Chapter Text
He never fully meant it when he said it. The words always had a lingering falseness to them no matter how hard he tried. He knew they understood. They never pushed him and he was thankful for it, but somewhere deep inside he wished he could finally speak what he truly felt. He was so tired of pretending.
"Thank you, for loving me." He fell.
"AAAAACCCCCCCEEEEEE!" The agonizing scream rippled through the battlefield. Ace's body fell limply to the ground. Marco's yells and shouts of desperation, Pop's silent tears, his family's screams, and Luffy, poor Luffy, was all he heard. Like they were on speakers, shouting into his ears. "I am so sorry."
He had always wanted to tell them he loved them. To mean it and be able to see their happy faces when they realized he fully meant his words. But he never got to tell them. I love you all, with all my heart. He may have died with a smile, but you can live without regrets, but regret the way you died.
And then the cries of the battle bled away.
I wish I could tell them.
The smoky battlefield and sounds of gunfire and yells were gone. The burning of the hole that was definitely in his chest made him feel bare. He felt like he was bathing in fire. Not like the cooling, sweet feeling of Marco's flames surrounding him, and healing him. These were hot and suffocating, the same flames that burned all the more brightly in him. After the horrible burning pain was gone Ace woke and the silent sound of nothing met him. The cool air burned against his dry eyes, the cool air added to the flaming fire that was Ace.
Feeling started to come back to his body, the feeling of dry throat, burning heat, and stale stiffness. He could see the sky through the trees. A warm, clear blue. He wasn't on the battlefield. He wasn't panicking, he knew what happened, he died. He was dead. But he wasn't.
Like a chant through his head, alive alive alive alive alive. How is he alive? He knew why yet didn't know why he knew. Guilt filled his being, "Pops," he croaked. Tears streamed down his face into his hair. He knew the old man had died that day, he knew things he shouldn't. Sabo, Luffy, and the fate the world would face.
It felt like the weights he had been carrying his whole life fell off in that one moment. His head was clear, and he knew why. The regrets of his life he knew he had were gone, Sabo was very much alive, Luffy reached his dream, and his family were together. And one more, his father. Not Pops, but Roger. He didn't blame the man anymore, it felt great, his whole family still fought for him, still cared for him, he wasn't going to let a man he had never met control his life.
But even though the deep wounds of life had healed, he still hurt. Pops, and Marco, and Sabo, and Luffy, and Thatch, and - "I'm sorry," he croaked. Fingers found his matted hair, "I'm sorry," he whimpered. Curling into himself he pulled. He pulled till warm liquid pooled in the dirt.
He didn't hear the footsteps crunching in the dirt running towards him. Nor did he hear the soft words they spoke to him. But somewhere in his mind he knew that presence, BAY.
Bay was done stocking up on the new medical supplies, so she was free for the rest of the time they were spending on the island. The last thing she wanted was the constant yelling and busy feeling of being by her brothers and sisters, causing her heart to beat too quickly for her to still be alive. So she went to the secluded forest on the South side of the island away from the noise. She definitely didn't expect a sharp wave of heat to push into her.
Her fighting senses kicked in, it reminded her of when Marco would lose control of his flames and you could feel too much warmth come off his zoan form. 'A devil fruit' her mind supplied. Running towards the source, coming up to a kid on the ground. The trees around him were burnt black. He was having some kind of attack, and was pulling his hair. 'Fuck.'
"HEY! HEY, STOP!" Warm hands pulled Ace's hands out of his hair, tears in his eyes obstructing his vision. "Hey, you ok?" The voice was soft. Calming words kept coming, keeping Ace in a deep trance. "Can you look at me?" The voice hummed. Slowly Ace looked up again meeting the eyes of Whiteybay. Bay. She was there at the battlefield for him. "Shhh shhh, it's ok." she started drawing circles onto Ace's back bringing him back.
The words came before he could stop them, "Thank you." He knew the way Bay worked, she wasn't one for emotional support, she was headstrong and only she could pick on her siblings, if anyone else did she would hunt them to the ends of the grandline.
Bay flinched, the voice was harsh but full of complete relief and thanks. It was so sad. "Your welcome sweetheart," she bit her lip, "can you stand kiddo." He nodded. As she pulled him up she saw more of him now that he wasn't curled up. Black cargo shorts and bare feet, body and hair mated with dirt and soot. His hair stuck to his face from the sweat, and he was warmer than an average person. Small and large cuts and burns that looked fresh covered him. Bay's face twisted into something of hate, 'who could do this to someone?' "My family is staying on this island. Would you mind if I took you to our ship to fix you up?"
Clear, speckled grey eyes met hers, "pirate?"
Bay froze, "yes." She was hoping the other would still allow her to help even though she was still a pirate, she really didn't want to have to knock him out to get him to the ship.
All he did was hum, leaning more into her side with his arm over her shoulders and her arms keeping him up on his waist and arm. His other arm was wrapped around his waist across the front like how a mother would cradle their stomach. "Thank you." Noticing the wetness on her shoulder she knew he was crying. Pain and understanding ripped through her heart.
"Of course sweetheart."
"Ace," she looked at him, as they were moving through the woods, "my name is Ace."
"That's a nice name." he slipped a little causing her to shift her arm from around his waist, stopping abruptly at the horrid scar covering his back. 'Oh my kami what happened' she bit her lip and started walking faster.
Making it to the ship, she passed by some of her siblings giving her looks and some calling out to her, she didn't hear any of it. He was dying. And Bay, for some unknown reason, felt drawn to him. A feeling of dread filled her, getting caught in her throat. 'Please please, almost there.'
On deck she adjusted him on her side, walking faster. "Gurarararara, Bay! My daughter-"
Her Pop's sentence was left unfinished at the sight of absolute fear in her eyes, screaming for help. He next saw the limp man in her arms. Eyes widening before he yelled out, "EVERYONE GET BAY TO THE NURSES WING!" Suddenly people came rushing over, Vista took Ace in his arms and Jozu took her. Running her to the Nurses wing.
"BE CAREFUL WITH HIM!" All she got was a grunt in return. Dammit. She didn't want the wounds to get worse.
The Nurses Wing was in full panic mode when they got there. Marco and Izou were there getting bandaged up after a spar, and some of the nurses that got the news of Pop's order were running around. "Bay!?" The nurses had probably never seen her so sacred, usually she was the level headed older sister, but now she was shaking in fear.
Jumping out of Jozu's hold and taking Ace from Vista, quickly setting him on one of the beds. Tears streaming down her face, her heart was thumping through her chest, "help." It was pathetic and she knew it. She didn't care, she just wanted Ace to live. Instincts had since taken over, from where they had come from, she doesn't know.
The shock from the plea melted and all the nurses rushed over and started to fuss with him, silently taking a step back and sliding down the wall, "Thank you." No one should sound so sincere to a complete stranger. That thought was banished the moment Ace started crying, whoever hurt him was going to pay, for hurting HER BROTHER.
Marco didn't know what was happening, one moment he was being yelled at by Sam, one of the nurses, for being stupid, and the next Jozu and Vista came busting in carrying Bay and someone else Marco had never seen before. That wasn't even the worst part, Bay looked terrified. She quickly got out of Jozu's hold and went to the stranger pulling him onto one of the beds, he could now see she was crying, "help."
Marco had never seen his sister like that. He shared a look with Izou who was next to him. He was equally scared looking. After a few seconds the nurses all rushed to the man laying on the bed. Marco didn't know what to feel. He felt warm, like really warm, was it the man or the tension in the air. Who knows.
Who is that?
In all his years of being Captain of the Moby Dick he had never seen any of his kids, let alone Bay for that matter, look so scared. The look she gave him of fear and absolute desperation sent chills down his spine. Whoever that young brat she had with her must be someone very special to get that kind of reaction from her.
It felt like hours. Bay felt useless, the nurses working on Ace had gone down now that he was clean and bandaged up. She was exhausted. She didn't even notice Pops till he called her name. "Bay."
Snapping out of the trance she was in she met huge worried eyes. Sighing, she spoke, "hey Pops."
"What happened," he wanted to know more about Bay's relation to the mystery man, but that could wait.
"I don't know," she felt stupid, "I was walking around the forest when I felt a heat wave from deeper in, came across Ace here, he was having some kind of ptsd attack or something along those lines, and I asked him if I could take him back and fix him up." She didn't look at her Pops, she didn't want to know what he was thinking.
"Hmmmm, I guess we'll have to wait for the brat to wake up. Gurararara." He answered and pulled out a jug of sake.
"POPS!"
He was groggy, really groggy. He could feel the comforting feeling of bandages covering his body.
He reveled in the comforting feeling of Pop's presence. It was almost too strong to feel the other presences. Marcos cool and breezy, Izous poppy and sweet, Bays sharp and warm, and the other nurses swirling with warmth and comforting ones like they were made to be nurses.
Snapping out of the nostalgic feeling of home was Pop's ruff and younger voice, "Bay was quite worried about you, it might be better to stop pretending to be asleep." 'Of course he noticed.'
Ace heard Marco squawk, "HES AWAKE!?"
Soon Bay was up fast, hitting her chair over, "he is?!"
"Gurararara," the sounds of Pops chugging his sake followed.
Izous calm voice came next, "of course he has, he has been for the last couple of minutes."
He heard Marco groan and chuckled at his expense, earning another squawk of shock from the phoenix. Sitting up slowly he met the eyes of a worried Bay, he rasped, "sorry for worrying you so much."
All Bay did in return was grumble, she moved and got him some water. Washing away the scratching feeling of thorns in his throat. He could feel all four eyes on him. Finishing the water and lifted his gaze to his Pops, and bowed, careful of his bandages. "Thank you, Newgate."
He wouldn't call the man anything else, Pops was suspicious, whitebeard was too distant, Edward was what his gramps called the man, so Newgate it was.
He could feel the tension in the room lift with Pops, "cheeky brat. Gurararara." He saw the tension lining Bay's shoulders melt, "but shouldn't you be thanking someone else for bringing you in the first place?"
Bay sighed, "Pops-"
Ace turned and bowed respectfully, "thank you."
Bay flinched, her cheeks dusted a light pink, she mumbled, "yeah, whatever."
Newgate's eyes widened, Bay was only ever that comfortable with those she trusted 100%. How interesting. And like in true Whitebeard manor he skipped the formalities and got right to the point. "Do you mind telling us what happened?" Blunt as fucking always.
Bay huffed, clearly irritated, "Pops, you don't have to answer him."
Ace giggled, causing a certain blue bird to blush at the sound. Don't worry Marco, only Pops and Ace noticed. Not like that was any better.
"It's fine, I lost control of my devil fruit, which led to memories I'd wish not to remember, and because of the wounds I got my fire was acting up trying to heal me in the best way it could by taking the things around it to get bigger. That was probably why the forest felt so hot."
"Healing fire, yoi?"
Ace met Marcos young and curious eyes, adorable. "Logia, mera mera no mi." And like the healing, sick man he was, he promptly burst into flames for a few seconds.
Hearing Bay shout something he pulled his flames back to only his hands. Pops was clearly interested, Izou was amazed about the control of his fruit, Marco was completely out of it watching the flames on Ace's hands like a hungry lion watching its prey.
And before anyone could utter another word Pops spoke the few words that had would unknowingly change the whole fucking world, "become my son."
Everyone's eyes snapped up to Ace's face. A chilling, cheshire D smile graced his face. "Sure, old man."
The sparks in her Pops' eyes flamed, matching the huge smile on his face, "brat."
'I'm never helping strangers again.'