Happy New Year! :D

Today, aside from the beginning of a year I hope goes way better than 2018, is Ace's birthday. To celebrate, I wrote this story and I hope you enjoy it.

Oda no doubt has an explanation as to why this couldn't happen/work in canon, but meanwhile I'm going to ignore that fact.

Spoilers for chapter 909. Sort of.

Eternity in an Instant

Grey. The blurry grey haze of the battlefield is everywhere, drowning out what Ace knows must be chaos. Before him, beneath him, and holding him up, Luffy is frozen in place. The only beacon of clarity in Ace's world.

Everything hurts.

An explosion of dust out of his limited field of vision, and then Luffy isn't there and instead Ace is pressed against something else. Something warm and solid that feels familiar.

Pain explodes over his stomach. It shouldn't be possible for it to hurt any more —he's been pierced through, hasn't he?— but the shock and sharpness of it is so unexpected that the edges of Ace's vision go black.

"Ace!" That's Luffy. "What are you—?!"

Something moves. Around him. In him. Ace doesn't know.

Everything goes dark.

He can hear screams.

Everything is loud, but it's also so far away he can't make out anything.

He's moving, he's pretty sure he's moving, and there is something bearing down on his stomach.

It hurts.

The world shakes, something so loud and clear he thinks he might fall, but his head only lolls against a warm surface.

Darkness again.

Ace comes to in a dimly-lit room. There is a beeping sound to his left, but before he can focus on it enough to wonder what it's about something moves above him.

Marco's blurred, familiar face comes into focus. His hair is an absolute, dirty mess. There is dried blood on his face. Worry is written on every line of his face.

Ace opens his mouth to speak, but nothing other than a harsh cough comes out. His mouth is dry, his throat parched beyond anything he can remember ever feeling.

Immediately, there is a straw pressed into his lips, and Marco is telling him to take small sips. It takes far too long to obey, and for the first time Ace becomes aware of the dull ache in his midsection. When Marco pulls the straw away a while later, Ace follows the movement of his hand and is dismayed to see the glass Marco sets down is barely half empty.

"W-What—?" Ace begins to ask, but is interrupted by a loud snore. A loud, very familiar snore.

Marco prevents him from sitting up with gentle hands. The attempt still sends pain lancing through Ace's whole body and he hisses.

"Luffy is okay," Marco says softly, and those are the best words he could speak because everything has come rushing back into Ace's mind. Teach. Marineford. Pops. Luffy.

"What happened?" Ace groans out. Marco is still keeping him in place, but now that Ace knows Luffy is here, he can hear his breathing. Luffy sounds okay, not unlike he did the last time Ace shared a room with him.

Marco's eyes darken. Ace's heart clenches, and he doesn't want to think about what that look might mean. He doesn't, because he remembers what happened, before Akainu, but it can't be possible…

Marco's hand slides down, from Ace's shoulder to hover over his stomach, and there is a flash of blue light before the ache becomes a new flare of pain.

Awareness flees Ace, and the last thing he can think before he loses consciousness is that Marco's bedside manners suck.

"You can come in," Marco says as soon as Ace is asleep again. He doesn't remove his hand from Ace's stomach, focusing on it to heal the damage some more. The injury has just recently abandoned the state of most-certainly-deadly, and Marco isn't taking any chances.

Trafalgar Law steps into the infirmary, a supply bag in one hand and an actual plate in the other. He leaves the bag on the bedside table and pushes the plate at Marco.

"Eat that. I don't want a fourth patient."

Marco isn't hungry, but he takes the plate anyway. He's not going to refuse when, without Law's help, Ace would be dead.

He watches as Law fusses over Luffy and Jinbe, checking that they are still stable and replacing the medication bags in their IVs. Marco knows they're mending, but he has no idea where supplies are kept in this ship and he'd rather not go snooping. Not when Ace needs him.

"How are the donors?" Marco asks after a while. He's halfway through the rice that occupied most of the plate, and he's grateful that there was no heavy food in it. He can't be sick, of course, but bland food is easier to swallow.

"Dead," Law says bluntly. He moves over to a cluttered desk, picking the three patient files on his way.

Marco shrugs. He can't say he gives a damn. As callous as it may sound, those marines lived long enough to serve their purpose. Under different circumstances what happened in the last few hours might horrify him, but after Marineford he can't find it in himself to care. Ace's body would never have recovered on its own.

Ace would be dead in any other situation.

"You should get rid of them. I doubt Luffy would appreciate the knowledge," Marco says. Neither would Ace, nor Jinbe.

He doesn't care. They're alive, and that is all that matters.

Jinbe is the next one to wake up.

Marco is once more the only one in the infirmary —the submarine has been intercepted by two ships, but there is no danger.

"Stay put," Marco says even before he turns around. He catches Jinbe in the process of trying to stand up.

Jinbe freezes obediently. There is a shocked expression on his face as he stares at Marco, but his eyes soon trail down to Ace's prone form.

"How is he?" Jinbe asks, his voice not much better than Ace's was. He has bandages covering most of his body, but he barely seems to notice. He doesn't try to stand again.

"He might make it," Marco says. He tries for a professional and detached tone, but his voice comes out choked. He doubts he's fooled even the walls.

There is a long silence, until Jinbe asks the one thing Marco hoped he wouldn't.

"…Pops?"

Marco clenches his jaw. He fists his hands on his lap and shakes his head. He can't think about Pops. Not now. Now he has to focus on Ace, on dragging him through this if that is what it takes to keep him alive.

Pops… Pops will have to wait.

Marco can't say he is surprised to learn Monkey D. Luffy got the interest of Boa Hancock. He doesn't have the energy to be impressed, though. He's just glad to know they have found a safe port to head to here in Paradise.

The trip will take a few days, and Marco doesn't intend to move at all during that time. Jinbe tries to coax him into going to eat something or at least sleep, but eventually gives up and brings Marco food instead, attempting to reassure him that Ace will be fine.

Ace is still alive. Through heavy application of two devil fruit powers his body is slowly accepting the new organs. They keep him heavily medicated, and his spells of consciousness are infrequent and rarely last five minutes. Marco isn't sure if he will remember anything from them, but he makes his best effort to appear sure and relaxed when Ace is awake.

On the third day of sailing, Luffy wakes up.

He's been sleeping off exhaustion and some artificial boost to his energy levels, but when he sits up and demands food no one would say he was out cold a moment ago.

His cheer lasts all of three seconds, until his eyes fall on Ace on the next bed.

Luffy freezes, eyes glued to the mass of bandages wrapped around Ace's torso.

"He'll be fine," Marco says, and somehow it's easier to be reassuring to Luffy rather than to himself.

Luffy's head snaps up, and for the first time since Marineford their eyes meet. There is a haunted expression in Luffy's eyes that doesn't match the crazy kid Marco has heard so much about. That expression is probably mirrored in Marco's eyes.

"You got us out," Luffy says, staring at him intently.

Marco nods.

There is a long silence, one in which both their eyes fall to Ace again. He's been more often asleep than unconscious today, and needs less help from Marco's powers. Once an hour, the last three times.

Marco hesitates. He looks back at Luffy. This crazy kid who tore through hell to save his brother. He's Ace's little brother, and Marco feels responsible for him.

For the first time in three days, Marco moves to stand.

"I'll bring you some food."

Luffy joins Marco in his vigil over Ace. He leaves sometimes, mainly to get food, and always brings something back for Marco and pesters him until he eats it. Now past the initial shock, Luffy has decided that Ace will recover, and there is something in his baseless certainty that Marco finds reassuring. Jinbe joins them sometimes, but he has taken to helping the Heart Pirates around as a way to show his gratitude. Both Marco and Law have threatened him with unimaginable pain if he overexerts himself, but he still insists.

Luffy makes for odd company. At first, Marco worried the lack of tact Ace so often mentioned would result in painful questions. Like about Marineford. But Luffy doesn't ask anything. He keeps up a constant stream of chatter about his childhood, his crew, and all the things he's going to tell Ace of his adventures. It's refreshing, and Marco feels the clutch around his heart loosen slightly as the days pass. He finds himself wanting to return the favor, to share some of his stories of Ace with him. But he can't, because those stories are still too hard to think about.

How come Ace's reluctance to join the crew was amusing a month ago?

Nearly a week after they escaped Marineford, they arrive on Amazon Lily.

Jinbe feels as though he's in a twisted dream. More like a twisted nightmare.

A male camp in Amazon Lily is absurd enough, but it's probably the only thing that might pass as funny about their current situation.

Pops is dead. Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, died ten days ago, killed by a traitor after a desperate bid to get Ace out of Marineford.

Ace, who is still unconscious, though both Marco and Trafalgar Law seem confident enough that if he's made it this far it means he will survive.

Marco… had Marco been anyone else, the user of any other devil fruit, he would have keeled over long ago. He doesn't sleep, he has yet to set foot out of the submarine where Ace is still hooked to machinery in the infirmary. He barely eats, and Jinbe is certain he only does so because he knows they'll pester him if he doesn't. Luffy certainly seems determined to make sure Marco doesn't push himself too far.

Luffy is recovering well. He has many cuts, bruises, and even one or two more serious injuries left from Marineford, but there is no trace of the exhaustion the boosts from Ivankov's hormones left. He is subdued, and spends more time with Marco and Ace than not. He does check on Jinbe's —far more healed, thank you— injuries, and hangs out with the Heart Pirates.

Boa Hancock drops by every day, and Luffy is the only reason she brings them so much food and supplies. Jinbe still hasn't wrapped his head around that particular mess, but he's decided to leave it alone and be grateful for the results. On Luffy's request, she has even agreed to procure them a white den den mushi so that they can try to contact the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates safely. Jinbe would be lying if he said he isn't worried sick; he can't even imagine how Marco is feeling.

After Hancock leaves, Luffy notices Marco walking away from their camp with the box Hancock brought clutched in one hand. There is an odd expression on his face; it reminds Luffy of his crew's faces when they decided to attack Enies Lobby.

Luffy looks around at the camp. Jinbe isn't around, but Luffy knows if Marco has left Ace's side it's because at least Jinbe and perhaps Traffy are in the infirmary. They seem very close, Ace and Marco.

Half of Traffy's crew is down on the camp, and the others are inside. Amazon Lily is safe enough, so Luffy knows they'll be fine.

He follows Marco.

Marco doesn't look well, he has looked like he's barely holding it together since Luffy woke up. He's tried to be steady and supportive all the time, and that can't be good after all that happened at Marineford. Luffy's attention was mainly on Ace, but he remembers it well.

Luffy gives Marco a minute before he follows, and maybe he shouldn't have. Wherever he is, Marco must be fast, because Luffy can't see him anywhere in the forest. He wanders around, and eventually hears Marco's voice. He's talking, and someone is talking back to him.

"You focus on Ace," a voice that Luffy thinks he might have heard before says. "We'll be fine. Just… make sure he's okay before you come back. Things won't be easy."

There is silence, and then Marco sighs.

"Okay. Take care, Vista."

There is a click —a den den mushi, of course— and Luffy approaches. Marco is looking in his direction when Luffy steps out of the trees. He's sitting on a huge root, and two den den mushis are by his side.

Marco doesn't say anything, just looks at him. It's Luffy who speaks first.

"You're not okay."

"I am," Marco argues. He's so calm Luffy would believe him if he hadn't seen him these past days.

Luffy doesn't want to do this, not at all, but he knows Marco can't keep going like this. And it is better he breaks now than later, when Ace wakes up and feels even worse about things than he already will.

"The old man is dead."

Marco's body snaps up, as tense as it probably can be. His hands are fisted, white and so clenched Luffy expects to be hit. It'll hurt like hell, but Marco has to get it out.

Except that Marco doesn't hit him. He stays frozen for a long moment, then slumps forward, still sitting on the root. He doesn't speak, but his shoulders shake.

Luffy remembers that feeling when his crew was sent away at Sabaody, the horror he felt because they were gone and he didn't even know if they were alive. It's probably worse for Marco. Marco knows Whitebeard is dead. Whitebeard ordered Marco to go, to get Ace away. Marco must have known Whitebeard would die even before it happened, but he obeyed anyway.

Luffy walks over to Marco and sits down next to him. Neither of them speaks. Marco's shoulders keep shaking, and he sobs into his hands. Luffy silently vows he won't let his crew go through this.

He has no idea how to make it better. He doubts he can.

Finally, two weeks after Marineford, Marco and Law announce that Ace should wake up any day now, and they move him to an improvised medical tent at the coast. Anybody who knows Ace knows his first hours awake won't be easy, and the last thing they need is a burnt down submarine.

Jinbe is nervous. He has no idea how to break the news to Ace; it's not only because they're so painful, but also because Ace is perfectly capable of ripping his new scars open when he loses it because of them.

Sitting on a rock next to Jinbe, Luffy is a bundle of repressed energy. He disappeared with Marco yesterday, and everybody has come to the silent agreement to pretend they didn't notice Marco's red eyes afterwards. Luffy has stuck to him ever since.

Marco is digging through their supplies, a notebook by his side as he puts together a list of the foods they should reintroduce Ace to as he recovers. It's a little early for that, but Jinbe knows him; Ace can't be healed more than once a day now, and Marco will go stir crazy if he doesn't keep himself busy.

The Heart Pirates are putting lunch together, and it's a testament to Luffy's worry that he isn't pestering them for food. Once the first few days passed, Luffy could often be found in the kitchen and later by the fire trying to weasel food out of the cooks.

As for Jinbe, he's keeping an eye on Ace. If Ace so much as twitches, he is to tell Marco immediately.

Ace comes to slowly. He grows aware of sounds around him, squeezes his eyes together, and is puzzled by the lack of light bothering him. For the first time in what appears to be forever he doesn't feel as though he's trapped underwater. He has vague memories of conversations here and there, though they don't make much sense. Marco, Jinbe… Luffy?

Dread settles in his gut as his mind grows clearer. There's a picture forming, and he doesn't think he cares much for it.

Ace forces his eyes open, and blinks twice when they focus.

It's dark, night most likely, and Luffy and Marco's faces are above him. Luffy is grinning widely, and there is a tiny smile pulling Marco's lips up, which means… It means he hasn't been dreaming.

The dread intensifies.

"Didn't think I'd see you two together," he croaks out. It's something he's often daydreamed about, introducing Marco and Luffy. He wishes he could have chosen the setting.

There is a straw poking at his lips now, and definitely that isn't new. It has happened in every other of those foggy instances he remembers.

"Slow sips," Marco tells him softly. Ace wants to grumble that he already knows, but the water is too tempting.

He drinks, and this time Marco doesn't pull the glass away until Ace is trying to drink from empty space.

"How are you feeling?" Marco asks.

Ace opens his mouth to speak, but a look at Luffy and Marco above him stops his words before the words can come out. He almost said 'like I got punched through', almost made a joke in an attempt to brush the situation off. But he remembers Luffy's shock as he held him, remembers Marco's panicked voice piercing through the fog that followed. He doesn't say the words; this isn't something to make light of.

"Been better," he settles on instead.

Luffy chuckles, and Marco's eyes relax, which tells Ace he's probably been way worse than he feels now —no kidding there, he remembers. He wonders how long it has been for him to be able to breathe without feeling like he's burning inside. Or how the hell he is even alive, for that matter. Those aren't the first answers he needs.

"Could use some more water," he says, meeting Luffy's eyes. It's not even a lie, his throat feels like he's rubbing sandpaper in it.

Luffy nods and disappears from sight. Ace is pretty sure he saw comprehension dawn on his face.

Ace turns to Marco, who isn't smiling anymore. Yeah, he's no doubt figured out what Ace wants; subtlety has never been Ace's forte.

"What happened?" Ace asks anyway. He doesn't want to know, he'd rather not hear it, but denial won't change anything. He has to know, it's the least he owes everybody.

Marco closes his eyes. When he opens them again, Ace sees all the pain he's already seen before, the one he wishes he'd only imagined.

"Pops is dead."

Ace doesn't freeze. He expected it, he knew, so he doesn't freeze. His world goes sideways, though, something that hasn't happened in ten years.

Pops is dead.

Of course he is, Ace remembers well how he announced he wasn't leaving Marineford. Still, there is a difference between knowing it will happen and knowing it has already happened, all while he was almost dead out of his own stupidity.

A hand takes hold of his own, and Marco leans closer to him, his face blocking everything else from sight.

"Don't you dare," Marco all but hisses at him. He doesn't raise his voice. In fact, he sounds choked. It sends something very uncomfortable down Ace's spine. "Nobody blames you. Don't you dare do it yourself."

Ace can do nothing but look at Marco. His first instinct is to argue, to deny those words, but he knows better. Everybody fought at Marineford, fought for him, and despite the part of himself that yells how he isn't worth it, there is another part that understands challenging that knowledge would be an insult.

Pops is dead. Who knows how many others are dead. All for Ace. He won't spit on their memories by claiming he wasn't worth saving. Even if it takes him his whole life to believe he was.

He nods.

Two days after Ace wakes up, Trafalgar Law announces it's time for the Heart Pirates to leave Amazon Lily. He states that now Ace is out of immediate danger and he has a decent doctor around, there is no reason for him to stick around. Ace looks very offended over the 'decent doctor' comment, but Marco is kind of flattered.

By now Ace can sit up on his makeshift bed, propped upright by a massive pile of blankets and pillows Hancock brought for Luffy. He watches as Marco and Jinbe help the Heart Pirates load their submarine with part of the supplies they've been provided. Luffy was helping at first, too, but after he dropped one too many boxes, he was kicked out and he now sits by Ace's side, watching them with clear amusement.

That is until some noise comes from the direction where Law's crew is keeping an eye on the sea. The moment he turns around, even before he spots the scuffle in the water, Marco senses a very familiar presence. He watches with some humor as everybody exclaims and panics over the spectacle out at sea, and he outright smirks at Jinbe's dumbstruck expression when Silvers Rayleigh climbs up the cliff that overlooks the coast where they have set camp.

Marco's attention turns soon to Ace, though. Rayleigh used to be Roger's first mate, and what was said at Marineford must have worsened Ace's feelings in regards to Roger. But Ace just stares as Luffy grins and all but bounces over to Rayleigh, demanding information on his crew.

An hour later, sitting around the remnants of breakfast's campfire, Marco watches resolution settle over Luffy's face before Luffy accepts Rayleigh's proposal of training for two years.

"We're coming, too," Marco says, drawing everyone's attention to him.

The only one who doesn't appear surprised is Rayleigh.

Marco just shrugs at Jinbe's dumbfounded 'what', but his eyes move to Ace. He's in no state to return to the New World —won't be for a long time, Marco fears— so they could as well take advantage of the time. Vista told Marco to focus on Ace, and that is what he will do. By the time they return, Ace will be strong enough that this won't happen ever again.

The End

While I'm of the opinion that Marco's healing fire doesn't usually hurt, I'd say healing something like Ace's injury would be an exception. There's a lot to mend and regrow in Ace's body, and that process is what causes pain, not the fire itself.