HeyGuys

Sorry for the long wait everyone. So much is going on in my life at the moment so I'm struggling to balance it all. Also because I have several fanfictions on the go as well (I have to figure out which one I want to finish first and just work hard on that one)

Again I'm sorry. This Chapter took me forever because I rewrote it about 1 billion times. But I thought I'd share with you my favourite idea…

The Little One That Follows Me

Chapter Ten: Countdown

Chopper

Sanji was making himself busy again. Not that Chopper blamed him. He was probably worried about having the foetus in his stomach, slowly growing.

Chopper had noticed Sanji starting to show under his more, fitted dress shirts. These were worn less and less, Sanji now sporting a dinner jacket with a little extra room. Chopper really needed to get Sanji to buy some loose shirts. If Sanji was going to swell like normal mums would (but in this case Dad… odd thought) then he definitely needed more stretchy tops or at least baggy clothes.
Chopper felt himself chuckle at the thought of Sanji's face, asking him to dress in a normal t-shirt… but then he frowned thinking how hard it was going to be to persuade Sanji to actually do it….

The cook strolled out of the kitchen, a tray on his arm as he walked briskly to where Nami and Robin were sunbathing on the grass deck. He passed them drinks and snacks, quickly making his rounds to everyone on the ship. Franky and Usopp were below, franticly trying to finish the X.R.A Machine. Zoro was up in his training room throwing his weights around. Brook and Luffy were sneaking about somewhere whilst Chopper was writing up notes on Sanji's condition in the man's medical file, having not had the time. He was only now finding it now, three days after leaving Adermin.
They were due to see land sometime in the late evening.

Something caught Chopper's eye. A frown. A grimace.
Sanji hesitated at the bottom of the ladder to Zoro's training room, one hand holding the tray, his other hand holding his abdomen slightly. He looked… in pain.

"Sanji?" Chopper jumped over quickly, suddenly remembering the girls across the deck. Robin knew, but Nami didn't. And Sanji had this weird thought that he didn't want her, nor Franky, Brook and Usopp to find out just yet.
Sanji looked over to the young Doctor, his eyes shooting a warning before glancing to the red haired girl who was sharing a joke with Robin.

"The infirmary?" Chopper spoke softly, smiling as if the conversation was of a different subject. Sanji sighed, although he couldn't help but smile. "Sure."
The two wandered into the kitchen and then into the little doctor's infirmary. Sanji and left the tray of drinks on the kitchen side as he passed, now sitting himself on the cot as Chopper slid into his chair.
Without even asking, Sanji lifted up his shirt, baring skin for Chopper to examine. And there, just where Sanji had been holding, was a small dark blemish.

Chopper frowned. It looked to be a blood clot. Not too big, but bigger than what Chopper would expect. And earlier too.
Blood clots under the skin may appear around six or seven months. Sanji was only in his second month…

"I noticed it this morning," Sanji murmured, touching the area lightly, as if it hurt him. "But it seems to have grown a bit. What could it be?"
"Just a blood clot. Nothing to worry about,"Chopper reassured him, moving to get his bag and some bandages. "Wha-"
"I'm just going to clean it out," Chopper said without looking to the blond, getting his scalpel, aesthetic and gauze. "It'll just ease the pressure in that area. Or it'll get sore."

Sanji nodded, lifting his top up further as Chopper placed a sheet over his trousers injecting him with the numbing concoction. "You need bigger clothes," Chopper said, seizing the opportunity as he pressed his scalpel close to Sanji's skin.

"Hold still," he instructed leaving no room for argument as he began applying pressure. Almost immediately the skin split, revealing a dark crimson clot. Chopper nudged it slightly, to which Sanji winced. Chopper knew it didn't hurt, it was just the weird sight of having the clot… Fall out… Of the slit…

Both Chopper and Sanji stared at the misshapen form that laid on the blanket.

Two arms, two legs and a head.
A foetus form.

A human shape.

"Oh my god," Sanji sobbed, ignoring the gash in his side, reaching down to pick up the tiny form the sat easily in the palm of his hand. Chopper felt his hands move of their own accord, applying gauze to Sanji's cut, wrapping the bandages around the man's stomach. "Ch-Chopper. I k-killed him…" the man said, his voice choking back sobs. "Chop-per. What…" Sanji's voice failed as he stared, tear stained face frozen in grief at the tiny foetus in the palm of his hand.

Chopper said nothing, retrieving his stethoscope and placing it on Sanji's chest. Sanji's heart was beating furiously fast.
But what made Chopper sigh in relief was the tiny beat that followed, unformed and out of sync with the larger, more panicked heart. "Sanji, Sanji calm down it's ok," Chopper said, soothing his patient. "Sanji, I think there were two foetus in you. This one didn't make it… but there is still a foetus in your body."
Sanji began to calm down, his eyes hopeful as he turned to the animal doctor.

Chopper could see his hands gently cradling the grotesque blood form. "Sanji give it to me," he said, taking the medical sheet which had been bloodied from the small operation. "I need to dispose of it."

Sanji looked horrified. Instinctually, he pulled the blood clot closer to his chest. "It's a baby, Chopper. It has arms and legs and… it's a baby. You can't just dispose of a baby." Sanji's voice was like venom.
Chopper fixed Sanji with a gentle, yet sad smile. He didn't accept the monster in Sanji's chest, even if the cook wanted to label it as human. But he wouldn't let the Cook know that. He had it clear in his mind that if given the chance, he'd even kill the thing, before it stole his Nakama away from him…

"I'm sorry Sanji."

Slowly, he took the horrid clot from Sanji, wrapping it in the medical towel. "I didn't mean it that way. But there is nothing I can do. It's already dead."
At those last three words Sanji let out another heartbroken sob.

"What if the other baby dies?" Chopper hesitated. He could feel the slight flutter of happiness, underneath that the tight knot of guilt. "You just have to look after yourself and the baby more," Chopper said, slipping the clot into the bin whilst Sanji buried his face in his bloodied hands.

"Sleep more, eat healthy, stop smoking-"
"I've stopped already." Chopper hesitated. What? But Sanji would never stop smoking. Even after Chopper's endless nagging…. And that monster got Sanji to stop...

"Since when?" Sanji paused, pulling his fingers form his face. Chopper's stomach twisted at the blood there, reminding him just slightly, of when they had first found Sanji, covered in blood, bruised, battered… broken…

The small Doctor took a cloth form his side, damping it and moving to wipe the blood from Sanji's face. The cook's eyes were beginning to water again.
Hormones.

Chopper mentally frowned. If Sanji was having major mood swings now, there was no telling how bad he'd be in a month or two's time. And he was already starting to slow down with cooking.

Things were not boding well for the blonde.

Sanji was getting thinner.
It was hard to see at first because of the creature in his stomach, but it was obvious everywhere else. Sanji's face seemed thinner, his wrists smaller as if what little fat he had left had gone. And Chopper knew exactly what had stolen it. The parasite. The damn monster in Sanji's stomach slowly eating him away and Sanji still wanted to call it human. Yes, it may look like one from the stillborn foetus that Chopper removed…

The small doctor rubbed his eyes, placing down his pen. He had agreed to help Sanji take care of the baby. It was an indirect way to monitor Sanji closely and if given the opportunity, terminate the creature. Maybe Chopper could try it. An injection into the stomach, into the creature itself. Or into the placenta… Chopper was assuming there was a placenta. But then again, the child could just be feeding straight off Sanji. That was why he was getting weak, slowing down….

Sanji was already cooking dinner, and the first time, he had accepted help from someone. Zoro was with him.
Chopper could hear the two through the infirmary door, arguing over how to cut mushrooms and the purpose of washing them beforehand…

If anyone thought it odd, they didn't say anything. They all just went about their business, continuing on as if everything was normal. Chopper would've like to put it down to the crew's naivety, but the doctor knew better. Yesterday, when Sanji had turned in early… Luffy had spoken to everyone. He had kept his promise and not revealed that Sanji was pregnant, only saying that the man was sick and it was serious but he didn't want to worry anyone. Luffy ordered the crew to go about business as usual and not make a fuss, as if nothing was different.

But things were different.

Usopp and Franky were rushing to finish the machine. Nami wasn't asking for drinks. Robin kept to herself, already knowing the situation and Brook only played calm, gentle music. It was simply coincidence that he played Sanji's favourites.

With Sanji accepting help now, even with the returned fighting, everything seemed to be going more smoothly.

Nami had informed everyone that a strong headwind had delayed their travel, meaning they would arrive at the next island; Karpathos, whilst it was dark. She suggested that they wait off shore and attempt to drop anchor in the morning, which was agreed by everyone.

Another day came and went, everyone settling to sleep except for Franky who was on watch, and Chopper, who was thinking too much. He needed the machine to be built. It would allow him to look inside Sanji's stomach and see the creature's growth. He'd be able to identify if Sanji did in fact have a womb or the thing was using him as a food source.

Another thing worried Chopper.

They had already found one deceased foetus. What if C.A.I.N.E had implanted him with more than one? Was that why Sanji was showing more than normal? Did that mean it was going to be harder on Sanji than it already was?

Chopper needed to make some medicine. To inject Sanji and destroy the parasite.

It would break his heart to do so, worried that Sanji would never talk to him again…
But Chopper would pay that price to save the cook's life…

"I've done it! Chopper-bro! I've finished it!"

Chopper was awoken to the joyous shouts of Franky, who was beaming and doing his weird SUPER dance. It took the small Doctor a moment to register what the man was singing about, in the small hours of the morning when the sun had barely began to light the sky. Somehow everyone else remained asleep as Franky tiptoed around them, pirouetting like some weird swan-lake ballerina.
"The machine I made for you. It works!"

That woke Chopper up. He jumped to his feet, barely containing his excitement as he rushed outside.
Franky had already put it in his infirmary, ready and waiting. Chopper could hold his excitement as he switched it on, listening to the rumble of cola powering the X.R.A device. The little screen shone blue and Chopper couldn't contain his squeal.

"It works!" He jumped up and down, getting over excited, realising what he wanted to use it for. "Quick, quick go get Sanji! We can see the baby! I can show him the-"
Chopper froze. He stared at Franky's wide eyes with wide eyes of his own.

"Sanji... is pregnant?"

If it could've, Chopper's jaw would've hit the ground.
Instead, there was another jaw that hit the floor, having fallen off in shock. Chopper turned around to see Brook in the doorway, half of skull where it should be, the rest somewhere by his feet…

"NO NO NO! YOU DIDN'T HEAR THAT!" In one fluent movement, Chopper pushed both men into the infirmary. Without waiting for the flurry of questions that were bound to be asked, Chopper slammed the door shut and raced to the men's quarters, tears streaming down his face.

What had he done?

What had he done!

"LUFFY! LUFFY!"
Chopper raced to the captain's bunk, crying his eyes out, scrambling to wake the rubber man up.

This was a disaster. Sanji had said specifically said that he wouldn't tell the others until he was ready. Not like this. Not blurting it out in an excited manner. Not when they didn't know what the other's reactions would be.
Sanji was worried that they wouldn't accept him as their Nakama anymore. Was that true? Would Franky and Brook treat the Cook differently? Or would they accept it? Or like Chopper, would they want the parasite killed…

The little Doctor flung himself at Luffy. The Captain woke up suddenly… along with everyone else in the room.
"What's wrong?" Zoro asked groggily, pushing to sit himself up in bed, glancing quickly at Sanji, who was wide awake. Chopper stared at him with watering eyes, trying to convey is apology. Usopp woke up quickly, confused by the young Doctor's fearful expression. "Are we under attack?"
Sanji stared out the windows, unconsciously pulling the blankets further around his body as if it would become his shield from other Pirates and Marines. He knew he couldn't fight without risking the baby…

But everyone else was focused on Chopper, trying to understand his tearful babbling. "I'm sorry! It slipped out! I'm sorry!"
Chopper knew he should be apologising to the Cook, instead of the Captain, but he didn't want to face him. He'd broke a promise. Sanji would be betrayed. Heartbroken. He would be angry and upset. He probably wouldn't want to talk to Chopper again…

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to… I-It was an a-acc-ident," the reindeer said, sniffling as he nuzzled into Luffy's chest. The Captain pulled him closer.
Chopper missed the worried glances to the others, too scared to meet anyone's disapproval glares. But Luffy and the others were just as confused. They weren't sure what Chopper had done or what had happened… he wouldn't be acting like this if they were in danger so there was nothing to worry about immediately… but he was still pretty upset.

"Chopper what happened?" The young doctor refused to say anything, nuzzling his face further into Luffy's chest. He missed the panicked look from Sanji, the confused look from Usopp and the grimace from Zoro.

It was then that the door opened and in came two very solemn men, their heads down, their mouths shut.
Chopper's head snapped up, fresh tears spilling down into his brown fur. What was he going to do? What could he say? What were they going to say? It was all over... All over…

Luffy looked to them.
"I think we need to talk," Brook said slowly, looking from Chopper to Luffy… and then to Sanji.

"No…." Sanji stared at him wide eyed, then to the shaking Doctor. He had finally looked to the blonde, his blue eyes paled slightly, his skin glittering from sweat… Another nightmare. But this was real… and a lot worse… "No, no, no! Chopper what have you done?" The man's fragile voice was broken, filled with the fear of betrayal, tears streaming down his cheeks. He brought his legs up, protecting his stomach, pushing himself back into the wall as if trying to gain as much distance from the others as possible. Zoro was the first to his side, wrapping his arms protectively around the Cook's body as he pulled him closer, trying to comfort the man as he began to shake.
Franky and Brook were too shocked, Usopp confused, and Luffy was being pinned down by Chopper. No one did anything. They all just watched the pair.
Zoro was deeply blushing, but at the same time trying to calm Sanji, who looked like he was having a panic attack, his eyes unfocused, shallow breathing…

It was then that the door swung open and in came two worried girls, half dressed as if they had got up in a hurry – which they had. "What happened?" Nami asked, her clima tact in her hands, poised to attack any intruder or threat.
Chopper began to cry again, realising that Nami would also find out. Why? Why had he been so stupid…?
Everyone else just looked to Sanji, who was still sobbing gently into Zoro's chest.

"Nightmare," the Marimo grunted without turning his head, his hands defensively pulling the Blonde closer, shielding him from view.

Nami and Robin paused in the doorway. Chopper watched them.
Robin's expression, and her eyes on Franky and Brook, told Chopper that she knew what was really going on. Nami on the other hand, seemed to accept the nightmare excuse, although her concerned eyes glancing to Chopper suggested that she knew she wasn't getting the whole truth. It wasn't until her eyes narrowed on Brook did she break the awkward silence that had settled over the room.

"Brook! You're meant to be on watch! What happened?" The skeleton looked to the navigator, suddenly realising her words were true. "I-I heard a noise," he said, his eyes on Franky and the Doctor. "I was worried so I came to investigate…" Nami frowned, but it didn't sound suspicious…
"Oh well. Since I'm up, I'll take over," she said, backing out from the room. Robin followed, leaving just the men.

"They don't know either?" Brook asked, staring at the door.
"Robin does. Nami nor Usopp do. We were waiting for Sanji," Luffy admitted, pushing the doctor off his chest. "I think it's best if we all get some sleep. "We'll talk about this in the morning."
And with that, the Captain put Chopper on the floor and rolled back into his bunk.

End of conversation, he seemed to say.

Franky and Brook exchanged a look before retreating to their cots. Usopp looked like he wanted to say something but decided against it, rolled over and tried to sleep.
The doctor climbed into his own bunk, pulling his blanket around him hoping that this was all a nightmare. A twisted evil nightmare…

It was just Sanji and Zoro left together. Chopper could make them out through a gap in the blanket. They has sat together for an hour.
When Zoro moved slightly, it was clear that Sanji had fallen asleep. Exhausted. Slowly, the swordsman laid himself on Sanji's bed beside him, his arms still wrapped around the Cook's body. With one arm he pulled up the blankets and tucked Sanji in before settling himself to sleep.

Chopper didn't realise he had witnessed such a personal moment for Zoro, but it didn't mean much to him. He was still feeling guilty for betraying Sanji.
A thought occurred to the reindeer.

He was going to have to go through all of this again, maybe even ten times worse, when he killed Sanji's baby…

A little further off shore, disguised by the dark of night, a Captain stood at the front of his ship, narrowed eyes focused on the silhouette of a famous ship which had anchored near Karpathos's east bay.

"Sir, do we attack now?" It was another man who had spoken: Tehran, a man who had already had a run in with the pirates they were hunting. It was a battle he had lost, although intentionally and on orders of the man who stood beside him...

"Not yet," the man said, his eyes still trained on the enemy ship. "I haven't known a test subject to survive this long without feeling the effects of the supersede before. This one is a promising subject. He could very well be Mizu ōjo."

The man's eyes narrowed a little further, but there was an amused malice intertwined with his bloodlust that made the man beside him shudder.

"We'll wait until the time before maturation before we make our move."

Both men turned their backs on the ship, heading inside. "You never know," the Captain of the ship said coldly.
"The man may never survive. None of the others have. It'll be such a shame. He was such an interesting specimen."

DUN DUN DUN!

I wonder who is hunting

Also on another note, I will be updating all of the other Chapters as well so I can keep this story making sense - I think I've left out some key points in places and probably contradicted myself in several places so I need to go over and check all of that - oops.

And just so you know I am not abandoning this Fanfic. I'm just figuring out how to balance everything so it may just take me a little longer to upload...