Chapter 22

Considering the fact that Wilde was a street kid, Olivia practically lived on tea and salads, and the only recipes Vertara knew included human flesh, it was no surprise that Marshall found himself in charge of cooking by default. Much to the three's surprise, he was rather good at it.

"I really don't know why you're surprised; I'm a D and thus eat a lot," he set down plates of steaming food, snorting in amusement at their bewildered expressions as he pulled out a chair and sat down. "Since I refuse to walk around with a gut the size of this ship and don't feel like paying a king's ransom at restaurants, it was easier to learn how to make my own food." Thank you, Annie, for having the patience of a saint. And forgiving him for all those destroyed pots and pans back when he was first starting out.

Thanks to a rigorous training regime, there wasn't an ounce of fat on him. He never missed a day of shaving and his teeth were white and straight and, most importantly, all there, but he still vividly remembered what Blackbeard looked in Canon. Yeah, he was gonna pass on that, thanks.

Watching as Vertara, Wilde and Olivia picked up their silverware and started eating, he hid a grin behind his drink when the exclamations of surprise started.

"Wow, this is really good!"

"Delicious!"

"How did you get the meat so crispy?"

Taking Vertara's preference for meat into account, he made sure to include plenty of protein in tonight's dinner, a creamy pasta with meatballs and cheese sauce with several varieties of vegetables mixed in. In answer to Olivia's question, he shrugged, "Sorry, trade secret." Namely that he mixed the vegetables into the meat and sauce, but it was fun watching them try to figure it out.

He took a bite of his own food chewed, frowning thoughtfully.

Hmm.

Damn.

Needed salt.

Five months passed his nineteenth birthday, he'd finally grown as tall as he was going to get, standing at a whopping eleven foot three and a half inches. Luckily for him, the shipwrights on Olympios had thought ahead and built everything with space in mind or he would have been bumping his head on everything.

He actually tended to forget how big he was compared to regular people considering this was the New World and normal was in the eye of the beholder. Sometimes the knowledge snuck up on him though, such as when Vertara asked to brush his hair. He wound up sitting on the deck while Vertara perched on the railing in order to reach the top of his head. His hair reached nearly passed his thighs so the bottom portion was easier for her to reach, but still.

It was surreal, or at least it was until he relaxed under the repetitive motions and drifted off.

He woke up to find his hair braided. The design was surprisingly complex, but also looked pretty good in his hair. It was tied off with a floral hairtie but whatever. Still looked good. After a minute, he shrugged and went to go find something to eat.

His crew was up to something, he thought, watching with narrowed eyes as Wilde and Olivia had a hurried, whispered conversation before both darted off. He had yet to see Vertara that day, and since they were currently docked in a fairly bustling trade port, he was mildly concerned.

It was good they were bonding, he thought, inwardly sighing and doing his best to ignore the lingering suspicion in the back of his mind. He was taking inventory, checking to see what supplies they were low on or out of entirely. Hearing another whispered conversation behind him, he called out.

"Since the two of you are so bored, why don't you make yourselves useful and wash all the dirty clothes and bedding?"

A beat of silence, then there was a hissed argument before Wilde cursed loudly. Apparently he lost the argument.

Chuckling under his breath, Marshall made a note that they were about out of fruit, now much more relaxed. Whatever they were planning, he would find out eventually, and since his instincts were telling him that it wasn't anything bad, why not let them have their fun?

What his crew was up to turned out to be a coat.

A Captain's coat with gold buttons, colored a dark purple that matched the Coddiwomple's trim and far too large to be for anyone else. He blinked, standing there numbly and holding the coat as his crew watched eagerly, Vertara actually bouncing, grinning ear to ear as she watched his reaction. Olivia and Wilde's eyes were shining, their excitement less obvious than Vertara's but no less real.

He took a deep breath, a tide of emotion rising and threatening to pull him under. "So, this was what you three were planning, huh?" His tone was unmistakably fond; smiling helplessly, he pulled on the coat, laughing when the trio cheered.

"I came up with the idea," Vertara grinned.

"I stole one of your shirts to get your measurements," Wilde confessed, looking smug as he made the admission.

"And I told them which island we were due to stop at was likely to have what they were looking for," Olivia said.

Really, what else could he do but laugh and pull his ridiculous crew into a massive hug. If any of them noticed his eyes were misty, no one said anything, returning the embrace just as tightly.

"We need to have a party!"

He was sitting at his desk and working on the ship's log when the door to his quarters slammed open, and he looked up to see Vertara silhouetted in the doorway. Considering the source of that statement, he could only ask.

"...Why?"

Vertara placed her hands on her hips and announced, "Because it's Olivia's birthday!"

"How do you know that?" He wondered.

She shrugged. "We talk."

"...Fair point. Okay, let's have a party." He agreed, smiling slightly as he watched the cannibal throw her arms up in victory. Then something occurred to him and he frowned.

"What kind of cake does she like?"

(After a great deal of internal debate, he settled on a chocolate and vanilla marbled cake with chocolate icing topped with cherries.

Olivia loved it, actually crying happy tears when he brought it out during the party.

He was rather proud of himself for that; her awed, grateful expression was the best response he could have gotten.)

The party was a bit short-notice, but he thought they pulled it off rather well.

Olivia was kept distracted by some herbal remedies common to the port town but not found anywhere else while the rest of them ran to get things ready. When the doctor got back, she was greeted by party streamers and a hastily made banner with 'Happy Birthday!' on it. She stopped in surprise, one foot on the ship and one on the gangplank, and before she could say anything Vertara ran forward and pulled her the rest of the way aboard.

Wilde had decorated while he cooked the food, Vertara setting up tables and chairs on deck and then the pair had run off to find last minute presents. He himself wasn't as pressed since he already had something that could be used as a present, thus he was free to concentrate on the food. He whipped up a feast fit for royalty and set up quite an impressive buffet on one of the tables.

After Olivia cut the cake (shedding a few more joyful tears in the process) and they all had their fill of food it was time for presents.

There weren't a lot of gifts, but they each got her something and hey, it was the thought that counted.

From Wilde, a pair of boots that would hold up better in the sea air than her current footwear. It was a thoughtful gift, and Olivia's smile was ever-so-slightly watery as she thanked him.

It went rather well with Vertara's gift, which was a waterproof doctor's bag. A must have for any seafaring doctor, Vertara claimed, and Olivia agreed. His own present wasn't actually 'useful', but he thought she would still like it.

(He'd already had it made a week after she joined the crew and just never found the time to give it to her. It might be a cop out to use it as a birthday gift, but hey, what they didn't know and all that...)

His gift to Olivia was a bracelet. It was a lot like Rouge's, but the glass beads were a mix of bright gold and dark amber, the colors swirling together. It sparkled beautifully under the sun, and Olivia smiled as she slid it on, holding it up to admire it. He was happy that she liked it, and he smiled back.

The party was officially a success.

"Good job," he whispered, sharing discreet high-fives with Vertara and Wilde when Olivia wasn't looking. The pair grinned.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of merriment and laughter.

(Vertara's rendition of 'happy birthday' got a round of laughter all its own.)

"Hey, do you know when Wilde's birthday is?"

"A month from now."

"...Fuck."

A pause.

"He likes blueberries, if that helps?"

"I can work with that."