dory said with the nail in her mouth.

"What are they?"

"I have never seen anything like it. I thought they were frost bites but they are not, nor anything dangerous I don't think. It seems it is more of a pigment. I will have to turn to the books. I really have never"… Her voice broke down in mumblings and Marco turned to the girl again.

"You'll be okay!" He said and patted her back.

Dory finished and held up the shirt that was now a lot smaller than before and looked more like a little dress.

"I think this should suit her, get her here and we will put it on."

Marco went over and sat on the bunk bed while he let Dory put the gown on the girl who made small whimper noises, as loud as she dared. The dress suited her and she made an effort to sit down on Marcos lap, thumb in mouth.

"Yer gonna keep her?" Dory smirked.

"I have to take her to Oyajii. I'm just afraid she'll get scared."

"Yeah.. he is intimidating but you also know he has a heart of gold."

Marco nodded, he knew.

*Knock*Knock*

"Oyajii?"

"Come in son".

Edward was in his room resting in his bed while the crew had dinner in the big dining room. The rain had not stopped and he needed to rest more frequently than before which annoyed him slightly. And this stupid cold..

"Sorry to bother you, but I..." Marco entered with something in his arms. A small child. Edward sat up a little more and frowned.

"Who is this?" he asked.

"Well... that ship that was on fire, we think she was on it. Someone had put her in a life boatand we rescued her. So now she's here"

"I see. Well an angry ocean at night is no place for a child, eh. Let me see her".

Marco took a few steps towards Edward who inspected the girl who seemed surprisingly calm. Maybe she was just way too tired to protest anymore.

"Did you see any more people with her?"

"Nah, she was alone on the boat and the ship was on fire, I couldn't see anyone. Nor in the water. They may have been taken by that other pirate ship, but I did not sense anyone there either except those pirates".

"Who were they?" Edward asked.

"None I recognized, a nasty looking captain with no hair and a wide mouth".

"Sounds like no one I've heard of either. Probably rookies"

"They were after her specifically..."

"Mm... What's that on her face?" Edward pointed at the marks in her face and on her arms.

"Some kind of pigments I think, Dory saw them too"

"Never seen anything like it..."

"Oyajii.."

Edward looked up.

"What should we do with her?" Marco asked with a low voice.

"Not much to do, let her stay here until we find her a better home. Now, go give her something to eat and drink. She looks pale".

Marco did as he was told and took her to the dining room where only a few of his nakama remained. He sat down and asked one of the chefs to give her something, and he returned with some meat and sake. Marco turned to him.

"Dude..."

"Sorry commander... old habit" he mumbled.

"She's like two! Give her some porridge or cream or whatever...!"

Not long after, the head chef returned with some warm milk and a cracker with jam.

"What did Oyajii say?" someone asked.

"We're gonna keep her for now. Keep her safe, until we figure out what to do with her".

"Yeah, a pirate ship is no place for a child like her.." someone else muttered.

A silence hit the group...

"So what's her name?" Charlie asked, breaking the silence, while Marco tried to help her drink the milk from a massive beer mug.

"I dunno, hey.. what's your name little one?" Marco asked her and she looked at him, and then at the others and tried to think.

"Ahii..me, Ahmiihe"

"Ahime?" Marco tried

"Ahiimm..e"

"I don't think she knows herself" Jozu said with a low voice. He had been told to sit a bit further away since his giant face scared her.

"Aimey? Is that okay? You like that?" Marco asked and she nooded while licking the jam off her cracker.

Thank you guys for reading. Soon more to come! Yay! Have a great weekend 3