And I am on a roll! here we go the next part! Next chapter will be a full episode I promise you, I'm going to hopefully start on it soon, just taking a small break from writing for a moment, a few hours to catch up on reading fanfiction and researching cosplay...because I cosplay! and it takes up a lot of my time. And money, I have a con next weekend there will be no chapters on my Saturday and Sunday (This is New Zealand time, so Friday saturday for most of you) and then I start on my next cosplay projects, A female Ace and a before time skip Trafalgar Law!

And hello to all new followers of this story! Great to have you all on board!

And here you go, enjoy

Now following her brother out the door was one thing, it was just out the door. But something held her back when she saw him rush after Ace into the forest. Her steps slowed to a stop as she stood at the edge of the forest. Isn't this the very thing she had been wanting, the very thing she dreamed of the last lord knows how long? Luffy was paying attention to her again, finally had time and energy for her but...

She watched as Ace stood atop a large boulder, staring down with cold eyes. Luffy stopped just at the bottom of it, well out of breath,

"I'm Luffy! I'm not angry that you spat at us anymore!" there was that 'us' again

"It's nothing to get get worked up about!" she nearly laughed as her brother mimicked Shanks own words...still spitting was so gross, "Let's be friends!"

Sure Luffy cared now, but how long before he decided pursuing Ace's friendship was more important? Because she knew her brother, of course she did she had known him her entire life, as short as it was. She knew him better than anyone else did, better than their grandpa, better than Shanks or even Makino. And knew exactly how this was going to go down, he was going to chase Ace, every day for as long as he had to until the older boy either killed him or gave in.

He had set his mind on becoming Ace's friend...and a growing part of her wondered what place did she have? And if they did, when they did, where did that place her? When would Luffy decided the chases were 'too dangerous' for his little sister, when would he decide that her lack of powers were slowing him down too much? Because without a doubt this Ace was not going to just lay down and accept Luffy's affection.

As if reading her thoughts, made his thoughts of Luffy's offer of friendship very clear. With incredible strength he kicked the base of a tree, and again and again until the wood splintered and broke. Kicking the tree one final time he sent flying towards Luffy. Doing the smart thing Leo quickly scrambled to the side, getting out of the rolling tree's path. Her brother did the less smart thing, screaming and running away from it. She winced as she watched the tree gain on him, gravity would win this round it seemed.

It did, as Luffy ran right into a dead in, the tree following close behind, crashing into him and crushing him against the rock face. Even though she knew it would happen Leo still let out a cry of shock, running over to check on her brother. Turns out being made of rubber saved his life once again, as the tree had flattened him,

"Oh Nii-chan" she mumbled as she climbed on top of the tree, then scooting around so her back was to the rock wall and her feet placed firmly on the tree. From there she pushed the tree as hard as she could, groaning as it barely moved.

"Nii-chan I need your help with this" she called through grit teeth, "If you can push from down there that'd be fantastic"

It took a few minutes, but finally the tree edged forward enough so that Luffy could shoot his arms out, grabbing the top of the cliff, yanking himself out with a grunt.

"I don't think he likes us" Leo pointed out, knowing it was useless,

"He just doesn't know us yet!" Luffy declared, standing next to his sister, brushing his pants down,

"You're going to chase after him aren't you" she added miserably, she should have known that her time was going to be short lived, but she had hoped for more than a day at least,

Luffy didn't answer immediately, looking closely at his sister for the first time in weeks.

Something finally clicked in his head, all of a sudden he understood why his little sister has been so much more quiet than he remembered. The going from being happy and cheerful one minute, but the moment his attention went elsewhere it all went away. She was lonely! But how could she be lonely when he was here... But he wasn't...he was with gramps. And Leo had been left at home, everyday, all by herself...guilt built in the seven year olds chest. He should have done something! Why didn't he do anything?! His baby sister was sad and alone and he did nothing!

It was then he made a descion, one he vowed to never break.

"No, WE are going to chase after him" he stated loudly, "You've been drinking sea water again if you think I'm leaving you behind again!"

She snapped her gaze to her brother, not truly believing she heard his words correctly,

"Besides if there's only two of us it's easy for one of us to be lonely, if there are three of us then it's just not possible!" he didn't bother to explain his logic, he didn't need to, not to her.

His words drew a moment of clarity for her as well, a small sad smile growing on her face, she wasn't the only one who was suffering from their seperation.

And with that the dying flicker of hope burst to life, filling her chest with a new fiery determination, something she hadn't felt since she allowed Luffy to talk her into stabbing herself in the face with a knife. She turned to her brother, grinning brightly, her face unused to the sensation,

"Well what are we waiting for?" she questioned, "Let's go catch us a friend!"

Luffy's own grin grew,

"Yosh! Let's do this!"

Jumping down from the log Luffy started to run in the direction he saw Ace go, Leo following quickly behind. She could have easily out run her brother, but there was something more satisfying about running beside him. They soon spotted the other raven haired boy crossing a rope bridge across a very deep casism. Ace didn't notice them until Luffy stepped onto the swing bridge, causing it to swing back and forth, Leo stepped onto the bridge much more slowly, really not fond of heights.

While the two caught their breath Ace had turned around and started walking towards them, and while Luffy grinned, Leo felt her stomach sink. It wasn't going to end well. She was right, because while Luffy's grin widened he did't see Ace tightening his grip on the pipe he always seemed to carry and thus did not see the strike coming until he was already flying through the air,

"Nii-chan!" Leo screamed as she watched her brother fly down into the deep crack in the earth,

she turned to glare at Ace who only stared back with those gods damned cold eyes,

"I don't know what he saw in you" a white hot fury burned beneath her skin as she spat her words, "But he's a blind fool because you are nothing short of a heartless monster"

She stood, shoving him harshly, before turning tail and running all the way back to the bandits hideout, tears streaming down her eyes.

She didn't turn back to see if her shove had actually done anything, but god she hoped he fell off a cliff. She stopped just at the tree line, staring at the hideout. All she wanted to do was curl up in a dark corner and cry. But she knew she couldn't, she had a job to do. So instead of crumbling apart like the child wanted to she straightened her back marching inside,

"Oi the brat's back!" one of the bandits called out, she ignored them.

Once inside she scanned the room, before moving in further trying to locate the items she needed,

"Oi brat where the hell have you been!" Dadan growled when she noticed the girl, "You had chores!"

"Was busy" she shot back, as she reached over a box to grab what she was looking for. A candle. All the lamps were taken or broken, so a candle would do,

"Well you can do them now!" the bandit leader growled back

"Still busy"

The woman grew angrier, grabbing the girl by the front of her dress, pulling her up to her face,

"Then you won't be getting ANY food tonight!" she threatened

Leo just stared impassively,

"Fine then"

The bandit dropped the girl in shock, she had expected crying, arguing some sort of protest! But no the girl just picked herself up, grabbed her candle off the floor and then walked back outside. Dadan watched her go, and frowned as she sat down outside the hideouts entrance, placing the candle down next to her,

"And what exactly is it that you're doing brat?!"

"Waiting"

Dadan really was getting sick of this girls one worded answers,

"For what exactly?"

"I have the wait for Luffy" she said, not removing her eyes from the forest line, "He got lost, so I have to wait for him to get unlost and come back"

Dadan growled, the damn boy had gotten himself lost already. Fine, wasn't her problem anymore.

'Besides' she thought with a smirk, 'the little brat's gonna get hungry sooner or later' believing Leo couldn't possibly keep her post all day.

But as the hours wore on, the sun rising and beating down with its harsh rays the girl did not budge. She sat cross legged at the entrance, unlit candle in her lap, hidden under her dress to prevent it from melting. At first the bandits were unsure of what to do, but eventually they decided to ignore her. Any attempt at commanding her to clean or do a chore was met with stony silence.

The day started to descend into night, the sun dipping low when Ace finally returned,

"Hey Ace has returned!" A bandit announced like they had her,

He had returned with a while of fish, some were as big as Dadan herself! Everyone cheered for food, glad there was meat on the menu. All but Leo, who's unwavering gaze did not flicker to the older boy, though it did grow harder at the announcement.

"Ah Ace, where's Luffy?" a bandit asked, "wasn't he with you?"

"Hell if I know" the boy muttered as he marched inside.

Soon the smell of cooking fish filled the air, and once again the room inside fell into chaos, Leo could hear their fighting and arguing from outside. Her stomach rumbled sadly, but still she refused to move. She knew her brother, he was strong, and he would eventually return back to the hideout, but unlike her he had a terrible sense of direction. She had to stay on watch so he knew where to go.

She only moved when darkness fell, and that was to match a match out of her pocket and light the candle. It was no lamp, but it would have to do as she placed it in front of her.

"He's probably dead you know" one of the many bandits commented as he placed a bowl of rice next to her, which is ignored, "He's not coming back"

"He'll be back" She stated, "Nii-chan always comes back"

The evening dragged on, and the bandits became progressively more and more drunk. She could even hear Dadan stating about just how much she didn't care if the boy was dead or never returned. Wasn't her problem, she didn't care. If she could force herself not to listen she would, it was hard to hear just how unwanted she was, but it was unbearable to hear the same about her brother. She ignored Ace as he left the house to go around the back to bathe, she wanted to scream at him, punch him, hurt him. But she couldn't. Because Luffy would still want to be friends with the boy, and as horrid as she thought he was, Luffy saw something in him.

A small part of her regretted her words, she shouldn't have called him a monster...it was cruel, and just because he was being cruel doesn't mean she to do be as well. Even so she didn't attempt to apologize when the boy finished his bath returning to the hideout.

Still when he left the door ajar she couldn't help but hear Dadan's words

"In my opinion, it'd be best if he just went somewhere and died. Then we could tell Garp it was an accident!" even for a bandit that was cruel, "This is what they mean by 'A devil's child has a devil's luck' He is the child of a devil as well!"

At this point Leo leaned over to pull the door closed properly, not wanting to hear anymore, it really wasn't helping her guilt from her own words. So instead she focused on the path leading into the forest, the candle had reached the three quarter mark and wouldn't last too much longer, so she needed to let her eyes get used to the dark.

By the time morning came along the candle has long since burnt out, leaving now hard wax in a puddle on the ground, some of it had splashed onto Leo's foot, but she didn't care. She hadn't moved an inch. She hadn't even touched the rice, although she had sipped the water. Her gaze did not flicker when Ace left in the morning, again a small part of her wanted to apologize, but she couldn't. Not yet. Dadan's orders to do her chores were meet once again with stoney silence. Even when she physically grabbed the girl, trying to force her to do as she was told was meet with silence resistance and it always ended the same way, with her back in the same spot, eyes glued onto the forest edge, waiting.

It was by the third day that the bandits finally realized she wasn't moving, most had given up trying. Not Dadan, she still made an attempt every morning to get the girl to do her chores, and as the days wore on to eat the rice that was always left untouched come morning. Not that she cared about the brat, but she couldn't allow her to just waste food!

It was only on day five, when she nearly passed out did she decide that it was ok to eat, but she did so again without leaving her post or letting her aching eyes leave the forest. Every thing ached. Her back ached, her butt and legs had fallen numb on the first day. Her stomach felt like it was being twisted in knots and her head pounded, like someone was playing the drums with her brain. Hell now even blinking hurt, her lids heavy and the circles under her eyes had just grown more and more bruised. She knew she smelled, and she probably looked like death warmed over.

But still she couldn't move, because Nii-chan would return, and if she wasn't keeping watch then how else would he find the right way home?

On the seventh day her body had started to shut down, seven days with no sleep, very minimal water and sitting in the sun all day had started to take its toll on her. By the middle of the night she could barely keep her eyes open, but she had to...for Nii-chan...

She startled when the dog started to bark, her fuzzy gaze turning to what had caught it's attention. It took a few moments for her eyes to focus on what she was seeing, and a few moments more for her brain to process it. A tired smile spread across her face as she finally allowed her body to fall to darkness,

"Nii-chan" she mumbled happily as she slumped over into a slumber.

The dogs barking finally woke some of the bandits, going to investigate he cried out in shock, running to wake Dadan,

"Boss! Boss! Wake up!"

"Who's there?" she mumbled still half asleep.

The sight of a bruised, cut and out of breath Luffy snapped her right awake,

"It's you!"

"That's Luffy came back!"

"That kid he's still alive!"

She marched over to him, grabbing his face,

"Where have you been?!" She demanded

"I was being chased around by wolves at the bottom of the valley" Luffy replied tiredly

"The bottom of the valley?! Why'd you go down there?!"

Luffy gave no reply, which only irritated Dadan even more,

"Boss!"

"Oh what now?!"

"It's just...Leo's finally passed out..."

Dadan snapped her head around to see that, yes Leo had in fact finally passed out, slumped back against the house. Growling she grabbed Luffy by the scruff, marching into the house, grabbing Leo as she walked past. The girl was so out of it she didn't even stir,

"Neeh, wha's wrong with imouto..." Luffy slurred,

"The damn brat has been sitting outside waiting for you to return" Dadan growled, before slamming open the door to Ace's room, throwing both Luffy and Leo onto the floor,

"Now sleep!"

And like a light Luffy was out of it.

When morning finally came around Leo woke up confused, she was laying flat for one, and on wood not earth,...and finally something warm and soft was wrapped around her, blinking in a daze she turned her attention to the soft warm thing. And screamed happily, probably waking everyone not yet awake,

"Nii-chan! You're back!" she launched herself onto him, hugging him tightly.

They quickly dressed and patched up Luffy's bandages, and just in time to see Ace leave. Luffy stood at the door and called out,

"You're going out somewhere again today Ace?! Take us with you! Let's be friends!"

Ace looked back for a second before breaking into a run, Luffy did the logical thing and ran after him, Leo not far behind. Sitting still for a week had made her legs all turn to jelly, so for once she couldn't really keep up stumbling behind, but she laughed anyway, it was good to have Nii-chan back.

"Boss! They're chasing after Ace again!"

"Hey! Your supposed to be doing chores!" Dadan shouted after them. And was ignored

They chased after Ace for a good wee while, taking sharp turns and ducking under hollowed out trees trying to keep up. Luffy was having as easier time as Leo's legs still weren't working quite normally again yet. They stopped when they came to a small body of water, Ace had somehow made it to the over side,

"Ace! Let's be friends!" Leo could hear Luffy ahead of her, when she finally reached her brother he was struggling not to get eaten by crocodiles,

"Nii-chan" she cried out, before grabbing a vine and throwing it out for him to reach and tug him away from the hungry reptiles.

Once back on safe land the siblings let out a sigh,

"I really don't think he likes us..."

The routine went on for days, every morning Luffy would chase after Ace, most days Leo would be just behind him, figuring it'd be best as every time they past an obstacle the older boy would throw a new one at them, so best she allow herself to come in second so she could help her brother out of the situation, Be it rocks falling down at them, angry birds, snakes and whatever else was thrown at them. Every day for 3 months, rain or shine. Some days Leo didn't follow he brother, because despite the fact her life was better (now she wasn't so lonely) there were still days where she would wake up and just couldn't pull together the energy to care.

Those were the hardest days, when she could barely drag herself out of bed, because there was just no point. On those days she would sit in front of the hide out, a candle in her lap, and she waited. Ace would always return first, with food as always, just as the sun started to set, and a few hours later Luffy would scramble on up with a bright grin,

"He got away this time, but not tomorrow" he would promise.

Every day they'd get a little further, push a little more, got a little stronger, a little wiser. Until one day they made their way to the edge of the forest.

"We did it...we actually did it" Leo stared in amazement,

"Haha! I told ya we would!"

"You did...that you did" she muttered as she walked closer to the edge to gaze out,

"What is this place?" she muttered to herself as she stared out into the grey mess of rubble and trash,

"It's where Ace has been coming every day!" Luffy answered, so sure of himself,

"Well then...we best find him" she muttered again. Something didn't feel quite right to her, something just felt...off. Something bad was going to happen to day, she just knew it. If only she knew HOW bad.