(Carrier AU)

(12 weeks)

"Uh Teach?" Burgess called out to him, looking weary.

Teach restrained a sigh and glanced over at his helmsmen. "What's wrong? Ace causing another fuss?"

Ace wasn't happy. At all. It was obvious but it would be nice if the kid just settled down and acted like a good hostage. Quiet and obedient. Not one with a death wish half the time who snarked back and threatened to choke him with the chain of his cuffs and demolishing half their food supplies in one go.

"He won't stop crying." Burgess admitted.

Teach blinked at that, startled. "He's crying?"

Laffitte and Augur, who he had been talking to, looked just as stunned as he felt. He had never seen Ace properly upset and crying before. Not even in a situation like this, he was just angry most of the time he wandered in to check up on his prisoner.

"He wants pickles but we don't have any so I told him that. He was angry at first but then he just burst into tears." Burgess looked traumatised.

Teach groaned. "Right, pregnancy hormones. Should have thought of that sooner."

"I thought they would have started calming down by now. He's about twelve weeks along correct?" Laffitte murmured, curious.

"Yeah but he's a D. We seem to make everything go to the extreme one way or another." Teach grumbled out. "Laffitte."

Laffitte sighed. "I'll go fly off and get some."

"He ate the last of the chocolate this morning too so better get more of that."

"Why did we grab him again? At this rate he's going to run our supplies dry." Burgess groaned.

"He's been keeping Whitebeard and his allies off our backs while we search for a good bounty." Teach explained before grimacing. "How's the ice-cream supply again?"

Augur sighed. "I'll go check."

"And I'll go check on Ace." Teach said reluctantly.

He was the Captain of the crew after all so it was his responsibility to handle his cranky, pregnant Commander.

.::.

"Ace?" Teach asked as he opened the door, ducking when a tray flew by his head.

"Go away!" Ace sobbed angrily, eyes red but narrowed on him. "I don't want to see you!"

Teach restrained a tired sigh. "Oh come now my dear Commander. I'm not here to do anything wrong. Look we're getting you some pickles alright? Laffitte's already flew off to get some. In fact he's away getting a rapidly growing shopping list because it turns out the chocolate has ran out and the ice-cream is getting low too-"

He ducked under a cup next, wincing when Ace screeched like a demon.

"WE'RE OUT OF CHOCOLATE TOO?! WHAT AM I GOING TO EAT WITH MY WARM MILK?!"

Teach needed to keep his mouth tightly shut now because they were out of milk too. That glass Ace had finished had been the last one which he should be grateful for because they gave it to him but Ace was also an angry, pregnant carrier who was currently terrifying him with his sheer rage.

He did not want to anger the chained up pregnant man any further who already wanted to bite his head off.

"He'll be back soon so you just need to wait patiently." Teach urged.

If looks could kill he'd be ash right now. God he needed to find a good bounty and join the Warlord program and quickly so he could pass Ace back over to Whitebeard. It would be easy if he just handed Ace over to the Marines but that was just too cruel to do to his old friend. The Marines would kill Ace's baby then hand him over to those witches at the temple who'd pass him on to a noble to be bred and used.

Teach refused to do that even if it would be nice to get some peace and quiet again.

He just needed to find a bounty and then Whitebeard could handle the crazy pregnant carrier cravings he was currently suffering through. For now though he just needed to get Ace to calm down and stop crying long enough for Laffitte to get those bloody pickles, milk and chocolates!

Ah crap and ice-cream. They needed ice-cream.

Screw it he needed ice-cream at this rate. Ice-cream and pie. Lots of it.