A/N: Heyo! ZareEraz here! Thank you so much for your patience with getting these latest chapters out! My life has been turned upside down and I've just been so slammed (´∀｀；) But here's the chapter you've all been waiting for and I hope that you enjoy it! Let me know what you think and Happy Reading! :3

Chapter Nine: Anticipated Arrival

Around midnight, Shanks heard a knock at the door and went to go see who it was. Now that Buggy had let others in, the clinic had become like a sort of exclusive club, with Shanks acting as security, assessing who could be let into the waiting room. Benn had visited earlier in the day, bringing news of the identity secret getting out and getting little updates for the crews, and of course, Alvida had stayed for several hours now, but they had been the only ones to make it past Shanks with Buggy's permission. A few of Buggy's crew members had tried to get in to fawn over their captain, but the redhead had been the buffer between her and nosy fanboys. However this time, the knockers were from his own crew.

"Hey, Boss!" Yasopp and Lucky Roux greeted as the door opened.

" Hey," Shanks replied. "What's up?"

"Just wanted to check in on things," the sniper explained.

"How's Buggy doing?" Lucky Roux asked, biting into an ever-present hunk of meat. "Does she need any snacks or anything?"

"Uh," Shanks started, thinking about what was happening in the delivery room at that moment. "She's been crying for about fifteen minutes now without saying anything, so I'm not sure if she needs snacks." Both men blinked back at him, dumbfounded.

"Just crying?" Yasopp asked. Even though it was seventeen years ago, he didn't remember Banchina being as high-maintenance during her labor with Usopp as Buggy had been all day. He knew every woman was different, but his wife had been much calmer, even in her most distressing moments. Having seen what Buggy was capable of, he was very grateful that he had fallen in love with Banchina and not someone like Buggy.

"Yep, just crying," Shanks confirmed. "I'm rolling with it, though. She's so ready to be done."

"I would be too after..." he stopped, realizing that he didn't know how many hours had passed since Buggy came to get Shanks. "How long as it been?"

"Fifteen hours," the redhead replied. And it looked as if all fifteen of those hours were etched into his tired face.

"Do you need any snacks?" Lucky Roux asked sympathetically.

The redhead thought for a moment and nodded. "That would be amazing right now."

"I'm on it, Captain!" the large man took off, heading out on his mission with gusto. Shanks sighed tiredly, watching him leave, but at the same time knew that he wouldn't be able to get any rest until after Buggy gave birth, and maybe not even then. He rubbed his fingers into an oncoming headache and found a hand squeezing his shoulder comfortingly.

"I know how you feel, boss," Yasopp confided. "When my Banchina was giving birth, I was also exhausted and wired at the same time. You'll get through it and she will too." He gave his captain a comforting smile. "You're almost there."

"I keep thinking that I am but then another hour goes by and another and another," Shanks laughed dryly.

"I can't do anything about that, but we're all here for you." The sniper patted his captain's back. "Buggy and I may not always get along, but I'd do anything for you and her."

"Then don't go in there," the redhead teased. "We may have all the scalpels under lock and key now, but you never know what she can find to torment you!" The two men had a chuckle and then Buggy yelled that she'd heard them laughing at her and demanded they come in.

Tear-streaked face screwed up in a pout, Buggy glared at the two men. "You were laughing at me," she said flatly, her stern expression undermined when she had to sniff and wipe some lingering tears away. Shanks looked at Crocus and Alvida for help but they both just shrugged; the men had gotten themselves in this position and neither she nor he were taking the heat for them. When neither Shanks nor Yasopp fessed up, Buggy had her answer.

When she held out her hand, Shanks immediately rushed to hold it but was surprised when Buggy held out her other hand to the sniper. They both looked at each other, very confused and a little tense, but Yasopp reached out to hold her hand tentatively when she gestured for him to come closer. And that sealed the trap. As Buggy's next contraction started, she squeezed the life out of the men's hands. They both cried out in unexpected pain – Shanks may have had a lot of experience that day, but Buggy was squeezing them harder than was necessary. It was satisfying as they pulled away only to realize that her hands popped off and went with them. Even as her body flared up in pain, the bluenette couldn't help but chuckle evilly as Yasopp tried to pry her fingers off. Shanks had no such ability and just endured her grip with exaggerated drama. Alvida and Crocus were both cackling with Buggy as the men suffered. When the contraction ended, the sniper and the captain were relieved when they had their hands back and Buggy's hands returned to their mistress.

"I feel better now," the bluenette said, supremely smug. Even tired, sweaty, and grimy, she looked completely at ease with her casual torture.

"Geez, Buggy!" Yasopp said, holding his aching hand. "You didn't have to go that hard!"

"Yes, I did. You were making fun of me, I know it," she replied, unbothered. Shanks just accepted his fate, knowing that his hand would probably experience worse before the night was over. Before Yasopp could argue with her some more, another knock came at the door.

"Let me in! I brought snacks!" It was Lucky Roux coming back from his snack run.

"Yasopp, would you be a dear and let Lucky Roux in?" the bluenette asked, her voice sickly sweet.

"If he's smart, he'll run away," the sniper grumbled, rubbing his aching hand.

"He's got food," she replied. "He's safe."

"For the moment anyway," Yasopp huffed, moving toward the door.

When Lucky Roux came in, the large man looked at Alvida and Crocus laughing, Buggy's smirking face, and Shanks' and Yasopp's pouting, knowing that he'd missed something. "What the hell happened in here?"

"Justice," Buggy answered at the same time Yasopp said, "Torture!"

"Oh, be quiet!" she huffed. "You deserved it. You always deserve it!"

"And why is that?!"

"Because you always make fun of me!"

"I do not!"

"You do to and you know it!"

"You're just as bad!"

"I am not!"

"No, you're worse than me!"

"Take that back!"

"I will not!"

As the argument continued, Shanks joined the chuckling Alvida and Crocus as Buggy's hands tried to grab the sniper. Crocus called out another warning that Buggy needed to calm down but she snapped that she'd only calm down once Yasopp apologized for "being an asshole."

"What a beautiful friendship," Alvida commented snidely.

"That's literally how our friendship worked when we were little," Shanks clarified. Alvida gave him a look and then looked at Crocus.

The old doctor nodded sagely. "Yes, they were little shits to each other." He continued to nod and added, "And they are still little shits."

"But you know you love me," Shanks grinned, turning on the charm.

"You are the favorite child, after all," Crocus replied, saying it a little louder to get Buggy's attention.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" she shrieked, glaring at the old man. "Take that back!"

"Buggy, you know that I'm joking," he sighed, "Because you were clearly the little princess of the Roger Pirates. The captain even let you into the gunpowder when you were six because you gave him big eyes, something that Shanks would not have been able to get away with at that age. Even with the big eyes."

"Hey, that's right!" the redhead exclaimed, looking offended.

"But he got the hat!" Buggy snapped back.

"Then I guess that you were both favorite," Crocus concluded.

"Huh, I guess you're right," Buggy and Shanks agreed at the same time. The doctor smirked, have effectively ended the argument with everyone and distracted the bluenette from torturing Yasopp.

Lucky Roux held out his bounty of food and said, "Snacks?" finding the opportunity golden. Everyone joined the impromptu party in the clinic, with Buggy eating only a little but enjoying the company while her contractions continued. That is until she eventually got irritated and uncomfortable again and kicked everyone except her boyfriend and her doctor out.

As she settled back into her bed, Shanks came over and kissed her hair. "Hello, princess."

She rolled her eyes. "Another nickname?"

"I think it's cute."

"Yeah, but you still got the hat," she said pointedly.

"But you got my heart," he said softly. "And I think that's the most important thing I could've given you."

Buggy's own heart thumped hard in her chest and she felt herself smiling. "If you say so," she conceded. "Then, I guess it's a good thing that you also got my heart, button."

Shanks' heart soared and he felt so happy even though he was exhausted. But despite wanting to say something else nice, his mouth ran away with him and he teased his lover instead. "Aw, there's my nickname! See? They're fun to use!"

"Oh, shut up."

"Bickering again, I see," Crocus noted, having stayed quiet in the corner the whole time.

"Buggy's the only one bickering," the redhead pointed out. "I'm giving her a pass because she's in labor."

"It's the least you can do," the bluenette huffed, "Since this is your baby after all." But even though she was acting moody, both men could see her smile, as plain as the nose on her face.

XXX

In hour eighteen of her labor, Buggy felt a significant shift in her body. She cried out in pain as agony gripped her spine – her entire lower body felt like it was trying to either eat itself or die on the spot. The contractions were much worse now, and longer, what little pain medication Crocus had been offering her was useless at this point. Her cry startled a dozing Shanks awake and he instantly jumped out of his chair and to her side.

"Hey, Buggs, I'm here…I'm here…" he soothed, though his voice couldn't completely hide the note of anxiety that bled into it. He had sensed that something was different, that her pain was sharper. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she gritted her teeth and gasped. "This one's bad but you can get through it. Just breathe, Buggy. Just breathe through it!"

Crocus was also there, behind both of them, each of his hands resting on their backs.

Even during the worst of the pain she'd felt so far, Buggy's snark hadn't disappeared. "Don't fucking tell me…to fucking breathe! I know how…to fucking breathe!" She glared up at her boyfriend and he just smiled back at her.

"That's my girl!" he cheered, and she just squeezed her eyes shut as her body shuddered violently. Then Shanks got worried as this contraction lasted almost three times as long as the other. He sighed in relief when Buggy finally started relaxing, and when she started to relax, Crocus checked her cervix. He then announced that she had dilated to seven centimeters and was entering the last phase of active labor.

"I'm getting close, yes?" Buggy panted. "I better be."

"Yes," he replied. "This is the transition phase of labor and within the next hour you'll fully dilate and give birth if everything goes smoothly, maybe even sooner."

"Thank god."

"You'll probably feel the urge to push, but try to hold back until I tell you, okay?" the doctor continued. "It'll make you tired quicker and could hurt your body."

"Okay," she agreed, both of them knowing that she might not be able to hold back even if she tried.

Crocus took off his gloves and tossed them in the trash. He then clapped Shanks on the shoulder and took one of Buggy's hands, squeezing it comfortably. "Are you ready? You're both going to have your baby soon."

Shanks' reply was an immediate, "Yes!" but Buggy's came after a few seconds and was much less enthusiastic. Crocus smiled at her softly.

"Don't worry, we're here for you. It's going to be alright." She nodded, trying to smile and only partially succeeding. Then, with only a few minutes' rest, she was plunged back into her pain, quicker and longer than ever before.

Everything around her went hazy for long moments of time. She'd completely forget that there were other people in the room with her, only to come to her senses again and find Shanks' hand in hers, or his stroking her hair or him whispering loving words in her ears. She knew Crocus was also comforting her and giving her updates on just about everything, but it was all jumbled up in her brain. The contractions were coming faster now and lasting longer, each more agonizing than the last. There was pain and comfort and moans and relief and more pain.

She only truly remembered a few things about her transition time, the time Shanks had cheered, "You got this!" only for her to snap back, "I know…I've got this! What I need you…to do is…get OUT…of my FACE…about it!" Once she moved from laying on the bed to kneeling on it, resting her arms on the headboard while leaning over, Shanks' hand rubbing her back. When she did that, Crocus said that she dilated much faster, but soon her legs were too shaky and she turned herself around again. At one point, she threw off her robe and clawed at her dress due to hot flashes; everything was burning up, her skin felt tight and hot, and she wanted it off. Crocus helped her unhook the top to cool her down, and she poured a glass of water over her head instead of drinking it, much to his surprise. At one point, she felt herself trying to push, but Crocus saw and told her that she wasn't ready yet. She held back as much as she could, waiting to be fully dilated.

All through this, Shanks kept telling her how much she loved him. "I love you so much…I know it's hard, but you're doing great…You're so flashy!...You're almost there…" and on and on. All those words swirled in her mind as her body felt like it was tearing herself apart. When she cried out, her hand searching wildly for his, he would always hold it lovingly, telling her that she was safe, that everything was going to be okay.

It seemed like forever and just a moment at the same time, but then Crocus was telling her to get ready to push. Without even thinking about it, her whole body tensed up, ready to break.

"Buggy dearest," Shanks started, wincing as her hand crushed his in an iron grip. It was even worse than the time with Yasopp! "Try not to break my hand, I only have one." Buggy only gave a pained grunt in response, too focused on her body to respond properly.

Crocus said that she was fully dilated and the baby should be here within the next twenty minutes or so if there were no complications. Now the woman was feeling very overwhelmed as the prospect of actually holding her baby loomed before her. They were coming too fast now and Buggy wasn't ready to handle it. She felt like a little boat being tossed on the wave as an angry hurricane approached. It just seemed like such a big thing and her stomach flip-flopped in panic as her old fears came rushing back in, the fears about not being good enough, about not being a good mother, about screwing up her baby. Holy shit, I can't do this! What was I thinking?! Thinking that I could be a good mom! I'm not ready for this!

These thoughts grabbed at her, but before her panic truly set in, Crocus was telling her that she was ready and to push. So she pushed. She didn't even realize that she was screaming and swearing like the sailor she was, she just realized that her throat hurt after the fact. Everything about her body was tense, pulled taut like a bowstring. She was squeezing and pushing and hurting. Then Crocus told her to rest and all that tension went away for just a few moments. She lay on the bed panting, her huge belly heaving from the effort. She was still squeezing Shanks' hand, his fingers in a death grip, and let go quickly. Despite him probably wanting to get the tingles out, he instead reached for her hand again.

"Don't worry, I'm right here," he said, smiling warmly at her. "I'm not going anywhere. It's going to be okay." She nodded, pain and fear bright in her eyes, but she trusted him no matter how scared she was.

Crocus called to her again. "Buggy, push!" She grunted with effort, pushing as hard as she could, but after an agonizing moment, the old doctor instructed her to relax again. She fell back onto the bed, gasping for breath. She heard something about doing a good job and how she only needed to push a few more times.

"Shit…" she breathed. "I don't know…if I have…a few more in me." Two kinds of encouragement followed:

"You're doing great!" and "Don't be a wimp!" Buggy glared at Crocus and he just glared right back at her.

"At least someone…is being…nice about it…!"

"I'm just saying it like it is," the old man replied. Before Buggy could reply, another contraction hit and she was pushing for all she was worth. However, that wasn't enough and she slumped back once again.

"Fuck!" she cursed, the pain in her pelvis increasing exponentially. There was so much pressure down there and now it felt like her whole lower body was on fire.

"I can see the baby's head!" Crocus announced. "Just a bit more." Buggy tried to hold still, but her body writhed with the pain. She hadn't even realized that she was crying, but Shanks was there to kiss the tears away as she struggled. He didn't even complain this time as she squeezed his bones together with the next long contractions; he just encouraged her and kept glancing at Crocus for updates.

"That was a good one, Buggy! Just a bit more!"

"Fuck!...You said…that…already…" she moaned as the pressure increased again.

"I mean it this time! Come on, Buggy! One more push!"

"This had…better be…the last…one…!" she panted, exhausted after hours of agony.

"You can do it, Buggy," Shanks murmured, kissing her sweaty forehead. "You can do anything."

"Except get this…baby out…apparently…" she joked.

Crocus glared at her. "Quit joking around and get ready to push…now!"

With one last huge effort, Buggy screamed and pushed for all she was worth, holding onto Shanks' hand like her life depended on it. The moment stretched on and on, the pain in her body increasing. The pressure was unbearable and she felt like the baby was either going to get out or her body was going to explode because surely no one could endure that much tension. She hardly heard the voices around her, the woman's focus narrowing down to the torment wracking her body and the warm hand squeezing hers. I can't…take any more…of this…! she thought. Just a few…more seconds…and I'll die! She gave another piercing cry, ignoring everyone's eardrums as she wailed in anguish. Just as she reached the absolute end, having nothing more to give, she suddenly felt empty, completely hollowed out. The pain was still there, but now it was a dull ache instead of piercing and raw. Buggy sucked in a huge breath, gasping for air, finally able to breathe. Her senses zoomed out, opening up to take in all the sounds and sights around her that she'd been ignoring, free from the agonizing pain that had been her whole world just a moment ago.

And then her world was caught up in a piercing cry that was not her own – the first one her little baby took in their new world. It was a wonderful sound, loud and healthy, and she filled herself up with it. Buggy slumped onto the bed, exhausted beyond imagining, but even as she fought to keep her eyes open, her hand was reaching out, searching. Crocus immediately placed the child on Buggy's stomach and guided her hand to the baby's head. She held on fiercely, feeling that tiny body she'd been growing for months finally move outside of her. Buggy sobbed, holding her baby as tightly as she dared, so happy that she could finally touch her child.

Love exploded in her chest as she blinked tiredly at the infant, a different kind from the love she had for Shanks, but still just as good. Buggy knew that even if she was a crap mother and did everything wrong, her baby would know that they were loved and she would do anything for them.

While Buggy was having her moment, Crocus turned to Shanks and asked, "Want to touch?" tipping his head towards the child he was helping hold.

Still awe at what had just happened and completely enamored with the tiny life screaming for attention, Shanks distractedly said, "She won't let go of my hand," and held up his captive fingers. "Wish I had another," he laughed, tears in his eyes as he gazed at his baby.

Buggy's hand clutched her baby to her stomach and Crocus carefully cleaned the wailing child as best he could with them being glued together. A few minutes later, the umbilical cord was cut, finally separating mother from child. As that physical connection was severed, Buggy's strength left her as if in response to the snip. Her head and body slumped weakly into the bed, startling both men. Crocus took the child off of her chest when her arm slipped away and ran his eyes over her to see what was wrong. But after a few moments, he sighed in relief as Buggy recovered and lifted her head up again.

"Don't scare me like that, Buggy!" Shanks sighed when her eyes fluttered open again.

"Sorry…tired…" she groaned, trying to sit up, her free hand searching.

"Just a second," Crocus called, taking a minute to clean the child up properly before bringing the infant back. "Here's your little man," he said, beaming like the proud grandfather he was as he brought the clean boy over to his parents wrapped in a towel.

"A boy!" Shanks exclaimed, his heart full to bursting.

Wide awake again, Buggy finally let go of her lover's hand and reached for her child with both arms. When he was settled against her torso again, with the towel over his back and still wailing, she couldn't have been happier. He was perfect! Then, as if sensing he was with his mother again, the little boy stopped crying gradually and rested his head against her skin. Buggy could feel his little heartbeat against her skin and now she was the one crying, huge tears of joy running down her face as she smiled at her lover.

"He's got little wisps of your hair!" she laughed in between her tears. It was true – little red hairs were scattered across the baby's head.

"I'm a little sad he doesn't have your nose," Shanks replied, placing his hand on his child's head, feeling those little hairs. He was so perfect! But before the man could say more, he gasped when he saw his son opening his little eyes. "He's got your eyes!" Buggy looked down and saw a clear blue that matched her own looking around blearily. She cried even harder and resisted the urge to squeeze her baby any more than she already was. She never wanted to let him go and did her best not to.

While Buggy had skin-to-skin with her baby, Crocus helped her with the afterbirth. She had several more contractions and successfully delivered the placenta that had supported her baby through pregnancy not long after and Crocus cleaned her up. During that process, Shanks' eyes kept sweeping over every inch of his son. He was so tiny and perfect. He wanted to hold his son so badly but knew from the all-knowing baby books that he'd read that mother and baby bonding was more important than baby holding. Instead, he just rested his hand on his son's back, feeling his little breaths and wiggles.

"What are you going to call him?" Crocus asked, continuing to clean as the parents cooed over their baby. The couple had never divulged their choices of names, so it was a mystery to everyone what they even liked. The redhead and the bluenette looked at each other and smiled. They both then turned and answered the question at the same time with even bigger grins.

"Roger!"

The old doctor was surprised at the tears that filled his eyes, looking at the two brats in front of him, holding their child lovingly and wanting to name him after their captain. It was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. There was so much the old man wanted to say – about how proud he was of them, of how thoughtful they were, how he was so grateful to be with them in this moment and see how much they had grown, how happy Roger would have been with the honor – but he didn't have the words. Instead, he just said, "That's a wonderful name and he would be proud. The old man tried to keep a quiver out of his voice and failed miserably.

Buggy and Shanks smiled again as they both looked at the big, blue eyes of their little Roger.

"Hey, little Roger," Buggy cooed, as her son looked up at her. Shanks' heart melted as he looked at his Buggy and his baby. He kissed her cheek, startling the woman out of her baby-talk trance.

Shanks' hand came up to pat the wispy red hair of his son, his heart full of love for the tiny boy and for his mother who had been through so much. He leaned over to kiss Buggy's sweaty forehead and brush some of her stray blue hairs out of her face. "Good job, momma," he said, grinning hugely at her. "And thanks for only trying to kill me twice."

Buggy blushed in embarrassment. "You're welcome…" she mumbled. Shanks chuckled and told her not to worry about it. But even though she felt a little shameful, she was grateful that Shanks had supported her through her labor, even though she tried to kill him twice. "Thank you, Shanks. For everything."

"No problem, love bug" he replied, still grinning like an idiot. And then he got gushy again. "You're so beautiful right now."

The woman blew a strand of hair out of her face. "You're lying. I look like a train wreck."

"A beautiful train wreck," he countered.

"Shut it."

"Nope!"

Before Buggy could argue back, she felt little Roger still in her arms and look down to see that he'd fallen asleep on her chest like he was the most exhausted thing in the world. Buggy rolled her eyes.

"And he thinks that he's tired," she huffed. Then she yawned like she was the most exhausted thing in the world and almost fell instantly asleep. Both Crocus and Shanks had to hold back chuckles to keep the peace.

"I'll go tell the others," the doctor whispered. Shanks just nodded, his eyes riveted to mother and child. Crocus cleaned himself up a bit and went outside, finding that a little camp of mostly sleeping pirates had formed around the clinic, close but not too close. He walked up to the only fire that was still burning and found the officers of the Red Hair and Buggy Pirates tiredly trying to stay awake. Alvida had failed and was snoozing prettily on a couch that she no doubt had bullied someone into dragging over.

"What's up…Crocus?" Galdino asked, a huge yawn interrupting his question.

"Is everything okay?" Benn added, just as tired but managing not to yawn.

"Yeah, everything's fine," the old man replied. "I came to tell you that Buggy delivered a healthy boy." That perked everyone up.

"Oh my god!" Galdino exclaimed, startling Alvida out of her sleep.

"What?! What is going on?!" she asked, looking nearly perfect even with the drool. The Red Hair officers clapped their hands over the pair's mouths and looked around at the sea or snoring pirates nervously. They didn't want the whole camp to wake up and cause a ruckus so near a newborn and a terribly exhausted set of parents.

"Shut up, will ya?" Yasopp hissed.

Mohji and Cabaji whispered, "It's a boy!" excitedly while Richie thought about chicken skewers and was very happy as well.

"A boy?! How cute!" Alvida gushed. The woman then realized how gushy she was acting and composed herself to seem unaffected. "I mean…that's nice." No one believed her act.

"Can we go see?" Lucky Roux asked.

Crocus shook his head. "No yet. Buggy actually just fell asleep and so did baby."

"I'm about to fall asleep," Yasopp said, ending with a yawn of his own.

"You can rest if you want. We'll come to get you when they're ready for visitors," the old doctor said. He nodded to the group and headed back toward the clinic.

The seven officers (and Ritchie) whispered amongst themselves for several minutes, excitedly talking about the new baby until Gladino fell asleep and flopped back onto the sand. Those who were still awake chuckled quietly, but then everyone except Benn drifted off to sleep eventually, their dreams filled with anticipation. The first mate poked at the fire with a stick and watched the flames grow, smiling to himself, excited to meet the youngest member of the Buggy and Red Hair pirate crews.

XXX

Buggy woke up about an hour later when baby Roger started to squirm against her chest and make some noises. She was surprised by how quickly she'd woken up to the smallest movement, even though she was sure that she'd been dead asleep. She was sure it was going to get harder the more she had to do it, but it was very useful at the moment. And when she woke up so did Shanks, who'd fallen asleep in his chair again, which was a nice bonus in case she needed his help.

"What's going on?" the bluenette asked, panic seeping into her voice.

"Don't worry, Buggy," Crocus said soothingly, watching the baby. Little Roger was sticking his tongue in and how in a newborn approximation of licking his lips and sucking on his hand, telltale signs that he was hungry. "He's probably hungry now. Let him work his way up to your breast; he'll do it mostly on his own."

Buggy blushed. "Oh, that's right." She'd read in the all-knowing baby books that infants instinctively know how to breastfeed and that they would move up to their mother's chests and latch on their own most of the time. Of course, some babies needed a little help latching, so she'd be there to help if he needed it. It took a while but Buggy and Shanks were captivated watching Roger wiggle his little legs and arms, worming up her body until he found her breast. It took him a few tries and a nip or two, but with only a little help, he latched onto her nipple and started sucking

"There you go, little man," Buggy encouraged.

Leaning his elbow against his lover's pillow and placing his head in his hand, Shanks looked at his son enviously, remembering how those breasts used to be his. "Lucky duck."

"I'm sure that you're going to be at it again soon enough," Buggy scoffed, getting used to the tug of her baby on her breast. It was strange but not uncomfortable. The woman watched her child, in awe that he knew had known what to do with only a little help but she was also grinning like a fool at how cute he looked.

"Look at him go," Shanks murmured, as the child sucked greedily.

Buggy gave him a look. "Like father, like son," she teased.

"I don't want to hear that!" Crocus complained, finishing cleaning up. "Gross."

"Oh, shut up," she replied. "Shanks started it!"

"I did not!"

As Buggy was about to continue disagreeing, baby Roger let go and made a discontented noise, bordering on crying. She instantly dropped the argument and calmed down, helping him latch again. "Alright, alright. No arguing with Daddy while you're eating, I get it," she murmured, rubbing his little back. He went back to suckling and for the next fifteen minutes or so, Buggy and Shanks kept pointing out all of his little movements. She'd say, "Look at how his little fists clench!" and he'd say, "Look at his little tootsies!" She'd say, "He's got such a cute nose," and he'd say, "It is cute, just like his mommy's nose!" while kissing her big, red nose. Buggy would then roll her eyes and go back to pointing out other cute things about her baby and letting him squeeze her fingers. When little Roger was full, he started to look around, taking in his surroundings. Now that baby was fed, Buggy noticed that Shanks was very tense and gave him a questioning look.

"I'm nervous," he admitted, knowing what that look asked.

"Why?" she asked.

"I want to hold him but I'm scared. I only have one arm." While Shanks was still perfectly content with his body, every once in a while, he lamented the fact that he was missing an arm - times when he wanted to hold Buggy with both arms were the most significant, but now he had to add holding his baby with only one arm to the list. He couldn't hold Roger and touch him anywhere else at the same time – couldn't play with his little fingers and hold him, or touch his little hairs, or tickle his belly. The man never regretted his sacrifice, but he had to mourn the loss of his arm every time one of these situations came up, and he didn't like that.

Buggy nodded, understanding completely. She held their son out to him, carefully bundling him up so that he didn't get cold. "It's alright, I'm right here," she reassured the man. "Cradle your arm." Shanks did as he was told and she placed the wiggling child in it, letting him adjust the curve around the baby's side. When they were settled, she took her hands away and smiled at her baby and his daddy.

"I'm doing it!" he exclaimed, his face lighting up with so much pride and happiness.

"Yes you are," she agreed, proud of him as well. Buggy didn't have the heart to tell him that a floating hand was carefully holding the boy's butt up, but Crocus certainly noticed and bit his lip to keep from laughing.

Holding his son for the first time, Shanks felt that if he squeezed the child too much he would break but was so incredibly grateful that little Roger felt strong as well. He wiggled and made noises but stayed calm in his father's arm. The man was filled with love; he couldn't even describe what he was feeling and just started crying. He'd almost lost his baby and his lover to an assassin and he'd been scared that he'd lose them when Buggy's fever had been at its worst. They'd been through so much to get to this moment and it finally overwhelmed him.

"You…big…baby!" Buggy sniffed, trying to tease him as she was also crying because she saw his love for their son shining in his eyes. "But I suppose that's fine…I'm crying again too." And so they both cried, so happy and emotionally exhausted that everything just came out.

Shanks held his baby for as long as he could, only handing him back to Buggy when she was clean and fully dressed again. An added bonus of wearing a nearly open shirt was that Shanks was able to do a little skin-to-skin bonding with his baby, and they both really enjoyed that. The child was just as calm with Shanks as he was with Buggy, but they were both sure that that wouldn't last, so they savored the moment. As Roger was handed back to her, the bluenette managed to get her hand reattached before her boyfriend noticed it and Crocus had to bite his lip again to keep from laughing. Buggy shot him a glare, but Shanks was none the wiser as she pressed the baby back onto her chest.

"Hey!" Crocus', Buggy's, and Shanks' heads snapped towards the door. Yasopp, Benn, Alvida, Galdino, and Lucky Roux were poking their heads in just a bit.

"What?" Crocus grumped. "Can't you knock first?"

Ignoring the second question, Yasopp said, "It's been, like, two hours, can we see the baby already?"

"Did you stay up the whole night or did you wake up early?" Shanks asked, very curious as to why the officers of his crew and Buggy's crew were still up at five o'clock in the morning.

"Both," came the answer. The trio chuckled and Buggy waved the officers in but told them to wash their hands. As the line at the sink grew, Mohji and Cabaji came in behind them with Ritchie poking his head in and looking for a place.

"Hey, Ritchie," Buggy called. "Can you stay there?" She definitely did not want a full-grown lion around her baby just yet, claws and all. Mohji, catching her drift, motioned for the lion to stay put. He sat down in the doorway, content just to look in.

The officers gathered around Buggy's bed, jostling lighting for space. When they looked down, they saw the face of a wrinkly little angel. Baby Roger blinked up at them with Buggy's huge, blue eyes, the little wisps of Shanks' signature hair just as stark. In spite of themselves, the officers couldn't hold back their "Awwwwwww!"

"He's a boy," Buggy said, kissing her baby's head. "Say hello, Roger." In response, the infant yawned a huge, toothless yawn and everyone's hearts melted, even Crocus'.

"That's a good, strong name," Benn said with a soft smile. He and everyone else instantly understood the significance.

"I'm sure Captain Roger would be flattered," Lucky Roux added.

"And I'm sure he's going to cause just as much trouble!" Yasopp agreed.

"And have just as much fame," Alvida commented. Galdino, Mohji, and Cabaji nodded in agreement. She reached out and gently slid her finger under little Roger's hand, smiling when he squeezed her finger back.

"I'm sure, he'll be just as good a man too," Crocus interjected. "As long as you two do a good job at raising him, that is."

"Did you have to say that?" Buggy sighed.

Instead of replying, Crocus asked, "What name were you going to use if he turned out to be a girl?" curious about the answer. Everyone in the room became interested as well.

"We could never agree on anything or even really decide on something," Buggy admitted. "It was really hard. But 'Roger' was the only name either of us wanted if he turned out to be a boy." The woman looked down at her son. "And aren't you lucky to have such a good name!" she cooed, kissing his head.

"When we have another, maybe we'll name him after you, Crocus," Shanks teased.

Buggy exclaimed, "Who said we're having another?!"

He gave his girlfriend puppy eyes. "Can't we make another?"

"Can we deal with this one first before you start talking about more babies or the next one is coming out of your dick!" The room filled with laughter as yet another banter-filled argument ensued.

Throughout the early morning hours, each friend took a turn holding little Roger for a minute or playing with his little hands until he got fussy, then it was right back to mommy, and sometimes daddy if mommy had passed out. Grandpa Crocus thoroughly enjoyed his turn, murmuring about how he was going to be the best grandpa ever and that they were going to have to have so much fun without Momma Buggy and Papa Shanks around, to which both parents got offended but for different reasons. Buggy snapped that if he was going to do that, he'd better buy either her or little Roger lots of flashy things, and Shanks argued that he needed to be in on all the fun, whether or not Buggy was there too. Yasopp promised the little guy that they were going to have so much fun shooting when he got older and Alvida promised to make him the second most beautiful person in the world (because, of course, she was the most beautiful). Lucky Roux promised to always have the best snacks for him and Gladino promised to always have tea ready when he wanted a break from all the craziness. Mohji and Cabaji started jabbering about all the cool acrobatic and animal-related things that they were going to teach him and Ritchie rumbled in agreement, thinking about a steak. Benn was the only one who quietly watched everyone else, but his promise to the child was clear to those who paid attention: Benn would stay by his side and protect him as he did his father.

By the time the rest of the island was waking up, Buggy had to kick everyone out of the room so she could feed Roger – she was not ready for everyone she knew to see her breasts, even if it was natural for her to feed her baby – and she also wanted a break. When the officers were shoved outside, they were met with a crowd of expectant pirates from both crews, everyone quiet and clearly waiting for some kind of update. They stared at the little group so hard that even Ritchie felt that he might melt under the intensity.

Yasopp exclaimed, "What? Do you want us to tell you she finally popped the baby out? Because she did!" The crowd erupted into cheers.

"CAPTAIN BUGGY HAD THE BABY! OUR CAPTAIN BUGGY IS SO AMAZING!"

Voices from Shanks' crew could also be heard in the din saying, "I want to see the baby!" or "What does the baby look like?" or "Is it a boy or a girl?" but even if the officers had answered, they wouldn't have been heard. When the shouting and cheering reached an unacceptable level, Buggy's head flew out of the window that Crocus had just opened for her, taking most of the curtains outside with her in her rush.

"WOULD YOU ASSHOLES KEEP IT DOWN OUT HERE?! SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO RELAX!" She waited for it to be quiet. Then she said something completely surprising and expected at the same time: "And somebody get me a sandwich or something! I'm starving!"

As if to fulfill her every need, a Buggy crew member ran out of the crowd and presented his captain with a sandwich that he'd been about to eat for breakfast. A floating hand shot through the window and grabbed it, the bluenette devouring it in a few seconds. "'Fank oo," she said with her mouth full. The Buggy goon fainted on the spot from happiness.

Once she was done chewing, Buggy asked, "Now, what is all this ruckus about?"

"We want to see the baby!" came the less deafening answer. A slew of other questions followed as well, starting with, "How's the baby?" or "What's their name?" or "Is it a boy or a girl?" or "What do they look like?" and ending with "Captain Buggy are you okay? How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, clearly," she replied, acting smug. Their concern for her was touching, but she'd never let them see that. "Baby is fine, but I can't bring him out. First, you'll have to give me fifteen minutes or so because we're busy. And then you'll just have to look at him at the window, okay? You have to be quiet and no touching or I'll slice off your kneecaps! And then you're going to leave me alone!"

When she said that, the officers realized just how privileged they were to have been let in the room, let alone hold the baby as they had. They all looked at each other a made a silent pact to never tell the other crew members that they'd been allowed to hold the baby so quickly. As they swore each other to secrecy, Buggy flew back through the window and reattached herself. Her crew sat down on the ground and waited impatiently. They all wanted to see the baby but their captain had made herself clear. They hemmed and hawed and waited until it felt like forever had passed and then the curtains and the window opened again.

Buggy had popped her chest off and left the bottom two-thirds of her body on the bed, too exhausted to move them, and floated toward the window. Shanks followed after her, his arm instantly wrapping around her shoulders when they reached the window.

"This is baby Roger," she announced, quietly, carefully, showing the now-sleeping Roger to their pirates. The effect was instantaneous and the crews' fell hopelessly in love with their newest, wrinkly member.

They whispered to each other just how cute he looked, that he had Shanks' red hair, which while not blue like their beautiful captain's hair, was very nice as well since Shanks had to be just as handsome to be their captain's boyfriend (causing an argument to break out when Shanks' crew defended their captain's red hair and the merits of having it), and when asked what color his eyes were, they excitedly whispered about how his blue eyes would be as pretty as their wonderful captain's blue eyes. Buggy then rolled her blue eyes and told them to take a long look before she took Roger and herself back to bed for a nap. The pirates begged with their eyes for her to stay at the window longer, but she only humored them for another minute before yawning and declaring that it was bedtime in the middle of the morning. As she and Shanks turned around, the redhead heard the continuing buzz about how cute his son was and how being named after the Pirate King and their great captain's captain was sure to indicate greatness and chuckled to himself. They would dedicate themselves to being the best crew ever for their captain's baby!

"What?" Buggy asked after she yawned again.

"I think that we may have started yet another fanclub," he replied kissing his lover's forehead as she settled back into her bed.

"I think we did too," she agreed, nesting her baby against her chest. "That's going to be a pain."

"But worth it, right?" Shanks asked, giving her the sweetest smile.

Buggy looked down at the bundle in her arms and the same smile spread across her lips. Her heart was full to bursting with love – love for her little baby and for the man who loved her with all of his heart. Despite being exhausted and despite all the pain she'd had to endure to get to this moment, she couldn't have been happier.

"Yes, it was all worth it," she said quietly, truly meaning it. She tipped her head up and found her lover's lips, kissing him softly. He kissed her back, his hand brushing against her cheek and drifting down her neck and chest until it came to rest gently on his son's fuzzy head. When they parted she smiled and he smiled and all was perfect in their little, chaotic world.

To be Continued...

A/N: And there you go! I hope you liked meeting baby Roger and come back for the next chapter. I can't tell you when that is going to be since I'm in a transition state in my life, but I will be back, don't worry! :3