Chapter 13

"Papa," I say cheerfully as I run out onto the training ground in my tank top and leggings ready to start our training for the day. "I'm ready for training, and now I'm 13 can I start using a sword?" He turns to me with a very serious face, so stern and unhappy that I stop, startled.

"Listen, sweetie, I think it's time we stopped training," he says as he refuses to look me in the eye. "You can train with the soldiers sometimes, but you're a girl now, you should spend time learning from your mother so that you can become a wife. And I have lots of responsibilities as a Vice-admiral now."

"But I want to train with you papa," I object, my voice catching in my throat. "And I want you to teach me to use a sword like you."

"No, it's not lady-like for you to use a sword," his voice and his features harden becoming sterner. "You need to start preparing to get married, it's what is expected of you."

"But I don't want to be a wife, papa," my vision blurs through my tears, "I want to be the best soldier like my papa."

"I SAID NO," he shouts, becoming angry and looking at me with harsh and uncaring eyes. "Sons are taught to fight, daughters are wedded to strong marines. Learn your place before I have to teach you." And with that he stormed off.

The next day, I walk to school with Zoro on my hip. My mind wonders about how much longer Zoro will be a baby and if it's worth getting him another set of clothes. A flash of red in the corner of my eye alerts me to Kid's presence.

"Still looking after that baby, huh?" he asks me. I nod even though the answer is pretty obvious. "I'm sure Bonney will let up soon, after all watching you two isn't that entertaining." As quick as he arrived, he left. I ponder his words as I walk, wondering what Bonney finds interesting about the situation.

I keep a look out for Bonney all morning but there's no sign of her anywhere. I sigh in slight relief as I notice her sat at her usual table when I enter the cafeteria for lunch time. I sit with the others and start setting myself up to feed Zoro before I realise that they're all staring at me.

"What's wrong, am I doing something bad?" I say stopping dead still.

"Ko..." Sanji starts to say with a serious face.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY," they all cheer and I stare at them blankly in shock. I never told anyone when my birthday was, it's never been a big deal to me. The next thing I know Sanji's pushing a posh cake with birthday candles across the table towards me.

I blink in shock, looking between their smiling faces and the cake. "Come on Ko, blow out your candles and lets eat!" Luffy cheers. I blow out the candles and laugh as Sanji has to fight Luffy from eating the whole thing.

Sanji hands me a slice of cake that tastes like heaven. "Mmm Sanji this is so good," I compliment him as I savour each bite. I turn to Zoro who's frowning deeply and offer him some cake. He reluctantly takes a bite but keeps the deep frown on his face. "What's wrong Zoro?" I say as I pick him up and place him in my lap. I cradle him to me as tears well up in his eyes. "Hey, hey don't cry Zoro what's wrong?"

"If I may suggest, Ko-san," Brook interrupts as he watches us. "Zoro-san seemed to get upset when we mentioned your birthday. Could it be that he's upset about being in this condition on your birthday." Zoro's crying gets louder and I cradle him to my chest trying to soothe him.

"Hey hey calm down it doesn't matter," I coo at him as I bounce him up and down. He sniffs back his cries, eyes watering. I kiss his forehead gently stroking away his tears. I whisper in his ear soothing words and try to calm him down. When he doesn't calm down I take him out of the cafeteria and into the courtyard. I sit on our bench where we sat the first day he kissed me and I think back to those moments that seem like so long ago as I try to soothe him.

"Shhh," I whisper as I gently bounce him, "Zoro it's okay, please stop crying." I kiss his head and rub my thumb across his little knuckles. "It's okay Zoro, don't be upset, everything's okay." His wailing quietens a little and he presses his hand to my face, his tear filled eyes looking at me pleadingly. "Don't cry," I say running a finger gently across his cheek, "We're going to get you returned back to normal soon." I continue bouncing him as his cries slowly come to a halt. At the corner of my eye I see a flash of pink and I search the area, but see nothing around.

I pick a tired Zoro up and carry him back to the cafeteria as he gently drifts off to sleep. Everyone welcomes me back but they keep quiet as they try not to disturb Zoro's nap as they continue to celebrate my birthday.

When I walk out of school, Zoro on my hip, I see Bonney and Law talking at the school gate. Bonney walks over to us, Law watching from a short distance away. I stop a few feet away from her, watching as she stops, neither of us saying a word. I wait patiently, Zoro's tiny fists gripping onto my shirt tightly.

"You're still looking after him," Bonney states, "and its your birthday, yet you still take care of him." I remain silent, watching her as she walks slowly towards me. "I guess you'll do," she says with a sigh before turning her attention to Zoro who starts to grow. I place him on the floor and remove my jacket, using my jacket to cover him up as he stands naked in front of Bonney. He glances at me gracefully and takes the jacket, holding it over himself.

Bonney and Law wordlessly turn and leave the school premises. Zoro turns to me grinning, "Happy birthday!" he cheers as he leans down and places a kiss on my lips. He wraps his arms around me and I catch my jacket, holding it against his hips as he blushes a little.

"Why don't we go get your gym clothes from your locker?" I suggest as he takes the jacket back. We head back into the school building, the boys we pass laugh at Zoro's misfortune while the girls eye up his big strong muscled chest. I grit my teeth and try to control my irrational jealousy but I let myself glare at them out of the corner of my eye.

I follow Zoro to his locker, where he takes out his clothes and turns away from me. My eyes trail over his bare back, down to his bare behind where my gaze lingers. I snap out of my trance when he pulls on his gym shorts and he turns back to me. I give his chest an appreciative glance which he smirks at. He hands me my jacket back and puts the rest of his things back into his locker.

"No shirt?" I question as I watch him put his gym shirt back in the locker as well.

"I get the feeling you like me better without it," he says as he takes my hand and leads me out of the school building. I blush a little and grin sheepishly at his words.

"Are you glad to be back to normal?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

"Of course I am, although I'll miss not being able to cry and get all your attention," He says with a hint of a blush and a large smirk plastered on his face.

"You're a big boy now you'll get over it," I tease and he blushes a little more.

"I am upset that I missed most of your birthday," he says suddenly serious.

"Don't try to change the subject," I tease but he doesn't laugh. "Zoro what's wrong?"

"I missed your birthday, what kind of boyfriend am I?" he growls, more at himself than at me.

"Zoro it's not your fault," I say firmly as I pull him to a halt and make him face me, "you're the best boyfriend, it doesn't matter to me."

"It does matter though," he says stubbornly.

"Zoro, my birthday's never been made a big deal, don't worry about it."

"All the more reason I should have done something special for you," he protests a deep frown on his face.

I sigh as I realise that he probably won't give in, "what do you want me to say Zoro?" He thinks to himself for a moment.

"Let me walk you home," he takes my hand and leads me down the path anyway leaving me no option.

"Uhm Zoro, my house is that way," I say as he makes a wrong turn. He grumbles under his breath a small blush speckling his cheeks and he tugs me in the other direction.

When we reach Makino's Zoro borrows the den den mushi and ushers me out into the bar. I sit at the table in the sparsely populated room, nursing a soft drink. Zoro comes back later and pulls me up to my room before leaving me there with strict instructions not to go downstairs. I lie on my bed, bored out of my mind and searching for something to do.

Just as I can't take anymore, Makino walks in, bustling about and opening up my wardrobe before pulling out my fanciest clothes. "What are you doing?" I question as she holds each dress up against me and relegating some back into the wardrobe. She lays out the remaining three dresses on the bed and turns to look at me.

"Which dress?" she asks.

"What do you mean, where am I going?" I ask as I look between her and the clothes she laid out.

"You need something fancy, but I didn't want to give you something you would look chaste in," she explains even though that wasn't the question that I asked her.

"Why? What's going on?" I continue my interrogation but she has none of it as she turns back to the bed.

"I think this one," she says holding up a floor length navy blue garment with a sweetheart neckline and a fitted top. "It's just the perfect balance of elegant and sexy don't you think?"

She doesn't give me time to answer before she's dressing me in it and guiding me to my chair. She selects some instruments off the table and works on applying my makeup. Then she starts running a brush through my hair, her hands delicately guiding the brush through to free the tangles. She starts curling then, then hot tongues heating my skin but never touching. She applies the finishing touches and selects a pair of medium heels and slips them on my feet.

She quickly guides me to the full length mirror hanging on the back of my door and shows me my reflection. For a moment I struggle to see myself, instead seeing this classy woman. But when I look I find myself there in the features, just in a way that is different to any way I have seen myself before. Sure I wore this dress to formal events that I was expected to attend with my family and I was always happy with the way the fabric clung to my bodice, but when my hair is curled and my make up is done in such a elegant and classy way, I look like a whole new person. But I'm not scared, I came here to become a new person. A person away from my parents and the marines. Away from the people that aim to control me and sneakily manipulate me into their own justice system.

My staring is interrupted as the door swings back on it's hinges. Sanji stands in the door way, dressed smartly. When he sees my attire his eyes turn into hearts and I dribble of blood runs down his face as he swoons. He seems to forget what he came here for and walks back down stairs still swooning. I hear Zoro's angry shouts from downstairs and I smile, finally coming fully back into reality.

"I think he was supposed to tell us that it's ready," Makino chuckles as she guides me out of the room and down the stairs. The bar was relatively the same, the same tables and chairs, the same people. Only the boisterous attitude was missing, instead the atmosphere was calmer, more refined and the men contained their ruckus, instead dining on delicious classy meals placed on the table in front of them. Makino walks me round to the front of the bar where I meet the gaze of the people staring at me.

Sanji swoons some more as he prances about between the ladies that he attracted into the bar for the night with both his charm and the delicious aroma of his cooking. His attention flits between me and the girls begging him to serve them and talk to them. Sat at a table in the corner, Sensei and his wife look at me with a gentle and approving smile. Out of the corner of my eye I catch Makino's proud face, with her hand cupped over her mouth as if she were looking at her own child. In front of all of that, and the center of my attention, was Zoro. Dressed smartly in a suit, his attire fitted my formal dress, unlike the rest of the bar. I relax a little seeing that I am not the only person who is a little overdressed for this particular scene.

The way Zoro looks at me sends shivers down my spine. His gaze is both loving and hungry as his eyes flicker up and down my body before resting on my face. He smiles as he locks eyes with me, walking towards me. This Zoro is completely unlike any Zoro I have ever seen before. Instead of the irritable yet lovable grumpy moss head, I'm faced with a composed, smart, classy man.

He takes my hand and guides me to a small table at the back of the bar, the one we were sat at only this weekend. We sit, looking at each other for a moment. He seems to find amusement in my slightly dazed expression.

"I didn't want your birthday to pass by uncelebrated," he starts, his voice low and husky, "and I wanted to show you how much it means to me that you would look after me and put up with me for so long, even as a baby."

"Zoro…" I start, shaking my head.

"No complaints," he orders, frowning and I laugh as I see some of the stubborn Zoro that I know show through his composure.

"How did you do all this? You changed the whole feel of the bar!" I protest as I look around in amazement.

"I'm not exactly good at the whole romance thing but I wanted to do something for you so I called Sensei and that stupid love-cook for their advice and they agreed to help me out," he explains and I can't help but laugh at his tone when he mentions Sanji.

As if he was called Sanji dances over to us and sets down two plates full of delicious food in front of us. His nose dribbles a little as his eyes drop a little lower than they should.

"Hey, pervert stop looking at my girlfriend like that!" Zoro growls as he jumps up and grips hold of the lapels on Sanji's suit.

"A lovely lady like Ko shouldn't be with a brute like you," Sanji growls back.

Sensei steps up and breaks up the fight, Zoro sits down grumpily as he watches Sanji walk back to the kitchen. I laugh at his typical behaviour, taking comfort in the normalness of it even if we're set here in fancy clothes with fancy dishes in front of us.

"You really didn't have to do this you know," I say as I look around at my strange yet familiar surroundings.

"I did," he says, focusing his attention back on me. I shake my head but say no more. "Have you had a good birthday? You know, aside from starting it with me as a baby."

"It's been the best birthday of my life," I reply honestly as I start to eat the delicious meal that Sanji has made.

"It's not over yet," Zoro says with a smirk.

"What else have you got planned?" I ask intrigued and completely baffled by the idea that he could do anything else.

"You'll see," is his only reply.

"How do you usually spend your birthday?" Zoro asks as we eat our meal.

"Just like any other day," I say smiling at Zoro's confused frown.

"How would you spend your days normally then," Zoro presses and I frown at his invasiveness, not thinking that this would be the best opportunity to reveal that I've been trained and raised by marines by my whole life in hope that I would take after my father.

"Training," is all I say but it seems to satisfy Zoro as he lets it go.

"You look beautiful," he says as he smiles at me.

"You look pretty good yourself," I reply making him blush a little. "So, why are you doing all this?" I say gesturing around at the quiet, dimly lit bar.

"Can't I do something special for the girl I love's birthday?" he protests, his blush only growing.

"Absolutely not," I say, my face serious.

"Why is that?" he asks, still smiling as he calls my bluff.

"because… because… because... " I say with emphasis as he starts to smirk at me, "because I'm not special."

At that Zoro frowns, his face becoming angry, almost the kind of 'I'm gonna kill a bitch' angry but not quite. "Don't you say that," he almost yells.

"What it's true, I'm not some superbly talented person, I don't have a crazy yet somehow achievable dream. In truth I don't deserve someone like you." I say, unable to look him in the eye as I speak and instead finding the table very interesting.

"That's not true, how can you even talk like that?" his appalled tone making me feel guilty as I continue to avoid his gaze. "Ko, you are the most special person I have met. You're not just some nobody, I don't care if you don't have a fancy dream. And don't even get me started on the talented thing, I have heard you sing you can't say you're not talented. That's not even important to me, what's important is that you are the most beautiful and funny girl I have ever met. You are the one girl who I've been remotely interested in and you are the most special person that I've met."

I stare at Zoro in shock at his words. "Have you finished?" He asks and I nod, still in shock. He takes my hand and leads me out into the street. He leads me away towards the forest a slightly confused expression on his face as he looks around in the dim light.

"Do you know where you're going?" I ask a little concerned that Zoro will somehow get me lost in the place I live.

"Of course I know where I'm going," Zoro growls irritably.

"Where are you taking me?"

"I thought we would go down to the beach."

"The beach is the other way."

He growls, tugging my arm sharply as he whips around and pulls me back the way we just came.

The wind hits us hard as we step down onto the soft sand. I pull my shoes off and leave them at the edge of the beach, feeling the still warm sand in between my toes. Zoro copies my actions and we walk hand in hand down the beach, the scene a golden light from the last rays of sun on the horizon. The sun dips down, swallowed by the earth and the sky, still slightly golden, dims enough for us to start to see the stars.

The freezing cold water washes over our feet and I squeal a little at the sharpness, running out of the way of the tide. Zoro doesn't let me run very far and he quickly pulls me back into the shallow water and into his arms. The water soaks the bottom of my dress and my feet sink into the sand, but I can't help enjoying Zoro's arms wrapped tightly around my waist like a vice.

The tide washes in again and soaks my calves. "I'm ruining your pretty dress, I'm sorry," zoro says and he lifts me up and swings me over his shoulder. He places me down on the sand at the top of the beach away from the encroaching tide. He captures my lips as he sits next to me and he pushes his tongue into my mouth. I grip the back of his head and meet his fiery passion with my own. Our tongues dance with each other, fighting for dominance but neither gaining the upper hand.

I pull back and press my forehead against his, catching my breath. His arms wrap around me, pulling me close and stroking the fitted fabric clinging tightly to my skin. His lips press against my jaw, trailing down my neck, planting soft kisses against my heated skin. "Fuck, you're beyond beautiful," his voice a bare whisper against my neck. His lips suck on the skin of my neck, giving me a hickey next to the fading one. "I love you," he breathes against the tender skin. "I love you," he says again as he recaptures my lips.

I pull back and move to kiss down his jaw. His hands move to the bare skin on my shoulders, stroking gently. "I love you too," I whisper against his jaw before starting to kiss down his neck. He pulls my face back to his for another kiss. Eventually we break apart and I lean my head against his shoulder, turning to look out across the dark sea, the stars twinkling brightly in the sky and the moon's bright reflection lighting the waves.

"It's beautiful," I breathe as I take it all in.

"It is," he agrees as he leans his head against mine. "Have you enjoyed your birthday?" His fingers trail against my bare arms sending shivers through my body.

"I have loved it," I say leaning against him heavily as the exhaustion from the day starts to set in.

"I'm glad," I hear the smile in his voice.

"What did I ever do to deserve you," I say quietly to myself as I watch the waves rush into shore.

"You didn't have to do anything," Zoro mutters.

I see a large ship sailing along the horizon and watch as it approaches, trying to make out the markings in the darkness, the moon's light turning everything black and white. The ship turns as it approaches the shoreline and a bright light starts circling the ship, lighting the coastline. I sit up sharply, pulling out of Zoro's embrace.

"Don't worry about the ship, it's just the marine patrol, they're not going to bother with us," Zoro tries to soothe me, his hand stroking my back. My mind races, my body kicking into action and I quickly dip to kiss his shocked lips. I run up the beach as the light gets closer and closer to me. I grab my shoes and run through the streets, entering Makino's through the back to avoid the people who might ask questions.

I stop to gain my breath in the kitchen, leaning against the cold walls. After a few moments I hear the door to the bar and peek around the corner. Zoro comes in, looking dishevelled and covered in my lipstick. Sensei starts laughing as he heads towards Zoro, asking him where I am. I close my eyes and lean my head back against the wall, letting the guilt settle in my stomach. I abandoned Zoro because I was afraid of the marines. Zoro was probably right and they wouldn't have bothered with us, but I couldn't risk it. My mind fills with the thoughts of what my father would do if he knew I had a boyfriend.

I hear the door and peek around to see that Zoro left. I slide down the wall, curling up as the adrenaline wears off. The door to the kitchen pushes open and I feel Makino's hand on my back as she sits down next to me. "What happened?" she asks gently. I lean into her, silently wishing that her soft body was Zoro's strong one.

"I saw marines and I panicked," I whisper, feeling the guilt bubble in my stomach again. "if they saw us and word somehow got back to my dad, I can't even begin to imagine what he would do." I justify to myself. Makino rubs my back, comforting me. I sigh and stand, slowly walking up to my room. I undress and collapse on my bed, wrapping myself in my blankets and slowly falling asleep.

I was expecting to upload more of these this weekend, but the weather has been so glorious here in the UK that I just had to go and enjoy the mini heatwave!