This is mostly just for me to practice writing and also because I love writing about one piece characters. I'm still undecided about pairings, though there will most definitively be hints towards love with some characters. It will also follow canon for the most part but there shall be a few things that aren't the same. If you notice anything majorly wrong with either my spelling/grammar or even if the story seems off just tell me so I can try and fix it. It is greatly appreciated and helpful. Anyways Enjoy.

Chapter 1 Baby Aboard

Marco sat up in the crow's nest enjoying the cool night air. He was always one to enjoy some time alone to watch the stars. Of course, that does not mean that he was not paying attention to his current task. Though he was not too worried because Moby Dick was currently docked off of one of the many islands under Whitebeard's protection. They were there because Whitebeard had gotten a message from someone on the island that he must meet them. Glancing over at the small island he noticed a small rowboat with a single person sitting on it. With a light stretch as he stood up, he jumped over the railing, landing on the deck with a soft thud.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the one in the rowboat was a woman who was quite well known on the ship, simply because she had been the head nurse for Whitebeard up until roughly two years ago where she suddenly left. He leaned over the railing watching her draw closer until her boat had reached Moby Dick. He quickly let down the rope ladder where she quietly climbed up and gently landed on the deck.

"Welcome back Layla, yoi," He commented with a slight smile towards her.

Layla gave a friendly smile back and adjusted her grip on the object she was holding. Marco glanced at the bundle of cloth wrapped up in her arms before looking up at her with a curious gaze. She glanced around shyly before once again gently moving the bundle of cloth to show Marco what was wrapped up in the cloth. Marco was met face to face with a small face with sky blue eyes staring into his widened blue eyes. He quickly looked up at Layla with a warm smile.

"What's its name, yoi?" He questioned, glancing at the baby once again.

"Rose D. Edward," She said smiling fondly down at her child.

His head shot up with breakneck speed to look at her face once again shocked. She glanced away again with a faint blush of embarrassment with nothing to say anything. After a few moments of silence, she turned to finally look at Marco still not looking him in the eyes too embarrassed.

"W-well when two adults love each other very much or get drunk late at night with each other-"

"Okay, I get it. You don't need to explain it. Anyways I assume you are here to see pops then, yoi?"

She gave a quick nod pulling her child close before glancing up behind him. Marco glanced over his shoulder to see the fourth division commander Thatch walking across the deck towards them. After a few more short strides he stood next to Marco resting his arm on his shoulder. He gave them both his cheesy smile before looking up Layla and down.

"Layla your back. We have all missed you, Especially Oyaji," Thatch rambled happily.

Layla looked down at the baby with a soft smile. Thatch eyes had followed her. He stared at the child and then looked at Layla and back at the baby she was holding. He gasped loudly before looking up at Marco. Marco could already feel his eyebrow twitch in annoyance.

"You had a kid with Layla and didn't tell me?!" He shouted at Marco with wide eyes.

"No, I did not have a kid with Layla," Marco said, trying not to smack him.

"But the baby has blonde hair and blue eyes. Well, Layla does have blue eyes so do you and you are the only one on this ship who has that color blonde hair. And as her Division Commander, you two were close," Thatch pointed out.

Layla gave Thatch a short smile before gently rocking the newly awakened baby in her arms.

"I need to talk to Whitebeard," Layla said glancing at Marco.

"He is still in his room. I'm sure I don't need to show you the way," Marco told her.

She shook her head side to side. She let out a small worried sigh before making her way to his room where she stood outside his door briefly before knocking lightly. She heard his gruff voice telling her to come in.

Whitebeard was awake and sitting on his bed when Layla stepped inside. He gave her a soft happy smile at her return aboard the ship. She quickly returned the smile before glancing down at her kid and back up at her lover.

"So this is why you had suddenly told me you were going on a vacation for a while," He said softly, not wanting to wake the child. She gave him a shy nod before he continued. "I assume that I know who the father is?" He asked with a knowing gaze. She gave him another nod before looking down at her child who had fallen asleep again.

"Yes, you are the father, Newgate. This is our child, Rose D. Edward," She told him looking up at him to see he was now looking at his child. He had a fond smile on his face glancing at Rose proudly. Layla walked over to Whitebeard before gently setting the child into his hand. He gently held his new daughter afraid of dropping her. Layla let out a few chuckles at the sight. Here she was watching the strongest man in the world fret over a tiny child in his giant hand. The child was barely the size of his palm, though Layla herself was just barely taller than his palm herself.

"So what will you do?" Whitebeard asked, glancing at Layla. She looked down at the ground thinking before hesitantly looking back at him.

"I was hoping that you would take her and me back in...Just for a while...I'm afraid of…" Layla kept glancing at Whitebeard and the ground unsure how to tell him.

"Afraid of what my dear?" He asked softly gently, picking her up with his other hand to hold her closer.

She gently shifted in his palm until she got comfortable. She stared intently at her fidgeting hands before letting out a long sigh. She brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear before looking in his eyes and continued. "I'm dying my love. I only have a few days, a week tops. And before you ask, no there is no cure. I will die this week and sadly there is nothing anyone can do to stop it. I came to let you know of our kid and ask that you take care of her. Though I know it will be hard and it may be safer for her to live out her life in one of the normal seas not knowing who her father truly is….I hate how she will never be able to live a normal life simply because the world will claim she is the child of a devil...No kid deserves to have to live that life…"

Whitebeard sat still staring into his lover's eyes. He mulled over what to tell her before giving her a reassuring smile. "I will take care of her my love. She will grow up strong and she will get to choose how she wants to live her life, whether it be as a pirate, a marine, a revolutionary, or even a normal civilian. You can rest easy knowing that she will be in safe hands. We will not spread that she is my child,"

She smiled and her shoulders relaxed as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She stood up and gave Whitebeard a quick kiss before pulling away. She leaned over to his other hand to pick up her child and give her a small kiss on the forehead.

"I love you both so much...I wish I didn't have to go and leave you both...but the world is a cruel place..." Layla told Whitebeard as she put Rose back into Whitebeard's hand before jumping down to the ground. He looked her over with a sad smile.

"I assume this is the last time I shall be seeing you?" He asked, trying to keep his tears down.

She gave him a heartbroken smile before nodding. He gently gave her a hug which she returned to the best of her ability. She gave him another kiss, longer than the last one but filled with just as much passion and longing as the first. Their actions conveyed their feelings and the words they could not tell each other openly. At last, Layla pulled away and gave Whitebeard one final smile. She set down a small basket next to him and gave Rose a final goodbye kiss on her forehead. Rose smiled happily and reached towards her mother babbling happily. Layla's eyes silently filled with tears as she quietly left the room never to be seen again.