Chapter 41

It took two weeks before Marshall was healed enough to search for Rouge, but the minute Olivia cleared him that's exactly what he did. Interrogating the surviving Baterillans confirmed that Rouge had made it to the island but that they'd lost track of her after that. Even the weirdly familiar group of people he questioned only shook their heads, as clueless about where his sister had gone as he was.

He made the decision that he and his crew would split up to search for Rouge. None of them were happy about it, not after they'd just met up again, but they all agreed finding Rouge was more important than their reunion. He set off in his rowboat, which at some point had undergone a makeover and was now twice as large and sporting a small cabin, but after three months of searching still hadn't found a trace of his sister.

A month after that and he was forced to admit defeat, his crew as unhappy about it as he was when they met up near the Calm Belt but their own search equally fruitless. They'd searched what felt like the entire South Blue and it was time to bite the bullet, Marshall grimaced, reaching for Chuckles and not even needing to look as he dialed a number. It was answered on the first ring, and the resulting roar had him holding the snail at arm's length until his ears stopped ringing. It took longer for the noise to die down, but a few haki-laced shouts had the Queen of Spade's crew settling down.

"Have any of you heard from Rouge?" He demanded.

A beat of silence, then Claus admitted, "...no, we were hoping you had. The message Captain left said she was going to meet you. Did she...?" The navigator's voice trailed off.

"She made the meeting." Marshall assured them. "Not sure if I should tell you what it was about considering the chaos currently going on. Has word spread of what happened on Baterilla?"

There was a brief scuffle, then Daisy's voice came through the snail, "Kind of; word on the waves is that the Marines are scurrying around like rats from a sinking ship, and the birds are saying something big happened in the South Blue, the ravens haven't stopped singing about darkness for a week..."

Briefly he summarized the events on Baterilla, leaving out one important bit. When his voice faded, dead silence descended as his sister's crew absorbed the information. It was one thing to try to kill their captain, such things came with the territory of being a pirate and it wasn't like they hadn't clashed with the Marines before, but to kill children? Over a possibility? That had them all snarling as Jane bit out, the cook's voice filled with raw fury.

"What. The. Fuck."

"Yeah," he agreed, "and that's why I'm calling you guys. I got back on my feet a few months ago and me and my crew looked for her, but we haven't found a thing. I was hoping Rouge might have contacted you guys for help finding a place to lay low, but I'm guessing from your reactions that you haven't heard from her either."

"No," Kimberly agreed, and he could easily imagine the mermaid shaking her head sadly, "we'll start helping you look. Frieda knows some people on Drum Island and I have family on Fishman Island, we'll call them after you hang up and ask them to help, so if Captain tries to enter Paradise we'll know."

That got the rest of them stirring, each mentioning several contacts they could call to keep an ear out for news about their missing captain, and Marshall managed to muster up a smile as he said, "My crew and I are splitting up to start searching the New World, so if you happen to know any place Rouge might go to ground...?"

That earned him several suggestions, some of which had him raising an eyebrow. Still, he was sincere as he said, "thank you, all of you."

"No, thank you," Claus replied, reclaiming his ship's snail, "take care of yourself. Captain would kick our asses if anything happened to you."

"Right back at you."

Click

Another month passed and Marshall was forced to concede that Rouge's talent for hiding surpassed his ability to find her. He and his crew had split up to search the places Rouge's crew had told him about but had come up with nothing. He was willing to take help from literally anyone at this point.

"Look, I'm not asking you to drop everything, I'm just asking that you keep an eye out," he persuaded, giving a piece of Sea King to a familiar News Coo.

Caw...

"I know you're busy! I'm just saying, if you see her maybe let me know?"

Caw-caw?

"Of course it's important!"

Ca-caw

"She's my sister and I'm worried, alright? You must have heard about what happened on Baterilla."

Caw!

The albatross looked worried now, accepting the ten thousand Beri Marshall handed over and looking thoughtful before offering.

Caw?

"That would be great, thanks," he sighed in relief. The bird reached out a wing and patted him on the arm, the two exchanging nods before the News Coo took off.

Caw!

Good luck!

"Thanks, I'll need it," he sighs, watching the bird, already a black dot on the horizon, vanish from sight.

One year came and went, and it was as Marshall was resupplying on an island near the West Blue that he found his first sign of Rouge, the merchant he was bartering with mentioning that he reminded her a lot of a nice young woman who passed through a month ago, especially his hair.

Some more questioning got him a direction, and the pieces fell into place after that.

Every rumor, every merchant and restaurant owner's pointing finger got him one step closer to his sister. Island by island, person by person he was closing in.

(Oddly enough, most of the time he barely had to open his mouth before people were telling him which way Rouge went and how they'd heard so much about him while neglecting to mention what exactly they'd heard.

Apparently he was doomed to always wonder what she told people about him, and he'd actually be okay with that if he could just find her.)

All the while, Canon loomed.

He found Rouge on an isolated, no-name island as the New Year dawned, wanting to cry as the rest of the world celebrated.

Too late, he was too fucking late, he knew even without his haki screaming at him.

There were three people in the tiny house on the bluff, one the familiar light of his sister that glittered with joy even as it wavered, one a steadfast glow that can only be Garp, strong and stubborn as a mountain, and the last...

It was Ace.

There was no one else it could be; that vibrant, glowing light rippled and danced in time to the faint cries of a newborn that he could hear through the door. He didn't pause, walking into the house like it was a room on the Coddiwomple as he said, "damn it Rouge, when I said to get to a safe place I didn't mean disappear for two years! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!"

Two heads turned towards him when the door opened, Rouge's wan yet happy expression brightening even more when she saw him while Garp simply frowned in confusion.

"Big bro, you made it!" She cried, struggling to straighten up from her reclining position on the bed until he hurried over and pressed her gently back down with a hand on her shoulder. She gave in far too easily, but he didn't mention it, preoccupied by the squirming bundle his sister handed him. "This is Gol D. Ace; Ace, this is your uncle Marshall." She said, beaming in joy as he fumbled briefly before holding the baby in the proper position.

Looking down at the baby Ace's face, Marshall saw so much of Rouge in him that it was almost physically painful, especially when he could feel his sister's life fading. Still, he smiled, gently touching one of the baby's pudgy cheeks with the tip of a finger, laughing when the digit was grabbed with surprising strength for a newborn.

"He's cute," he chuckled, lightly knuckling the baby's chin and grinning when the kid honest to Davy Jones pouted.

"Of course! He's my kid after all," Rouge said, lifting her chin proudly. On the surface she was the same as ever, just tired from bringing Ace into the world, but he could see it, the sheer knowing in her eyes. His sister knew she was running out of time, and he had to quickly look down to stop the tears welling in his eyes from falling.

She was putting on a good show but fading fast, her light in his haki growing dimmer with each passing moment. There was a wet sheen to his eyes as he handed the baby back to her when she started making grabby hands towards her son. She happily snuggled the bundle of slightly confused but happy baby, beaming as she whispered to the kid, words of love and devotion and surety that he would grow up to be so, so strong.

If only she knew, Marshall thought, stepping back to let her have a moment with her son, only to find himself standing next to Garp.

"So, you're her brother." Garp broke the silence.

"Yes."

"...You know that I can't let you take the kid." There was no doubt in the Vice-Admiral's voice. Unsaid was that there would be a fight if he tried, and Marshall heard it loud and clear.

Neither man looked at each other.

As he watched the mother and son pair on the bed Marshall clenched his fists, nails biting into his palms. He knew. He knew Garp was a monster and he had no chance of winning a fight with him, not yet, but damn if he didn't want to try.

The tension that settled between them was broken a few minutes later.

"Hey Garp, mind stepping outside for a bit? I need to talk to my bro." Rouge said, absently rocking Ace in her arms as the newborn began to drift off, tired from the excitement of his first day.

"Ah?" Garp blinked, then nodded, muttering a vague agreement as he ducked out, shutting the door politely behind him. Like Rouge and her brother, he knew what was about to happen. The least he could do was give them some privacy.

Then they were alone, not including the sleeping Ace.

Marshall stepped closer to the bed, silent as he looked at his tired sister and nephew, struggling to breathe through his emotions. Finally, he managed to speak, forcing the words out of his throat and choking on every sound.

"Ds either die smiling or not at all...so don't smile, okay sis? Don't smile."

Rouge look at her brother, his lowered head and trembling shoulders, and felt tears gathering in her own eyes even as she refused, shaking her head as she smiled. "Sorry, I can't do that. I'm so happy, I just have to smile." An idea came to her, and she asked, voice growing weaker, "hey bro, that dial of yours, you got it with you?..."

"Yeah, I do."

"Can you set it up? I have something I need to tell Ace."

"Of course."

(By the end of the recording they were both crying, baby Ace blissfully sleeping through it all.)

Rouge felt the weakness creeping into her limbs, but she kept her hold on Ace firm and gentle. Her eyes met Marshall's, and once again a thousand words passed in a single moment.

I'm sorry I can't stay, her eyes said, filled with tears but unimaginably warm.

I know.

Tell everyone I'm so happy I met them.

I will.

I'm sorry for making you worried.

You always did do things the hard way.

Heh, I take after my brother.

You do.

Thank you for being my family.

Thank you for being crazy enough to make me.

"I love you, brother." Rouge said aloud, needing these words in particular to be heard and pouring everything she felt for her brother into them.

Starting from their first meeting, her life after meeting Marshall flashed through her mind; remembering the joys and sorrows, the adventurers and the friends she met along the way that turned into crew, into family, caused more tears to fall. She cherished every memory, the happiness and the pains, the battles and the parties, she loved every moment she spent on these mad, wonderful seas with her family.

Marshall bent down, folding Rouge and Ace into a firm hug as he returned the words, filled with just as much emotion, "I love you, sister."

Somehow, she mustered the strength to slip one arm around Marshall's neck and return the hug, asking softly, "you'll tell my crew what happened?..."

Arms tightening briefly, he answered, "yeah."

I'll see you off, she heard, and more tears poured from her eyes as she buried her face in Marshall's chest and bawled, unable to hold it back anymore. She didn't want to leave, but if that was the price for her and Roger's son to live then she would gladly pay it. Marshall was there, he would look after Ace; he and his crew and her crew, they would all make sure her boy was safe. Knowing that, it was easy to let the tiredness and strain of two years of pregnancy catch up to her, fatigue settling around her shoulders like a captain's coat as she sagged back on the mound of pillows behind her.

"Can you take it from here, big brother?" She asked, voice barely audible. Her vision was starting to fade, growing dark around the edges, but she heard his answer loud and clear.

"Yes, you can." Though sad, his voice was strong as ever and Rouge knew then that everything would be alright.

Portgas D. Rouge died smiling.

(Eventually Marshall left the house, Ace in his arms.

Garp was standing off to side of the door and intercepted him when he walked passed the Vice-Admiral, walking with heavy steps towards where he left his boat and the snail within.

Marshall's eyes met Garp's, a sliver of uneasiness running through the Marine at the darkness he felt looking through him. Nonetheless, he wordlessly held out his arms to take the Pirate King's son.

For just a moment, Garp felt as though death itself judged him and found him wanting.

Ever so slowly, Ace passed from his uncle's hands into his grandfather's.)