Hallo and welcome back!

Thank you all for your comments and reviews, it's a real delight to see how involved you all are with the story!

My ever observant reader Sake-san also brought to my attention, that Smoker might have suspected a less serious reason for their requested meeting with Tashigi, with how I had stated that he suspected a thing between her and Zoro. You know, a meeting more playful in nature. Since I've already written all the chapters for this fic, anyone interested in yet another spinoff? This time with Smoker trying to figure out what they could possibly want with his captain?... Damn this story just won't leave me alone, I've tried thinking of other stories to write after this is done, but I only ever end up with potential spin-offs… fanfiction to my own fanfiction, ridiculous, isn't it?

Als always a huge thank you to Rexica for putting up with all that. In case you're reading her amazing fic "Disinhibition", she is working on the next chapter!

Last time Robin and Zoro met with Tashigi and Smoker, hoping the marine captain could claim their kid as hers. That's a big decision that needs to be thought through thoroughly, unfortunately the strawhats' meeting with Law came earlier than anticipated… what to do? Seize the opportunity or wait even longer?

When Law poked his head through the latch of the men's quarters, he undoubtedly knew what was going on. She assumed he had probably known the moment he'd set foot on Sunny. The ritual was always the same. After the kids had spent all their energy playing catch with Law's crew, Luffy would order Law in the men's room for 'important captain business,' where about an hour was solely spent by the strawhat excitedly telling the surgeon all his latest adventures with Usopp and Chopper providing sound effects and different voices so the story would be more exciting. After the kids fell asleep, the heart captain would come up again to find the rest of the strawhats waiting for medical advice or treatment they did not want to burden their kid doctor with.

The exasperation was clear on his face as he looked around, momentarily halting on her since she had never before come to him when Chopper was available.

He shook his head and pulled himself up. "You guys are aware that Chopper-ya is perfectly capable to treat your itchy crotches, right?"

Nami crossed her arms in defiance and huffed, "He is still a child, I will not taint him with stuff like that."

That made the surgeon chuckle. "Now, you really don't have to worry about that, Nami-ya. You only take the meds to regulate your cycle. What is the harm in him knowing that?" he asked as he made for the galley, motioning for their navigator to follow.

Now, she could be wrong, but even in the darkness, she thought she saw the redhead blush. Was there possibly another reason for her to want the surgeon's attention? For him to know she was on birth control? Fufufufu, maybe she'd have to investigate that some time.

Sanji stood up when they returned, but Law held up a hand and shook his head. "Unless you have some amazingly complex, metastasizing tumour on your spine or something, you can sit right back down. I will not take another look at your dick. Ever. Don't stick it anywhere dubious, and use condoms. Then you don't have to come running to me every time you find an inflamed follicle!"

Sanji attempted to protest, but Law cut him off instantly. "If you don't grasp the concept of safe sex, ask the 'uncouth gorilla.' He seems to know."

Fufufufu, how ironic, but poor Sanji didn't know that, did he? The moment the words had left the surgeon's mouth, the blond started stuttering. She knew that safe sex wasn't the problem. The cook was just very self-conscious about his body doing things he couldn't control. She wouldn't go as far as calling him a hypochondriac, but he was probably on the right track.

Uncouth as he was, Zoro did not let the opportunity go to waste, of course, offering their cook to teach him a few things after a hearty guffaw. Both put him on the receiving end of inflamed black boots.

Law scoffed, "Children"

Fufufufu. "They aren't that bad," she offered as she continued to watch the heated spar while Law took Franky to the galley.

When she'd first seen the two fight, she had been worried about the cook despite not yet having developed the affection towards the crew she had now. She had not understood how he could so carelessly stomp on the deadly blades, blindly trusting that his seeming archenemy would not use the sharp edge, not in malicious intent nor in error.

After travelling for so long with them, she knew Zoro would never intentionally injure the cook. And after she'd been on the receiving end of his blades, she also knew beyond a doubt that he did not ever err with his blades in hand. It had been genuinely fascinating how vocal each and every cut from him was. Addicting.

Watching him fight now, she could see the affection in his slashes, the teasing glint in every dull sided block. This man's heart was endless, his strength without bounds. As long as he was with her, she would be able to do everything. She could survive without their child. A child both of them wanted but knew they couldn't have.

"Robin-ya?"

Dread washed over her, and but a fraction of a second later, the fight that had somehow ended up on the rigging to the crow's nest came to a sudden halt as heavy boots landed on deck right next to her, leaving their chef up in the ropes spitting vitriol. She did not take the words to heart, no matter how much he expressed his pity for her to have such a neanderthal at her side. She knew he respected their relationship. Maybe he even approved of it, but that would never be vocalised.

Law raised an eyebrow at Zoro's sudden appearance but did not comment. Instead, he lead them to the galley like he had the other strawhats before. Felt more like the gallows if she was being honest with herself. No-one but Chopper knew of her condition so far. On the crew that is. Tashigi and Smoker knew, of course.

She hadn't planned to run across Law this shortly after meeting the two. One week was not enough to make such a grave decision, and as of yet the mini den den mushi tucked away in Zoro's robe had stayed silent. She did not have much hope. Smoker had been rather vehement in his decline. How dare they to ask her to put her reputation on the line, and that was without anybody finding out that it was their child. Just the fact that a decorated marine captain got herself knocked up by some presumed mongrel somewhere. And if the truth were ever to come out, her reputation would be the least of her worries. They'd had a few run-ins with the pair, and not once had she seen the man so fiercely protective of anything. He had gone so far as to pull rank on her, ordering her to decline.

She'd think about it, she had said, would like to help.

They sat down, and Law patiently waited for them to talk, apparently aware of the situation's severity.

She drew a shaky breath, grateful that Zoro let her do this no matter how long it took for her to find the words. He'd handled Tashigi and Smoker, had done his best to make sure she would decide in their favour. Now, it was her turn to ensure that when Tashigi turned them down, at least the procedure would be as stress-free and painless for their child as possible. God, she didn't want this… either option.

She wanted to cry and shout, to scream and beg. She wanted to gauge out the eyes of life and fate and demand for a better future, a better life.

His large, calloused hand gently came to rest on the back of her head. She tore her teary eyes from the table to look at him. The grouchy swordsman. Her first mate. Her man.

She didn't want a better life or a better future. She wanted a better world. There was no way she'd get that anytime soon. Had to get this over with.

Turning to Law, she did her best to hold her tears. "I am pregnant, and I can't keep it."

Oh noooo, even more suspense!

See you next week, please leave a comment to let me know what you think!