With different eyes

The solution for Marco's behaviour!

I want to go back to the edge to shout my suspicions to the doc, but the stupid birdie won't let me, because Ace is still there and Marco has something against my boyfriend right now. The two of them scowl at each other. I try to push past Marco, but Marco wraps his wing around me and presses me against his fiery body. I push my way under his wing and look at Ace. "Ace, can you do me a favour?" I ask and Marco carefully slides me under his wing with his beak. "Ey!" I complain and push my way back down through. "What's wrong?" asks Ace, looking at Marco with a growl.

Marco hisses back and presses me tighter against him once more. I roll my eyes. Two red bulls have found each other here. "Tell the doc that Marco has been behaving strangely ever since he arrived on the island. He smelled something. And on the island he just ate one of the fruits!" I explain to Ace what I saw. "Okay! But you're going to be okay? I mean, I can get you down too. Then the birdie gets one on the head!" says Ace and looks at me pleadingly. Yep the lighter misses me. "It's alright, I'm still hungry but Marco won't hurt me unless you can be cuddled to death. You'd better go downstairs and help find a solution for our turkey!" I dismiss Ace and he looks at me appraisingly. I lean against Marco for confirmation, who immediately turns to me. He coos and nuzzles his beak against his cheek. Somehow I believe that Marco can change back. Because my feet are starting to hurt again, I sit down and watch Ace disappear again. I lean against Marco, who immediately snuggles up to me and puts his beak on my lap. He closes his eyes with pleasure.

"What on earth has got into you? Mh?" I ask the confused Vice. But unfortunately I don't get an answer except calm breathing. "Lucia!" I hear our quack ask. "Yes!" I yell down, startling Marco, who jerks up. "It's okay!" I say and calmly run my hand over his head. Fascinated, I watch as my fingers are engulfed in the blue flames without burning. It's just a strange invigorating coolness. Marco lies down closer to my belly again and listens to my child. I wrap my arms around his head and rest my own on top of his. Carefully, I rub my cheek against the phoenix's head. "Get well quickly, Marco. After all, you're my daughter's godfather, so you have to be wide awake so the Moby doesn't burn down." I say quietly and close my eyes. "I love you, you know! Who am I supposed to argue with if you keep playing birdie? It will be boring on the Moby," but Marco doesn't understand. I look at the horizon and recognise a shock of black hair and a camera!

"Ace, did you record me?" I ask calmly. Much too calmly. "Marco should know after all what he means to you," Ace says, chuckling and looking at me with amusement. "Delete that right now!" I say crossly. He still grins cheekily at me and answers my demand, "I have no idea how, Marco will surely be happy that he is so important to you." and already this gloating something disappears over the edge again. "Can't you throw him into the sea?" I ask Marco, who snorts at me and yawns. Very helpful birdie and my stomach still growls as if I've swallowed a bear. Groaning, I throw my head back and say with a sigh: "The next time you eat something, I'll hit you!" I give Marco a nasty look and see another head poking its way over the edge.

Marco vigilantly opens his eyes and looks at the visitors. Doc is clawing at the edge and doesn't really look well. He is white and trembling. "Is everything all right?" I ask and want to get up to help him. Marco hisses and pulls me to him. "Everything's fine! I'm just not a fan of heights!" the Doc explains to me. "And what are you doing here?" I ask. "You said Marco ate a fruit! Can you still remember what it looks like?" he asks me. "Um!" I say and think. What did the fruit actually look like. I was concentrating on my stomach and didn't really pay attention. "Wait, Marco brought a whole bag of them. I don't know where he took it," I say. "You couldn't tell me that before I came up here?" asks Doc, slightly annoyed, turning even whiter as the ship swung. "You didn't ask, better get someone to help you down. Not that you'll win a free flight," I reply, amused. The sentence was probably the wrong sentence Doc turns green and I see his fingers shaking even more so he doesn't have a proper grip either. "Careful!" I admonish and want to help again. But Marco won't let me. "GUYS THE DOC NEEDS HELP!" I yell down. "SHUT UP!" yells the Doc, but I can already see his face turning greener. Then it happens: the doc has to throw up!