RT_Strawhat_Ninja: this chapter is a flashback.

Shanks's POV

16 years ago

I opened the door to the house, tired from another late night. I silently shut the door, trying not to alarm my wife.

I heard a soft groan from the lounge. I peered in and saw a head with messy, long blonde hair sit up.

"Hope? Honey, what are you doing down here?" I asked. She looked at me.

"Shanks? You're home!" She said. My heart melted at how my name sounded from her sleepy voice. I walked over to her and knelt in front of her.

"Darling, you should be in bed." I said. Tears built in Hope's eyes, making my heart cold.

"Shanks, honey, I need to tell you something." She said, her voice shaking. I sat on the couch and pulled her in to my lap, wrapping my arms around her and holding her close to me.

"Shhh, shhh, love. Don't cry. What's wrong, my beauty? What has you so worked up?" I asked, kissing her head. She climbed out of my lap and went in to the bathroom to retrieve something. She returned and I held my arms open for her. She carefully climbed back in to my lap and handed me the object.

I flicked on the lamp and kissed her tear stained cheeks. She burried her face in my neck. I chuckled at her antics, rubbing her back to assure her it was okay. I looked at the object in my hand.

A pregnancy test.

"Hope?" I asked, staring at the result.

"I-I had been waking up sick for the past few weeks... and... and I noticed that I've missed my period the past two months..." her voice was shaking. I stared and felt my heart flutter in excitement.

"You're pregnant?" I asked. She nodded. I dropped the test and hugged Hope tightly and laughed joyfully.

"You're pregnant! I'm gonna be a father!" I laughed, holding Hope close. She looked up at me.

"You're... happy?" She asked. I laughed and kissed her all over her face.

"Of course I'm happy, Hope! You're giving me the greatest gift in the world! We're having a baby! I'm gonna be a daddy!" I said. I set her back on the couch, laying her on her back and pushing her shirt up over her stomach. I kissed her stomach where my child grew.

"Hello, little baby. I'm your daddy! Yes I am! Oh I can't wait to see you, my little darling! I love you so much! Your mommy is the prettiest lady in the whole wide world, yes she is!" I cooed and kissed Hope's belly. She giggled and ran her fingers through my hair.

"Oh, little one, you're so precious. I love you so much. I don't care if you're a boy or a girl, as long as I get to hug you and kiss you and play with your little toes and fingers. Oh, I love you so much, my little baby." I said, placing more kisses on Hope's belly.

I looked at Hope and she smiled down at me, happy tears rolling down her cheeks now, love sparkling in her golden eyes. I leaned up and kissed her on her lips softly.

"I love you, Hope. So much. You just keep blessing my life." I said and kissed her again.

"I love you, Shanks." She said. I turned off the lamp and scooped her up bridal style.

"Now, let's get to bed. I want the loves of my life to be well rested." I said and kissed her again.

The next day at work

"Hey! Boss! You'll never believe it!" I laughed as I approached my boss, Gol D Roger. He took his medication and coughed.

"What is it, Shanks?" He asked me. I grinned at him.

"Hope is pregnant. I'm gonna be a father!" I said. Roger grinned at me.

"Sugoi! Congratulations, Shanks! When's the due date? Boy or girl?" He asked. I laughed.

"The baby is due about May. Once Hope hits three months, we'll know if it's a boy or a girl." I said. Roger smacked me on the back and congratulated me again.

"Oh, I wish I could be around to see the little one. But, well, doctor says I don't have much time left." He said. I frowned. Roger had always been a kind of father to me.

"Shanks, now that you know you're going to be a father, let me give you some advice. Don't be like me. You go find yourself a job that is less dangerous. One that won't get you poisoned. I'm not even going to be around to see my own boy hit double digits. You get yourself a job and you watch your baby grow up." Roger said. I smiled at him.

"Thank you, Roger. For everything." I said. He grinned at me.

"Hey... do you have baby name suggestions?" I asked. Roger's grin grew.

"Well, how about, if the baby is a boy, Kyousa?" He suggested.

"Kyou sa?" I questioned.

"Means strength." He said. I nodded.

"But what if the baby is a girl?" I asked.

"Well, how about Aisuru?" He suggested.

"Aisuru?" I asked.

"Means loving or to love." He said.

"Aisuru... Aisuru LeRoux. Kyousa LeRoux... I'll see what Hope thinks of these. Thank you, Roger." I said with a smile. He smacked me on the back again.

"Anytime, my boy." He said.

Time skip. May.

"Alright, one more big push on the count of three!" Dr. Donquixote D Rosa said. I held Hope's hand.

"Shanks... I... I can't... I can't feel my legs..." she cried. I held her tight and kissed her head.

"You can, Hope! You can do it! I've got you." I said.

"One... two... three... push!"

"AAAAAAAAAAGGHHH!" Hope screamed. The screams of a baby filled the air.

"It's a girl!" Dr. Donquixote said. Hope was too exhausted to lift her arms, so my daughter was brought to me.

I wrapped my arms around the precious bundle. Her cries silenced as I did. I felt tears rise to my eyes.

"Aisuru. Aisuru LeRoux." I said.

"Aisuru.... I love it..." Hope breathed, smiling at me through her half-lidded eyes. I sat beside her so she could see.

"Look at her, Hope. She's so tiny. She's so precious." I said with tears running down my cheeks.

"She has your hair... our little red haired princess." Hope said. I smiled and kissed her, then kissed my baby girl's head. Aisuru suddenly started to cry.

"Oh! Oh, sshhh. Shhh, it's okay, little princess. Daddy's here." I cooed to her.

"Sing to her, Shanks. She loved it when you sang while I was pregnant." Hope said, her strength starting to come back.

"Yohoho, yohohoho.
Yohoho, yohohoho.
Yohoho, yohohoho.
Yohoho, yohohoho.
Gather up all of the crew,
it's time to ship out Binks's brew
Sea wind blows, to where who knows?
The waves will be our guide.
O'er across the ocean's tide,
Rays of sunshine far and wide.
Birds they sing
Of cheerful things
In circles passing by.
Bid farewell to weaver's town
Say so long to port renowned
Sing a song
It won't belong until we're casting off.
Cross the gold and silver seas,
A salty spray puts us at ease.
Day and night
To our delight
The voyage never ends."

I sang as I passed Aisuru to Hope's arms. She let out a small squeak and grabbed on to my finger. I smiled and wrapped my arm around Hope.

"She's beautiful." Hope breathed.

"Just like her mother." I said. I kissed Hope again and stroked my baby girl's cheek. She cooed at me.

Time skip 7 years

"If you had just kept your job-"

"If I stayed at that job I would have gotten the same poisoning that Roger got! Is that what you want, Hope? Do you want me to slowly die from poisoning so I can't be there to support my family? So I can't be there for my daughter? For her first date? Her graduation? Her wedding? Is that what you want?" I asked. Hope threw her hands in the air.

"You are such a child, Shanks!" She said. I cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm the child? Hope, I work every day! I take Aisuru to school and then I pick her up from school, then I'm back to work!" I said.

"Oh, yeah, because hanging out at the docks with Benn is work!" She said.

"What are you doing all day, Hope? You don't work! You don't have a job! You don't even listen to Aisuru play her violin anymore!" I said.

"At least I'm home for her!" She snapped.

"You think I want to be away from my family this much? You think I want to be working at the shipyard for fourteen hours? You think I want this, Hope?! I don't! I don't have a choice! If you want to have money to spend, then I have to work these hours!" I said. Hope made a disgusted sound at me.

"Shanks, I want a divorce."

The words hit me like one of the shipyard's cranes.

"You... what?" I asked. She glared at me.

"I want a divorce!" She yelled. I grabbed her hands and stepped closer to her, looking in to her eyes.

"Hope... please... don't do this." I begged.

Crack!

My head snapped to the side as Hope slapped me.

"I want a divorce, Shanks. You can't change my mind." She said. I grabbed her arm.

"Fine. Go ahead. Leave. But you are not taking Aisuru away from me. She's everything to me. I won't let you take her away." I said. She ripped her arm from my grip and left the house, no doubt to the man she's been cheating on me with, Hono.

I fell to my knees and began to sob, my heart breaking in to hundreds of pieces with each tear that fell.

Why was fate so cruel? Why? What did I do to make Hope run in to another man's arms? What did I do that made her hate me? Why? Why? WHY?!

"DADDY!"

Flashback ends

"DADDY!" My eyes snapped open. I saw Aisuru leaning over me, her hands on my shoulders.

"... Aisuru?" I panted. She helped me sit up and gave me a glass of water.

"You were dreaming about Mom, weren't you?" She asked. I stared at her.

"You kept yelling "Hope, why" in your sleep." She said. I reached over and stroked Aisuru's arm.

"It was just a bad dream." I said.

"Tell me." She said.

"I dreamed about the day your mother took you away from me. God, I wish I fought harder to keep you that day. Then you never would have gotten hurt." I said, looking away. I felt her hug me.

"Don't blame yourself, Daddy." She said. I pulled her in to my lap and held her tight, kissing her head.

"I'm never letting you go again." I said.