So life hates me and my writing. I have tendonitis in my primary hand so typing has become just slightly painful. However I have the next chapter mostly written and the next chapter to my other story mostly written so I should be ok.

Chapter 13

It was a few days later, after the baby shower that Ace woke to a light fluttering in his lower belly. He was officially, at least according to the doctors, the equivalent of six months along, despite being actually just over five. The morning sickness had died down, though certain smells often had him running to the bathroom, and he now found himself eating nearly twice what he might normally consume. However the strange feeling in his belly made him stop for a bit in his attempt to sit up. Placing a hand on the lower part of his belly he halted when he realized what he was feeling.

"MARCO!"

That was all Marco heard before he was hurdling down the hallway towards where his lover had been sleeping. Bursting into the bedroom he had been prepared for just about anything, except to see Ace sitting looking unharmed and smiling like a loon.

"What happened yoi?"

"Come here. Hurry." Marco moved over to the bed still breathing a little heavy from his run down the hall.

"Ace, is everything ok?" Ace didn't answer. Instead the second Marco was near enough he grabbed Marco's hand and placed it on his belly right where his had been a few second ago. Marco didn't have to wait long for to get his answer, and when he did his eye's widened in surprise.

"The babies kicking. That's a kick right yoi?" Ace nodded.

By the time the others had arrived in response to Ace's scream, both were laughing and smiling like loons. Izo was first to walk in, asking what everyone was thinking.

"What in the world happened? What is wrong with you two?"

Neither turned to look at the cross dresser, but Marco answered after a few minutes, "The baby is kicking yoi." The other commanders all gaped at the two for a minute before they were shoving each other out of the way to be first to feel their neice or nephews kicks. Then Ace frowned, "It stopped."

They looked at Ace, who was moving his hand around to feel for more movement. Then Thatch walked in, "Hey Ace I got the doctor, you and the little guy alright?"

"Ah, he kicked again."

Thatch quickly jumped over his brothers who had blocked most of the doorway in their earlier scuffle. He was quickly across the room and in front of Ace in seconds, the others glaring at his back, "Can I feel?"

Ace nodded placing the Fourth Commanders hand right over where he had felt the earlier kick, but frowned when he didn't feel anything, "That's odd he had just started again."

Thatch laughed, "Maybe he's tired from all that work earlier." They both laughed then, "Hey wait that was a kick right?"

"Hmm, looks like he likes you Thatch." Thatch smiled smugly at the other commanders, "Isn't even born and I'm his favorite Uncle."

Marco was sitting next to Ace on the bed, his hand on the Ace's side feeling the tremors made from small kicks, and watching his brothers fight over the right to touch Ace's belly. It wasn't long before most of the commanders had made their way into the room to try their luck, some were lucky enough to feel something and a few others were disappointed when nothing happened. However Ace quickly reassured them it was probably just the baby getting tired from his first kicking spree and not the baby not liking them. The doctor Thatch had brought in did a quick exam, but noted that kicking was normal at the stage Ace was at, and it would only get worse until the last few weeks. Then Ace and Marco were alone again, the excitement fading Marco noted Ace's eyelids slowly lowering as he fought to stay awake.

"Ace go to sleep. I'll make sure no one bothers you yoi."

"No, I want to go show Pop's."

"Pop's will understand that you were tired, and when you wake up for dinner we can go show him together. Okay?" Nodding sleepily too tired to argue anymore Ace slid off to sleep. Marco stood, covering his pregnant lover with a blanket, and frowned. He had to go talk to the doctors.

Marco knew that the day when Ace would have to leave with the assembled protection team was coming, but feeling those kicks earlier Marco was reminded all the things he would miss as Ace's pregnancy progressed. Then he cursed the Marines again. Why did they have to blame Ace for simply being who he was and who his father was, it wasn't like that was something anyone could control. Their Allies had just interceded another message from the marines, and now the Whitebeard pirates knew they would have to send Ace somewhere, the Marines were planning an attack, and not a small one by any means. People were going to die, and all of the Whitebeard allies were now forming small offensive and defensive groups to protect their friends. Shanks had called in his own allies, and now had a small force of his own.

Coming up to the infirmary he knocked before entering. Jared and a few other doctors were already they're discussing something, the bag that Jared and Brandon talking as they stuffed supplies into bags Marco knew were for the coming separation from his lover.

Brandon was the first to notice Marco, "Marco-Taicho what can we do for you? We heard about the kicking, is Ace-Taicho alright?"

"He's fine yoi. All the excitement wore him out, he's sleeping right now." The doctors all nodded.

"Then what…"

"When will he be due yoi? I know he isn't going to last nine months, his symptoms are popping up and disappearing to fast for that."

The doctors all shared concerned looks, only Jared kept Marco's gaze. "Marco we can not be one-hundred percent sure, no one can ever be, even with normal pregnancies."

"Then what do you estimate? Cause I am going to be there when he goes into labor yoi."

Nodding in understanding, Jared grabbed his notes on Ace and turned to the other doctors. A few minutes later they all nodded their head, and Jared turned back to Marco. "Again we can't guarantee this time frame, but normally with this kind of pregnancy, the pregnancy speeds up for the first month, after the slow growth period, then stays relatively the same for the remainder. However Ace's pregnancy has slowly gotten faster and faster as time has gone on. If he continues at this rate, it won't be more than two more months before he has the little one."

"Two months? But that would put him at seven months along."

"Yes and another thing we've noticed is that this baby is going to be quiet a bit larger than I had originally told you, maybe no more than seven pounds, but it's hard to estimate something like that."

"It never ends, does it yoi?"

"Yes, well D's will do things their own way. They always have, and probably always will." Both laughed, then Marco turned to leave happy to have some answers.

Sadly during the next week the excitement over Ace and Marco's developing child wore off quickly as the Whitebeard pirate, their allies and the Red Hair pirates all reported the growing number of intercepted broadcasts about the fleet that was headed to confront said pirates. The growing threat of war put a damper on all of the men's mood as they faced the reality that Ace would have to go into hiding slightly sooner than expected.

Marco was taking it especially hard, seeing as it was his lover and child leaving, but when compared to Ace himself his mourning was nothing. Ace's appetite had dwindled to nearly half of what it used to be and his mood swings had become so violent that most of the men on board scattered like mice when they heard one start. However despite all of his complaints of being sent away, he stuck by Marco's side at almost all times in their last week before he left. Thatch and the other three commanders that had been chosen to leave with Ace had left the ship in order to fetch those who would come with them, and the two doctors had started preparing everything from food and medicine to blankets and items for the baby when it arrived.

By the day they arrived at Fishman Island everything was prepared. They had all the necessities they could carry in the small boat they would be leaving in, but none of it mattered to Ace as he stood watching those who were taking him in to hiding prepare their small boat. Jinbei was helping with the preparation and was planning on accompanying the small group as far as the surface of the water near the island they were headed for. It was a good-sized uninhabited summer island of volcanic origin, and it was located in the calm belt under Shank's protection. The reefs surrounding the island for miles made it hard to access by larger ships, but also made it an ideal spot to protect. And last but not least it was far into the New World, which just made it that much harder for the Navy to get to it. Ace would be as safe as he could be; every part of their plan had been to make sure of that.

"If you frown anymore your face may get stuck like that yoi."

"Don't care."

"Now come on Ace, I want to look forward to seeing you smiling when I come to get you."

"Still don't care. I don't want to leave."

"And you know why you can't yoi. But I swear the second this damn war is over and we've shown the damned World Government that we won't just roll over and give you up, and that you're protected by not just one, but two Yonko, I will fly as fast as I can to you and our little one."

Ace was starting to cry, but didn't care in the least at this point, "You promise? You won't die? Or get captured?"

Using his hand to wipe at the tears he replied, "Who do you think your talking to yoi? I'm Marco the Phoenix, First mate to Whitebeard, The strongest man on the sea, and future father of this little one." He laid his other hand on Ace's rounded middle as he continued talking, "And nothing could keep me from being there for you and this one. And I will be there when he or she comes into this world, ok yoi?"

Ace nodded his head, and then rested his face against the hand that was still cradling his cheek. The two stood in relative silence, Marco having taking Ace into his arms just trying to imprint everything about his lover into his mind as he prepared to possibly not see him till their child was on it's way, or god forbid already born. However before they were ready, the preparations were complete, and sharing a brief kiss, they shared one more goodbye and then Ace was being directed into the cabin of the small ship that would take him and his guards to their secret island. Marco and Thatch stopped to talk briefly, the later promising to keep Ace safe. Marco didn't doubt him for a moment.

Then, too soon, the small ship was gone.

I love making Marco all sappy, even if I don't consider him the most sappy character in One Piece. If any of you are curious, Ace's belly would be about the size of a 30 week pregnant woman. Also to let some of you who have mentioned Luffy and Lucci in your reviews know, they will be in the next chapter, I promise you this, cause I've already written most of it. Anyway I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, Please Review.