A/N – Hey guys, so I'm on a roll with these chapters! I really enjoy writing them, and I hope you enjoy reading them as well. Please tell if my pace is going too slow, I feel like I put too much emphasis on everyday interactions, and that's because that's how I usually write them, I've been meaning to ask you guys for your opinion on that matter, so please tell me if it's becoming too boring, or too uneventful. I can't really tell because I don't have somebody to give me a second opinion when writing. So with that out of the way, here's the fifth chapter, I hope you enjoy and, happy reading! – Diwata
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"Speaking"
"Thoughts"
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor its characters, Eichiro Oda does.
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"Welcome to the West Blue…..!"
Alexander announced with a grand happy gesture, and shook both his hands in a jazzy manner.
"Honey, I know we're in the West Blue, it's just I don't know exactly where." Melody replied as she casually punched her husband's sidearm while she held her daughter Brielle on her other hand.
"Ouch! Alright! Alright! We're in Toroa! Jeez! So impatient." Alexander grimaced as he rubbed his sore arm. His wife can really pack a punch!
"You kept this a secret from me for two months Alex. You didn't even give me the slightest idea to where we're going. I swear, if you weren't my husband I would've just swam here to find out for myself. Hmph!"
Melody pouted, somewhat amused and unamused by her husband's 'secret surprise'.
In reality, she held on for as long as she could. Two months was quite a long time, and it took all her will power to try and (successfully) stop herself from pushing said man into submission and finally reveal the big 'secret' by hook or by crook.
She can't help it, she was a curious woman, and surprises weren't her strong suit, but she could appreciate her husband's childish antics.
It was sweet and admirable of him to go through such lengths and make a secret surprise for her.
It was those little things that won her heart, and it was mostly because of his thoughtfulness and loving personality that made her say yes and take her hand in marriage.
"But I am, and you love meeeeee." Alexander cooed at his wife, as he elongated the last syllable playfully.
Melody looked away in fake annoyance and hmph-ed once more for good measure.
"Oh common now honey, don't be mad, we're here now and we can finally spend much needed time together."
Alexander hugged his moody wife when he suddenly got an idea. He took her by the hand, quickened his steps and accelerated to the point that he was almost sprinting.
His unexpected tug caught Melody off guard and could only follow him running close behind.
"Wha- Alex! The baggage! And Brielle!—pfft—Hahahahahaha." Melody let out a laugh as she couldn't resist her husband charms any longer.
Alexander smiled, happy that he made his wife laugh, and slowly stopped running until they were at the foot of a small hill, almost like a bump of land coated with bright green grass.
"Huff- we're –huff- here! Welcome to our new home!" The marine captain pointed towards a single house atop the hill.
It was empty of people yet it already looked cozy and welcoming.
It had two floors, pale yellow walls with large and small windows scattered all over it, a shiny blue roof, a brown oak door and a red-bricked chimney that adorned the soon-to-be house of the family.
Right next to the house was a large tree with a swing tied on its sturdy branches. There was also a small mailbox on the side and a charming stone walkway that led directly to the doorstep.
"I-It's beautiful! When did you-" Melody gasped loudly at the sight before her.
Alexander put his index finger in front of his lips, and winked.
"It's a secret hahahaha, you go ahead and explore the place, I'll go and get the baggage."
Alexander laughed, he then tossed a pair of keys towards his wife who caught it flawlessly with her free hand. He turned around and ran at full speed to hurriedly get the baggage they left unattended by the docks.
He was such charmer, Melody thought, she could only smile at her husband's antics.
"That dork." Melody shook her head and excitedly walked towards their new home.
Her dainty feet walked on the beautiful stone path. She admired how absolutely perfect their house was and with each step becoming faster and faster until she was face to face with the door.
Carefully, she reached for the keys inside her pocket that her husband gave her, and unlocked the door.
It clicked open, and she was surprised to see that it was already fully furnished. She made a careful step inside and took everything in for one second.
"Oh my seas….." Melody's voice went silent as she observed the sight before her.
The living room was complete with a mocha-colored couch, two comfortable chairs, a short coffee table placed on a beige carpet and an empty fireplace.
She looked around more, eventually she found the kitchen. It was fully equipped with a sink, a refrigerator, a long granite counter, cabinets, kitchen equipment, cutlery, dishes, a pantry (fully stocked she might add), and a full dining set.
She stared in awe and wondered when her husband planned the house and how much money it would've cost, not to mention the land, construction, furniture, appliances and decor!
Even down to the pantry! It was already filled with goods!
She had to admit, her husband sure knew how to make surprises. It was definitely something, she was farmore than surprised than she'd initially thought.
She then walked towards the stairs, and wondered what else could be up there.
There were exactly three rooms in the second floor, and Melody decided to open the nearest door.
She went inside and saw cream colored walls, there was a large bed adjacent to the wall and was complete with fluffy pillows and soft blankets.
Right next to the bed was a table with drawers and a lampshade on top. On the opposite side of the room was a cabinet, and a small vault concealed behind an empty picture frame.
She was sure that this was their room, as it was big enough for the both of them. She had to say, her husband got good taste when it comes to interior design.
She visited the next room, with Brielle wide awake in her arms. She must be as curious as she was, it was a new environment and it was to be their new home.
Inside that room were baby pink walls, a tall crib attached with a baby mobile in the center of the room, a wide shelf with a few books placed on top of it, a small carpet, a rocking chair, a large chest full of toys, and lastly, a bumped out window seat.
"Awwww look Brielle, this your room now, isn't it pretty?" Melody asked and lifted her baby for her to see.
Brielle got a good look at it, and what got her attention was the abundance of the color pink in her room.
"Hmmmm looks pretty girly to me…I like it." Brielle declared and giggled happily.
She did unironically like pink, and as girly as it was, she actually liked the subtle pink hues and pastels used for her room. It made it pleasing and joyful to look at.
"Man, they know me well hahahahaha." The baby smiled in response to her thoughts.
"I'm glad you like it too Brielle." Her mother mirrored the same smile, and placed her carefully on her new crib.
"I'll let you rest for a while, you must be tired by the long trip, I'll be back, don't worry." Melody said as she stretched her back and gently massaged her aching muscles.
She then walked out the door to enter the last unexplored door only to find it completely empty.
"Huh, what's this room supposed to be?" Melody pondered, her thoughts were cut short as she heard her husband's loud footsteps enter the house.
"Honey? Are you there?" Alexander called out, and placed their heavy baggage down on the floor with a thud.
"I'm up here" Melody replied, her voice echoed from upstairs. Inaudible shuffles were heard which indicated her movements.
Alexander followed her voice and was greeted with a gentle kiss on the lips
"Thank you honey, I love it" Melody said as her eyes sparkled with glee.
"Glad you like the surprise honey." Alexander replied as he leaned over and returned the kiss.
They stayed like that for a while until Alexander broke the ice.
"By the way honey, where's Brie?" He inquired his wife, as he couldn't see any signs of his precious baby.
"She's upstairs, already enjoying her new crib, she said it's comfy." His wife jokingly replied in behalf of Brielle.
"Oh, ahahahaha alright, let me just unpack these, so we can really make this 'our' home."
"I'll prepare lunch then, it's already 11 o'clock, is there anything you want me to cook honey?"
"I have been craving your curry rice, it's been a while since you've made it too, and we also happen to have all those ingredients already…" Alexander implied heavily.
"Curry rice it is then, talk about being unobvious hahaha." Melody chuckled and headed towards the kitchen to make her specialty dish her husband loved so much.
Alexander went on ahead and lifted the heavy luggage to properly arrange upstairs, while Melody cooked.
He zipped the bags open and pulled out its contents. The couple didn't have that much to bring with them. It was just a heap of clothes, baby stuff, personal necessities, money, and other important documents.
He started to arrange the clothes and other stuff in their respective places while Alexander hummed a familiar tune.
After he finished unpacking, Alexander went to check on Brielle next door.
"How's my little Brie doing huh?" He said in a playful tone as he approached the baby. His voice alerted Brielle of his presence.
"Bwaa bwaaaa." Brielle spoke illegible words with a toothless smile. She raised her hands up reaching for her dad and opened and closed her palms.
"Ohooo you want me to carry you? Alrightyy, come to Daddyyyy." Alexander lifted her up as she requested.
He swinged her side to side like a swing. Brielle gave out hearty laughs and enjoyed basking in her dad's undivided attention.
She brought her hands to her dad's face and cupped it gently. He then turned to look at her, and smiled serenely, his pearly whites were visibly seen.
Brielle stared at her dad. She now had a better view of his face after a long time. She noticed that he always wore a smile, no matter the situation, and had a carefree spirit, unlike her mom.
Her father had soft vibrant black locks, bronze sun-kissed skin, and had a carbon copy of her chocolate brown eyes.
To Brielle, her dad also looked attractive and charismatic.
He was also fairly muscular as she could feel his lean chest every time he carried her, and she could also feel his strong biceps that could really lift.
"Dang my parents are gorgeous….!" Brielle thought in a sudden realization.
"Ehem….! Totally not wishing that maybe I inherited some of their good-looking, high quality genes. Not saying I want to, but I kinda do hahahaha" She fake-coughed in both her mind and in reality.
*Cough*
"Ah! You okay there Brie? That was quite the cough."
Brielle only blinked and allowed her saliva to drool down the side of her mouth, to which Alexander wiped it off with her bib.
"Hahaha, you hungry? Me too, common, let's go check and see what Mommy is cooking."
Alexander asked his baby before he walked back down stairs to see if Melody was done cooking.
The mouth-watering smell of his wife's curry wafted in the air, and like a comedic sketch, the aroma beckoned the marine captain to follow it in the kitchen.
"Waaaah! It smells amazing honey! Is it done? Is it done?" Alexander asked like a hyperactive kid.
"Almost, give it a few more minutes to simmer, in the meantime, help me set up the plates, time will go faster that way." Melody suggested and opened one of the kitchen cabinets to fetch the plates.
"Okay, let me just put Brielle back on the crib."
"Wha? Nooooooo! I wanna eat mom's curry too……!" Brielle began to cry as she was slowly separated from one of her favorite foods. She was getting tired of the eating (drinking) the same food over and over again.
"Uwahhhhh!" This surprised Alexander and looked at his wife for guidance.
"Let me handle it, it's already a bit late compared to her normal feeding time, she must be hungry. Continue setting up the table and I'll be back in a bit. Turn off the stove after five minutes." Melody instructed as Melody breastfed her baby in her pink clad room.
"Hmph! This sucks." Brielle thought as she drank her milk, though she understood that she was too young to eat solid foods just yet.
" .torture." Brielle rolled her eyes at the thought and continued to 'eat' her lunch. So much for that appetizing lunch.
After a few minutes, Melody put Brielle back in her crib and went to eat the scrumptious meal she had prepared downstairs with her husband.
They ate until they were satisfied. Alexander washed the dishes while Melody dried them clean and placed it back on the cabinet. It was a tiring day and so the family spent the rest of the afternoon resting.
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The following day, Melody baked a lot of delectable treats to give out to their new neighbors, who were just a few walks away. She went out knocking on door to door and introduced herself to the locals. They appreciated the gift and instantly welcomed her into the neighborhood.
On other days, she went out of the house with Brielle on a stroller to the village to give her needed vitamin D, and also to go interact with the other locals.
Melody immediately got a good reputation amongst the villagers and became friends with them awfully fast, and in return, her new neighbors hosted a welcoming party in honor of their new neighbors/friends.
Over all, Melody and Brielle had already blended into their new neighborhood seamlessly.
The locals on the other hand already knew Alexander before, it was because Toroa was his hometown. He spent his childhood and adolescence living there until he left and enlisted in the marines.
He was known by the townspeople as a lively and respectful young boy and was good friends with all of them too. When they heard of his recent promotion, they celebrated and held a party.
It was during their stay at Toroa when Alexander reunited with a man named Chiko, who was the town craftsman and his childhood friend.
They bonded over a good mug of ale and reminisced about the good times during their early years.
Chiko eventually invited him and his family over for dinner to which he happily agreed. There they met the Kaito family.
There was Ophelia, a kind and reserved woman, who was Chiko's loving wife and their baby boy Byron, who happened to be just a few months older than Brielle.
The four were overjoyed to find that both their kids now have a new friend that they can grow up with. They had a pleasant evening and became even closer friends.
Alexander started hanging out with Chiko at least once a week during his stay, while Ophelia and Melody bonded over their love of music.
Turns out, Ophelia knew how to play the keys, and was a master at it. She also knew how to play a variety of other instruments. Melody sang, and Ophelia accompanied her songs, and together they made an amazing duo that he townspeople came to recognize.
They would often ask and request the two to play for the village's festival and parties.
When they were not playing their instruments or singing, they came over to each other's houses to baby sit their babies and talk about anything and everything.
The two couples became like siblings to one another and as a result, both Brielle called Byron's parents Uncle Chi and Aunt Lia, while Byron called Brielle's parents Uncle Alex and Aunt Mel.
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The month ended in a blink of an eye, and Alexander was called back to marine HQ. Brielle was sad to see him go, but overall understood his duties as a marine captain.
Melody reassured her that he would be back after the next six months and stay for about two weeks, and that he would always call on the den-den mushi so she could hear his voice.
Brielle was horrified that she would be using the dreaded snail for communication, she still wasn't used to their big eyes and creepy expressions that looked like a one dollar imitation of anybody talking through it. It was cute in 2d, but in 3d, they looked very different.
Brielle thought that it was unexpected that she won't be seeing her father for half a year, it was mainly because she got too used to seeing her father daily, but she was not all surprised.
In her past life, her father worked overseas and only came home once a year for one month. He gained 2.5 days of leave per month there and if she calculated it in her head, (which was hard) turned out that it was the exact same system the marine uses.
She guessed maybe there are some things in the OP universe that do tie up in the 'real world'.
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In the first year, she achieved many milestones. She eventually learned how to crawl, sit, stand, and the most rewarding of all: to walk and talk
She timed her achievement well, it was when her father came home from Marineford, when she decided to finally show off months of hard work come to fruition.
She practiced for months to walk inside her cramped crib, and on the soft carpet when her mom wasn't looking (which was very rare).
She wanted it to be a surprise. Guess she takes up from Alexander. Like father, like daughter.
It was during an early morning in March when she finally put her surprise plan into action. She cried loudly to get her breakfast, and afterwards, she would stand on the side of the crib and shake it to indicate she wants to be let out.
Melody proceeded unknowingly as planned. She let her out the crib for a stretch and Alexander (as expected) followed close by as he declared missed his *unica hija dearly, for about the eighth time.
He stood close by and watched her crawl around, with compliments thrown every 0.0005 seconds about how she's grown from the last time he's seen her.
*"Its Showtime." Brielle inwardly laughed at the unintentional reference and began to push herself so that she could stand.
Her parents watched with great interest, until the next set of footsteps shocked them.
"Brielle! You-you're taking you're first steps!" Alexander gasped as he realized what her daughter attempted to do.
"QUICK! GET THE DENDEN-MUSHI!" Melody yelled at her husband, she wanted to record and Brielle's first greatest achievement and keep it in her memory forever.
"ON IT!" Alexander complied and made a mad dash upstairs to fetch the said device. He grabbed the unsuspecting snail and hurriedly went back downstairs. In a span of five seconds, which was his new personal record.
"Did I miss it?!" Alexander panted and gave the mushi to his wife. He then watched in anticipation as her daughter, although she wobbled stood strong.
"No, not at all, thanks honey, now go on Brie! Come to Mommy and Daddy!" Melody encouraged Brielle who was about a meter away from the two.
Brielle looked unsteady on her feet, but she was more than determined to walk towards her mom and dad.
"That's it, common, just a little more…!" The two beckoned her to approach them, and reached their arms for her to take.
"Common baby legs! Work! You can do it!" Brielle thought as she focused her leg muscles to move forward.
When she finally reached them, she decided to pull another surprise hidden under her non-existent sleeves.
"M-Mama! D-Dada…..!" Now this, put the icing on the cake. Not only did she walked her first walk, she also spoke her first words!
(As if she wasn't tired hearing 'Mama' while Melody pointed at herself, and 'Dada' while she showed her a picture of her dad. She wasn't that dumb, she just couldn't talk properly yet.)
It was at that moment when all hell broke loose. Her parents were about to lose their sh- sanity. Loud squeals were heard in the whole village, their house being the epicenter of the high-pitched sounds.
This made her close neighbors worried that something bad happened to the family that they actually ran and slammed the door open so hard that it probably unhinged the door.
"What happened?! Is everyone alright?! Are you oka-" One of the concerned neighbors asked before his words died at his throat.
They were greeted by the sight of Alexander mid-squeal crying his eyes out, holding Brielle high up in the air, and Melody, who was also in mid-squeal but instead holding a denden-mushi in one hand and a wet handkerchief on the other.
Boy were they confused as heck.
Alexander quickly cleaned up his act put back his respectable dignity and tried to hide his embarrassment and explained the situation to their unexpected guests.
He then had an epiphany.
"Wait! You know what this calls for? A PARTY!" Alexander screamed while their neighbors yelled "YEAHH" in unison.
They celebrated grandly on this 'momentous occasion'. They held a party and invited the remaining people in the village of Toroa. They rejoiced from dusk till dawn, and Brielle received a lot of presents that day although it wasn't her birthday.
Chiko and Ophelia heard the news and quickly headed over together with their son Byron.
Brielle received a bunch of goodies that day, she got her first ever present from her Uncle Chi and Aunt Lia, she received a bunch of different clothes and a small hand-stitched teddy bear (She already guessed it was the one her aunt made).
The other gifts being a variety of different toys, blankets, books and decorative hair accessories.
It was a day filled with happiness and joy that it was memory to remember not only for the *Merlin Family, but for the whole village as well.
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A/N- Man these chapters are getting longer and longer, hope they're not bothering you guys too much,, I admit there's not much happening in this chapter, but I promise the next chapter would really set up the plot I have in mind. Happy New Year everyone and I hope you have an amazing day. - Diwata
Word Count: 3,698
Date of Publication: December 30, 2019
*unica hija- A term used in tagalog that means "only daughter" or an only child that is a girl.
* It's Showtime – Is a Filipino noon time variety show broadcasted on ABS-CBN One that I like to watch occasionally during the weekends. I used it here both as a phrase and a reference.
*Merlin – Alexander's last name, so his family is referred to as the Merlin Family.
*Kaito – Chiko's last name, and so his family is referred to as the Kaito Family.
(That moment when you accidentally made the perfect scenario that matches up with her age and timeline, it's definitely deserves the "Oh yeah, it's all coming together" meme.)