Author Note: This is for the few people who asked for a follow up! You don't strictly have to read A Brother's Gift that before hand but it does set the scene for this one. I had hoped to get this up for Christmas but alas it was not to be!

This is partly inspired by a doujinshi called Sabo's Story which was translated by amaitsumi and you can find it on her tumblr, just google her! All credit to the original artist of course! Seriously check it out, it had me in tears!

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A Brother's Message

XXX

"You know, this whole thing would be so much easier if we had a map."

Sabo looked up from the reports he was perusing, his concentration broken. They were all very mundane in the general scheme of things but as Koala constantly reminded him, it was part of his job and he had to lump it. He studied the young woman sat on the floor across from him as she steadily shifted through the mountain of paper on the small round table.

"Map of where?" Sabo asked, swinging his long legs up to hang over the arm of his chair. He shuffled further down into the cushions.

Koala's head snapped up and she stared at him in disbelief. "Have you heard anything I've said in the last half hour?"

"I've been reading!" Sabo defended, gesturing to the papers in his lap. "You're the one always telling me I need to do these things!"

Koala huffed in annoyance. "Yes, but I didn't mean when we're trying to plan how to find the possible locations of any weapons factories when we reach Zo". She shook her head and carefully began stacking the sheets of papers into neat, orderly piles.

"What do we know so far?" Sabo asked, casting a quick glance at the wall clock and noting how unexpectedly late it was. He had been more absorbed than he thought. "Did you have a chance to speak to any of ours who were on Dressrosa?"

Koala nodded. "I spoke to a few of them. The rest are still with the doctor for treatment. Being turned into a toy apparently leaves one with an awful lot of pent up frustration to burn off. Some of them really went all out against the marines," she quipped drily. "From what I've been able to gather though, they were all turned into toys pretty soon after their arrival. They did try keeping an ear out but all they've really been able to confirm is what we already know. The weapons were only being shipped from Dressrosa, they weren't being made there."

Koala looked supremely disappointed with the most recent turn of events but Sabo simply shrugged, a small grin appearing. "Guess we're just going to have to wing it," he suggested.

"Oh, I don't like it when we wing it," she grumbled, "you're far too impulsive at the best of times."

"Hey!" Sabo exclaimed.

"Well you are," Koala said, although she was trying hard not to smile. She rolled gracefully to her feet and started slowly pacing the room. Sabo let her be, she could never sit still when she was thinking up a plan or puzzling out a predicament.

"Don't even think about it," Sabo suddenly muttered, without looking up from the reports he had returned his attention to.

"But it's so messy! If you'd just-"

"Nope."

"Can't I just tidy it a little bit? It's bugging me."

"Then don't look at it."

"But-"

"No, Koala, you know the rule; stay away from my desk and we'll remain the best of friends," Sabo grinned cheekily, watching in amusement as she visibly forced herself to step away from the desk which, according to Koala, was the bane of her existence.

The brunette pouted and crossed her arms, glaring down at him. Sabo simply smiled at her in return.

A sharp knock at the cabin door ended the stalemate.

"Come in," Sabo called, purposely allowing a couple of sheets of paper to drift from his lap down to the floor. Koala's eye twitched.

Luffy's beaming face popped around the door. "Hey!"

Sabo smiled as his brother bounded into cabin and peered down at him, chin resting on the back of the blond's chair.

"What are those?" he asked curiously, pointing to the papers Sabo still held, before greeting Koala loudly.

"Just some reports," Sabo said.

Luffy paused, his brow knit with worry. "I didn't realise you were busy, I can come back later," he offered, although Sabo could tell he didn't very keen on the idea of leaving. The blond wasn't surprised. He had been waiting for Luffy to migrate back to his side for a while now, seeing as how the teen had been extremely reluctant to let Sabo out of his sight for longer than absolutely necessary since they had found each other again in the aftermath of Doflamingo's fall.

Koala smiled knowingly and stepped forward, picking up the papers on the table. "No, it's fine. I don't think we're going to get anymore done tonight anyway. Sabo, I'll try to speak to the rest of the guys in the morning. Hopefully, the Witch will let me see them," she said with a grin, departing with a small wave.

"Witch?" Luffy asked in confusion as the door clicked shut. "You have a witch?"

Sabo chuckled, tossing his reports onto the now clear table and scrubbing a hand over his face. "No, she means the doctor. Let's just say, she's a bit possessive of the patients under her care."

"Oh," Luffy nodded and started wandering aimlessly around the cabin, seemingly intent on checking out every nook and cranny despite already having given it a through once over earlier that morning. Sabo watched him with fond amusement as he studied the Eternal Log Poses that were lined up neatly, thanks to Koala's last cleaning spree, in the glass cabinet on the wall.

"What are the rest of your crew up to?" Sabo asked, curious as to where the rest of their guests were. They had all disappeared surprisingly quickly after dinner.

Luffy swung around and a tapped a finger to his chin, brow creased in concentration. "Usopp dragged Franky to the workshop with Hack, I think they'll be there all night. Robin and Torao are still in the medical wing and Zoro's asleep in the cabin," he reeled off.

"Are the cabins Koala set up for you alright?" Sabo queried with a small yawn, the events of the last couple of days finally catching up to him.

Luffy nodded shortly. Sabo stared at him, slightly bemused as to why the dark haired teen suddenly looked so apprehensive, his dark eyes darting every which way as his hands twisted into his shirt.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly.

Luffy shuffled nervously. "Um, do you think, maybe I could sleep in here? Just for tonight," he asked quietly, biting his lip.

Sabo blinked in surprise but before he could respond Luffy continued in a rush.

"Or if you don't want me in here all night, can I just sit for a little while. I promise I'll be-"

"Luffy," Sabo cut in, a soft smile on his face. "You can stay as long as you want, I'm not going to kick you out."

Luffy lit up immediately and made a flying leap for the bed, bouncing as he landed. Sabo snorted at the jubilant display before dragging himself from his comfortable chair, discarding his cravat on the desk and turning down the lamps. Luffy kicked his sandals off before rolling towards the wall, leaving room for Sabo to join him. It would be squeeze but Sabo suspected Luffy would end up using him as a pillow anyway. As a child, Luffy had been incapable of sleeping with one of his brothers without it ending up with them wrapped in a rubbery embrace. Sabo had no reason to believe the habit had been broken and he was proven right seconds later when Luffy's head came to rest on his shoulder and an arm was flung over his chest.

"Comfy?" Sabo asked dryly as Luffy plastered himself to his side.

"Yep!" Luffy chirped.

Sabo shook his head and could only marvel as his brother was asleep within seconds of his eyes closing, snoring lightly. Sabo felt the last of the day's tension drain away almost instantly as his brother's familiar presence soaked into him. He released a wide yawn and relaxed back into the mattress as he felt his own consciousness fade away.

xxx

Sabo opened his eyes after what felt like only seconds to find himself in a deep, shady forest, soft sunlight streaming through the canopy and creating a gentle ambience. The blond smiled as he immediately recognised his surrounding as that of Mt. Colubo, one of the few places he had ever thought to call home.

He dropped his gaze as he became aware his hand felt unnaturally warm. He quirked a brow as he realised his right hand was on fire, the flames licking at his skin. Sabo snorted. It seemed he would have to exert control of the Mera Mera no Mi even in his dreams. He had half a second to briefly wonder whether his hand was burning on his physical body too because if it was, Luffy was going to have a very rude wake up call, before the flames leapt from his palm and drifted up to float in front of him.

Sabo watched, confused as the small ball of flames danced around before darting away. It shot back a couple of seconds later before bolting away again.

"I'll take that as a sign you want to me to follow," Sabo said to himself as he made to do so. He recalled many occasions over the years of people warning him against following the light if it ever appeared before him, but considering he was neither injured nor on the verge of death, Sabo decided to chance it.

It was only a dream anyway, he mused as he slowly traversed the forest, the trees and deep thicket seemingly melting away as he passed. If his memory served him, and he hadn't been turned around unnecessarily, Sabo knew this particular path only led to one place. He broke free of the tree line and found himself face to face with the ocean, glistening like a diamond in the setting sun.

Sabo smiled as he wandered closer to the cliff edge. This had been one of the brothers' favourite places on the whole island. They would make up stories about passing ships and dream about their own adventures.

Sabo drew in a shaky breath as he also recalled this was meant to be the very spot Luffy and himself had declared to be where they would wave Ace off on his journey. They had planned on watching until their brother was swallowed by the horizon. The blond had no idea whether Luffy had followed through with the plan or not after he left.

Sabo glanced at the small ball of fire that suddenly seemed much larger than before. Whilst he had never met Ace whilst he was the user of the Mera Mera no Mi, Sabo could almost imagine the presence radiating off of the flames was the same as having his brother stood next to him.

The regret that he had been readily able to push aside since reuniting with Luffy suddenly returned full force.

Feeling more than a little foolish, but wanting to finally voice his thoughts, Sabo turned to the fire ball.

"I'm sorry I never saw you off, Ace, but I did it," he whispered, recalling the silent vow he had made to himself to inherit his brother's will. "I won your Devil Fruit and found Luffy."

Not expecting a response, Sabo jumped in shock as the fire ball suddenly roared into life. He took a couple of paces back, an instinctive reaction he was going to have to quell now fire was no longer a threat to him. He shielded his eyes as the light grew and the flames burst outwards.

Sabo felt his jaw drop and eyes widen as a figure slowly stepped out of the fire, which disappeared as suddenly as it had erupted.

The blond stared, motionless even as the person before reached up to tip his hat. Sabo's gaze drank in the sight, so familiar to him even though he had only ever seen photos.

"Ace," Sabo finally choked out.

His brother's head remained bowed, the brim of his hat shielding his face from view and Sabo had to restrain himself from rushing forward and ripping it off to get a good look at the features underneath.

"Ace-" Sabo stuttered before falling silent as a hand was raised to stop him.

"I was so sure," Sabo closed his eyes as his brother's voice, deeper and gentler than he remembered, washed over him. "I was so sure that when I died, you'd be there with that stupid grin of yours telling me I was an idiot," Ace whispered.

Sabo choked, biting back the sob that was threatened to burst free.

"But," Ace finally raised his head, a warm and relieved smile in place even as his freckled cheeks were wet with tears. "I'm so glad you're alive!"

Sabo burst into laughter, unable to stop his own eyes from streaming.

Ace grinned. "Long time no see, Sabo," he remarked easily.

The blond roughly scrubbed at his face. "Is it really you?" he wondered, unable to comprehend how his brother was unexpectedly in front of him, close enough to touch, although he made no move to reach for him in case it broke the delicate balance.

"Who else were you expecting? I was the last user of the Mera Mera no Mi after all," Ace said pushing his hat back to hang around his neck.

Sabo frowned, more confused than he had felt in a long time. "Is that what's allowing us to talk? Our Devil Fruit? I've never heard of that happening before," he admitted, and he had studied a fair few Devil Fruit powers of the years.

Ace shrugged easily. "I'm not even going to pretend to know how Devil Fruits work. Maybe it's because we knew each other, we had a connection. I can't imagine there are many people in the world who've managed to inherit their deceased brother's Devil Fruit." The freckled man chuckled quietly, though it was tinged with sadness. "I have the feeling this could be a one-time deal, though," he confessed.

Sabo nodded, shoulders slumping. It would be too much to ask for to be able to communicate with his dead brother. And in all honesty, if Luffy wasn't able to share the experience with him, Sabo would rather it be a one off.

"Ace, there's something I need to tell you," Sabo began but Ace shook his head.

"I know, I heard you," he said. "I'm happy you found Luffy. And I'm glad it was you who inherited the Mera Mera no Mi."

Sabo scoffed and raised an eyebrow. "Did you really think that Luffy and I were going to let anyone else get it?"

Ace laughed, the sound causing Sabo's heart to lurch painfully when he realised he wouldn't hear it again once he woke up. Desperately trying to find something to distract himself from the knowledge this would be their last interaction, Sabo's gaze drifted over his brother, noting the subtle changes. He was relieved to see that whilst a lot of the scars Ace had accumulated during his life were still visible, the wound that had killed him was absent. His eyes finally landed on his brother's arm.

"Nice tattoo, by the way," he smiled shakily.

Ace followed his line of sight before smirking. "I thought so."

Both brothers jumped as Ace's arm burst into flames.

Ace sighed heavily. "I guess that means we're out of time," he said wistfully, as the flames consumed his arm and danced up towards his shoulder.

Sabo forced himself to watch as more of his brother was enveloped by the fire. He desperately wanted more time. There was so much he wanted to share, so much he needed to tell his brother but once again, fate was against them.

"Sabo!"

The blond started as Ace's voice reached him over the growing roar echoing around them.

"I have just one thing to ask," Ace told him. Sabo nodded his head eagerly. Ace smiled and Sabo could see he was valiantly fighting back tears. He couldn't ever remember seeing Ace so emotional before. "Will you please, for my sake…No, for both of us," Ace choked out with a firm nod of his head even as the flames devoured his legs. "See Luffy to the end of his dream," Ace pleaded.

Sabo laughed, hot tears dripping down his own face. "You didn't even need to ask, Ace."

The brothers shared a watery grin and Ace offered a hand. Sabo reached out to grasp it. For a single second before both their hands burst into flames, Sabo could have sworn he felt Ace's hand in his.

"Take care of him," Ace said, echoing the request Sabo had once asked of him. "He may not be a weak cry baby anymore, but he's our little brother. I'm counting on you, Sabo."

And just like that, Ace was gone.

Sabo clenched his still burning hand into a fist, bringing it up to cradle against his chest.

"Promise," he whispered, eyes squeezed tight shut.

xxx

"…bo…Sa…Sabo!"

The blond jolted awake with a strangled gasp. His little brother's concerned face hovered over him uncertainly.

"Are you okay?" Luffy asked. "You were crying," he noted, gently reaching out to poke Sabo's damp cheek with the tip of his finger.

Sabo raised a hand to scrub at his gritty and itchy eyes before sitting up, noting that whilst the cabin was still dark, it was very warm. He could only have been asleep for a couple of hours at most he thought, feeling rather dazed and off kilter, even as he forced himself to focus for a few second until the oppressive heat he was radiating was back under control.

"Sabo?" Luffy reached out and shook his shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked again, shuffling slightly closer on his knees.

"I'm fine, it's just, I saw Ace," Sabo said, voice barely above a whisper.

Luffy cocked his head, puzzled. "You had a dream about Ace?" he wondered.

Sabo allowed a small smile to flicker across his face. "Not a dream, more like a message, I think." He released a heavy sigh and collapsed backwards onto the bed but despite his earlier exhaustion, the blond had a feeling he wouldn't be getting much more sleep.

"Message?" Luffy echoed in a whisper.

Sabo glanced up at him and raised an eyebrow, confused as to why Luffy suddenly looked so serious. His brow was furrowed and he was staring at the palm of his hand, deep in thought.

"Luffy?" Sabo called, breaking the others reverie.

The captain turned to his brother slowly. "Just before he…" Sabo saw Luffy swallow hard as he trailed off. Sabo sighed quietly, suddenly realising where the conversation was headed. He heaved himself up to lean against the headboard before gently reaching out to tug Luffy to his side, throwing a comforting around his shoulders.

"Just before what?" Sabo prompted him to continue softly.

Luffy shuddered slightly under his arm. "Just before Ace d-died, he said to tell everyone something," he mumbled. "I just remembered."

"What was it?" the blond asked softly, grip tightening unconsciously.

"'Thank you for loving me'," Luffy whispered, tilting his head up to look at his brother.

Sabo felt his breath catch in his chest as the words registered. He blinked once before soft laughter escaped him.

"How the hell could we not?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

Luffy swiftly grinned, although it was nowhere near its usual brilliance. "I know, right? Stupid Ace," Luffy grumbled, settling once more against Sabo.

The blond glanced down at the top of his brother's dark head. Luffy was rubbing the palms of his hands together as though trying to rub away invisible dirt. Sabo watched him thoughtfully for a few minutes before he reached out and firmly halted Luffy's movements. Luffy cast a remorseful glance up at him, dark eyes glistening with unshed tears and Sabo instinctively knew Luffy was reliving the nightmare.

Take care of him.

Sabo smiled as Ace's final words echoed in his head and he knew immediately what would distract his brother from his darker memories.

"Hey, Luffy. Did Ace ever tell you how we met?"

XXX

I very much doubt the Devil Fruit works like this but it fit the story so I rolled with it! I hope this lived up to expectations as I wasn't planning on doing a follow up at all so I'd love to know what you all thought!