A/N: One Piece doesn't belong to me and never shall. Sad, I know.


RECAP:

"My name is Warren D. Griffin. It really is important that I speak with her. Thank you for your time." He gave another little bow before exiting the ship, walking back to the town. Nami frowned after him, an uneasy look on her face.

"I don't trust him…" she muttered to no one in particular. Luffy was too busy rolling around on the deck to even care about what she had just said.


Sola stood in the doorway quietly, watching as her son slept soundly. Every now and again he would give a little snort and kick his legs. He would settle soon enough. She smiled when that happened. Long ago, her brother acted the same way…

She shook the thought away. Past was past. She needn't dwell on it. Her brother made his choices and she had made hers. They hadn't spoken since. And if all went well, they wouldn't speak for quite some time.

She moved out into the small little hallway, closing the door to his room. "Grandmama, I-" she stopped at the sight of her grandmother holding up a backpack.

"Sage, darling. Did you think I didn't understand the situation?" her voice told her that she was upset, but understood; her granddaughter was a wanted criminal and as much as it pained her to let her go, her son would only be in more danger the longer she was here. "I'll miss you, as will he, but time fades memories… Eventually, he'll forget this moment had ever happened. He if doesn't? Well. That will be something he had of his mother to keep forever." Sage looked away, eyes downcast, her lips pulled in a grimace. Rose jiggled the bag in her hand. "Now, darling, we've got to get you back to your friends now. I'm sure they're worried about you." Sage gave a solemn nod, taking the bag. Rose's hands fell to her sides.

"Grandmama… Le-… has… he ever...?" Rose knew what she was getting at. Long ago when he found his beloved younger sister a victim of teen pregnancy, he ordered her to have the child killed. She refused and a sort of war broke out between the two. He left the island, enraged. Many things had been said that weren't meant, but they couldn't be taken away. He also wanted to enact his revenge on her 'boyfriend', but she also refused to tell him who it was. They hadn't seen each other nor talked since.

"He's written me quite a few times, but you know my sight's been going for quite some time darling. And his handwriting's so little and neat!" Rose indicated to the pile of papers Sage had wondered about earlier. "There they are, if you'd like to read them. The newest one I got was 3 days ago. It's the top one." Sage didn't want to read her brother's writings. Lord knew he was still angry at her from all those years ago. Yet… She had to.

She took the top one, settling against the counter and reading over it. It was one page, not a lot being said. How his life was going, how work was. How the girl he had been seeing was. It was the last couple of sentences that she stopped on. It was about her. He told Rose how he still regretted acting the way he did, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He asked that if she saw her, tell her he was sorry. He acted out of shock. He hadn't wanted to lose her to someone, someone he didn't know.

Sage, to be honest, wasn't all that surprised. She always knew her brother was against her dating. Their parents died only 2 years prior to that time and they had moved in with Rose. He had felt responsible for taking care of her, more like a father than a brother. Anytime she went into town, he accompanied her, insisting that boys were wild and crazy. He had only been 17 to her 15. Many of the older people thought it was cute because not many brothers looked out for their sisters like he did.

Sage had despised it. Perhaps that was why she snuck out at night, meeting up with her best friend since she was little. She had missed him, always being confined to the house and the surrounding woods by her brother. He had felt the same way, missing the way they used to hang out.

"So…find anything interesting?" Rose asked from the living room. She was knitting calmly, eyes closed.

"Huh? Oh, no. Work's been fine for him, owns his own bar, quite successful. He's thinking of proposing to his girlfriend though, so, I guess that would be exciting. He says she's quiet, but sweet. She reminds him of Mother." Sage didn't mention his words about her. Rose nodded.

"Ahh, so he's grown-up, has he…? Well then… I guess I'll have to send him your mother's wedding ring." Rose nodded a bit more before settling back into her knitting. "I kept it after all this time, you know. Ah. Here's an idea. Sage, write what I say. I'm finally going to respond to my grandson's letter." Sage frowned, but obeyed. The minute he saw her handwriting, he would be back here… then he would meet his nephew. The one he wanted killed. "Alright, you ready deary?"

"Yes grandma."

"My dearest Leonardo. Congratulations on finding someone who you love enough to ask for her hand in marriage. Enclosed is your mother's ring. I hope that your marriage with this young lady will be as happy as your own parent's was. Carrying on, I wish to…"


Luffy sat bored on the deck, the few bumps on his head finally receding. Regardless if he was rubber, Nami's punches still hurt… "Saaaaaaaanji, I'm hungry!" The cook took a long drag of the cigarette, ignoring him. "Saaaaaaaaaaaaanji!" The blonde kept calm. They had just had lunch. The Captain would be fine.

He just hoped he would stop annoying him and go find someone else to bother.

Luffy, after receiving no answer, 'humph'ed and floated to the deck, holding his chin up with his hands, elbows braced against the wood of the floor. "It's boring waiting here. Can't we just go and find Sage already? It's been hours." the boy was obviously exaggerating, but Sanji still ignored him, as did Nami, who just came onto the deck.

"Sanji-kun, still no sign of her?" she asked. The cook shook his head sadly and the navigator gave a sigh. They hadn't known Sage all that long. She had said she needed a lift and was willing to work for her stay, since she had little money to pay for it. She said she understood they were pirates and she had no fear; she was wanted too. They knew her maybe… two and a half weeks? At the most. She had helped them through a fair amount of Marine activated situations.

When the next paper arrived after one such situation, they found that the Marines decided 'Siren Sage' had joined the Straw Hat Pirates. Of-course, Luffy spouted the question to her, but she said she would have to think on it. She had just been about to give her answer when a surprise attack by the Marines warranted their undivided attention.

In the midst of the battle, she had been captured and the Marines had retreated. They found out two days later that she was to be executed in her home town. They followed after the Marine ship, waiting for the chance to rescue their friend.

Nami leaned against the railing, looking out toward the barely visible roofs of the town. It had seemed like a nice little village, everyone greeting each other and even being friendly to the travelers.

They knew what laid beneath that cheerful exterior now. Violence. A need to see it carried out. They understood why Sage now ran away.


Sage knew the woods like the back of her hand, regardless if she hadn't been in them for almost 4 years. She remembered the small little creek that ran from the back of her grandmother's house all the way to the end of the woods. She wouldn't follow it though. She needed to go back the way through town. Which was impossible right now, but all the same. That was the direction she needed to go. She knew another way. She had reached the edge of the clearing, resting a hand against the tree before her. She looked back at the house.

Chase stood in the window, the curtain pulled back to reveal his tear-stained face. His hands were pushed up on the glass, Rose standing behind him sadly. Tears were at the corner of her eyes while they were flowing freely down his face.

Sage looked away. She couldn't stay. She would put him in danger. Rose could handle him. She could take care of him better than she could ever.

She stepped into the trees, disappearing into the dark.


"Griffin! Laddie!" The man halted, looking to his right to see the older gentleman smiling cheerfully. "Laddie! I knew it was you!" the man, aging and had a potbelly, waddled up, patting his shoulder heartily. "Ah, dear, dear Laddie. It's been years since ya been back! Did ya come fer her, Laddie?" Griffin didn't let his anger rise to the surface.

"Yes. I did. But it seems as though I have another chance." The older man, Clay, laughed once again.

"Aye, that ya do! Make the best of it, Laddie! Them Marines are awful mad, aye, they are! Let's see if maybe ya can get ta her afore they d, Laddie! I'll be cheering fer ya!" Griffin nodded, continuing on his way, keeping his head down.

He would find her before the Marines did. He had to apologize. He would see Rose. He knew she would go see Rose.


"G-g-gramma…." Chase looked up at her, his nose running and tears flowing harder now. "Why- why come Mama's l-leaving? Did she not l-l-l-like me?" he asked, wiping his nose on his sleeve. Rose kneeled down slowly to his height, offering him a hankie. He blew into it loudly.

"No, dear. Your mommy loves you so much… That's why she's leaving. Bad men are after you mommy and if they find her with you, they'll take you away too. Here, you're safe with grammie. Mommy will come back when she can." Rose didn't want to explain in detail why she was leaving and what they would do to him. He understood a lot, but he was only 4 after-all. "There's some cookies out on the table. You go have some and I'll get the milk." She smiled, patting his shoulder. He nodded slowly, going out to the kitchen.

Rose struggled to her feet and gazed out the window.

Wherever she went, wherever she would go, her heart would always be here, with her son, with her childhood she was never able to really have. She would always have them in her thoughts. Even if time wore away his memory of her, she would always remember him, always think of him.

A figure at the edge of the woods and she heard the front door open. "Chase?" the little child was running down the steps and toward the trees, crying for his mother. Rose, being 76, went as fast as she could to the front door, down the stairs. By then he was almost to the trees. "Chase! Chase, come back!" the figure stepped out and she recognized him. Chase was starting to pass him by, not even giving him a thought. He was just focused on finding his mother.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion. The man turned, Rose had made it to the bottom of the stairs. Chase had almost reached the trees, the man had grabbed him. Rose was a few steps from her home, the child was being held up, gazed at intently by the man. He recognized the blonde hair, but many people on the island had blonde hair. The child was crying, struggling. Rose was a few more feet closer, summoning the strength that she had. The man looked over at Rose, then back at the child. The child was kicking, trying to get free.

"Griffin!" Rose yelled as loud as she was able to. "You put him down! Right now!" The man was still gazing at the child.

"MAMA!"


Sage stopped.

Chase. Her son. She shook her head. She couldn't… He would be in danger if she stayed longer. Her hands twitched into fists at her side. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't.

They would kill him.

His crying and she looked back over her shoulder. He sounded relatively close, like he was in the woods. But Rose would never let him out until she knew Sage was far enough away. Her grandma…. Perhaps he had run past her, out through the front door. It was possible. Rose was getting up in age… but Chase would listen. He was still young enough that time-out was a threat.

She bit her lip. If he was in the woods, he could get hurt. There were animals in here that wouldn't hesitate to attack a human, especially a child.

She turned, her body reacting to the possible threat that was on her son, her wings breaking through her back, giving her speed. She wasn't all that far from her home, her increased speed now would return her in no time to the place that was so dear to her.


Rose was close now, as Griffin continued to hold the struggling child. "Griffin… Put him down now… You have no right…" her lungs were burning, she was old after-all. She couldn't run like she used to. The man's face was blank.

"What's his relation to you?"

"None, now put him down, Griffin!" The child was wailing, kicking and scratching, but the man paid it no mind.

"Rose. I-"

"Griffin, put him down!" The man obeyed and she grabbed the child quickly. He continued to cry, but didn't fight her. Rose eyed him darkly. "You heard then. She's not here, if you're looking for her." His face fell. "You get… off my property. Right now. You're not welcome here." A sound through the trees, like a wind and a roar. Rose's eyes went wide. Not even she knew all the dangerous animals that lurked beyond the edge of her home, in the trees that surrounded her. For all she knew, the boy's crying had set one off.

It broke up, going through the tops of the trees, spiraling up into the sun. Rose moved back quickly, pushing the boy toward their home. "Mama!" Rose halted as the 'animal' came into view. The child reached up in the air, smiling brightly. Sage smiled down softly at him, hovering up in the air.

Then she caught sight of him.


Muwahahahahahaha~ I have succeeded in making a new chapter of this! I actually really like this one too.