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Pez was beginning to fuss. Chiffon bounced him softly on her knee. She had turned him to look at her sister's saviours. New faces to look at. To remember. She wanted him to grow up remembering them even a little. Chiffon didn't know if she would ever see her sister again, or if Pez would meet his aunt. But at least he might remember the ones who met her. A chain of memory. Two years ago her sister had been alive. She would cling to that, believe in that. Both Lola and herself had gotten out. They were free. And so was Pez. He wouldn't be married off as a prize or to secure an alliance. She didn't know what he would be. A pirate's fate was always unknown and that extended to their children. There was no certainty, no safety, no guarantee of a future.
Did she want Pez to become a pirate? It was a thought that had never really crossed her mind, for so long her future had been set in stone and suddenly she finally had the sea. A husband and crew that loved her. Pez had the whole world ahead of him. Being the son of a pirate could get you killed, doubly so if you are related to an emperor. Once that was an illusion of safety (as nothing is protecting you from the whims of an emperor) but now she was shattering even that. Plotting to kill her own mother. If she had her way Pez would never know his grandmother.
Aa she finished that thought, Pez began to cry in earnest. Wailing his little heart out. She had fed him just before the meeting which was nearing its close, burped him too. A quick sniff of his diaper got only a whiff of clean linen. He was probably over tired, having missed his nap. She had hoped Pez might sleep through the meeting but he had remained wide eyed the entire time, eyes moving from face to face. She had worried he might be scared of Brook the skeleton or the former warlord Jinbe, but her fears had been for nothing. The baby who had been bounced at the knee by the Firetank Pirates with Charlotte blood in his veins had no such fears. Those came later, and were taught. She would do her best not to.
And yet the crying would not stop. At least the meeting was over, it had drawn on a bit longer then expected as the two crews had needed to get their caricature pirate bluster out of the way. Luckily Jinbe had put a stop to that. Now she just needed to put Pez to bed and get some sleep herself. In the morning she would be free. She began to bounce Pez a little on her shoulder to try to comfort him, when something stopped her.
Brook, the skeleton bard had risen from his seat across the table and made his way over to her. She hadn’t even seen him move but here he was kneeling before her. His boney jaw clacked open and began to speak
“May I-”
And like a streak of lightning from the sky, his crewmember Nami struck him on the head before he could speak any further.
“ Brook, if you say anything about panties, I will kill you.” Nami glared at Brook and turning to face Chiffon, bowed her head and speaking to her this time said
“Sorry about him. I think being a skeleton and all turned him into a super idiot. Just ignore him”
There was a slight creak, Brook had finished adjusting his head. Chiffon tried not to think too hard about the fact that Nami had hit her own crew mate hard enough to reconfigure bones.
“Actually Nami-san, I had something more important to discuss then panties. I have business with Chiffon-San”
Nami turned her eyes from Chiffon back to Brook and the warmth left her eyes as she just glared at him. Brook met her gaze as much as a man without eyes could and simply replied
“Okay, I was going to end with a panties request but that was not my true intent”
Nami let out a sigh and said “Fine just get on with it” and she turned back to Chiffon and smiled “If he gives you any trouble lemme know and I really will knock his head off”
Chiffon smiled back politely, slightly confused but willing to give her sister’s saviours some leeway. They were allowed to be weird and nonsensical, it was practically a requirement to be a pirate. They seemed unbothered by Pez’s crying, or at least didn’t show their annoyance. Big Mom hated crying children. They ruined the party apparently, spoiling the taste of the food. Well she was going to spoil the party for good. Chiffon shook her head, someone was still talking to her.
“- can not help but notice your son is a little indisposed at the moment. On my previous crew, we made it a matter of course to help stop the crying of children. If you would allow it, might I play a small song for the babe?”
And with a flourish he held up a violin which seemed to have appeared from nowhere. His chest cavity perhaps? Another thing best not think too hard about. She readjusted Pez, freeing her other hand and held them out as if to ward off his kindness
“Oh no I would hate to trouble you. He is just a bit over tired, that’s all. I will be putting him to bed in just a moment. I owe you so much already. After saving Lola and helping us now...”
Brook shook his head “It would be no trouble at all. If you would like, consider it payment for services rendered as it would warm this old man’s lack of a heart to play for you and yours. In truth it is more for me. I have not played for youngsters in nearly half a decade. I miss it. How did it go again, ‘We’re the Rumbar Pirates, we bring smiles to kids’ faces’”
Chiffon felt a weight lifted off her shoulders, a weight she had never quite noticed before. It would be nice to relax a little and not have to fight with Pez to get him to go to sleep. Getting help was good. Bege pulled his weight but the current situation had thrown their parenting teamwork for a loop. She smiled at Brook and said “Thank you I would appreciate it”
Brook began to play. The music was soft and gentle like the lapping of the sea. At first Pez’s cries simply drowned it out and Chiffon felt a tad embarrassed. Maybe she should have listened to more Soul King sound dials when she was pregnant with Pez. But in spite of her fears of having an uncultured baby the music began to rise slowly but surely. The skeleton began to hum along and eventually to sing
“Baby mine, don’t you cry.
Baby mine, dry your eyes.
Rest your head close to my heart,
Never to part, baby of mine…”
As the music grew Pez’s crying became less intense and turned into a giggle. He babbled along with the music until finally yawning and letting his eyes close. Chiffon found her eyes drifting closed as well. Big Mom had never been one for lullabies as far back as she could remember. More of a ‘shut up already’ approach to parenting which Chiffon was determined to disavow with Pez. Faintly she heard someone say
“I should get a blanket for them”
And then finally her husband “Easy there Chiffon, let’s get you back to our room and Pez to his crib. Thank you, you two” The fake posturing tone had finally left Bege's voice after fading in and out throughout the meeting. She liked this version of her husband better. She hoped the Stawhats did too, seeing the man behind the castle. With ease Bege threw her over one shoulder adjusting her a little to insure she was comfortable and held Pez softly with the other. Chiffon let out a mumbled thank you and blinked sleepily at the two figures, one with a violin the other holding a blanket. She couldn’t help but notice that Brook's empty eye sockets were leaking. She could only hope they were happy tears. She would have to thank him properly once all this was over.