A/N~ I honestly can't with the support and encouragement you guys have given me! It's unreal! Also thanks for the constructive criticism regarding some aspect of the fic I actually hadn't considered or even remembered XD I had COMPLETELY forgotten that they hadn't called Molly Brown 'Unsinkable' until after TITANIC sank, my bad XD thank you to the guest who brought that to my attention.

Without further ado, here's chapter 4! I enjoyed writing this chapter, and you'll see why XD

I OWN NOTHING!

Enjoy!

Chapter 4: A Reward?

In the darkness shrouding the ship's deck late in the night with a blanket of stars, Outlook's face burned bright red like a beacon of fury.

"This is completely unacceptable! What made you think you could lay your hands on my protégé?!" Outlook roared, pacing the deck with his hands clasped behind his back as he sneered at Ace.

The young man in question was safely restrained by the biceps by two crew-members. They hadn't cuffed him, but only because Ace had shown little resistance when they'd first seized him – that, and the redheaded lady who'd introduced herself as Koala (and whose lap currently served as a pillow for an unconscious Sabo), had glared at them vehemently at the very suggestion. They seemed smart enough to know a warning when they saw it.

Ace blew a strand of wavy black hair from his face like the punk kid he was, wearing a scowl that would put a gargoyle to shame. He fought the urge to tear his shoulder away from the restraining hands of the crew-members and tuned out the annoying prattle of the noble he'd seen earlier that day – who turned out to be Sabo's biological father – as he spewed accusation after accusation, all of which were fallacious and utterly ridiculous.

Koala had done her best to explain the situation to the noble prick when he'd arrived with his wife and their other son in tow, keeping a level head despite the man's obvious fury, and Ace had to admire her for it; it was rare to come across a noblewoman as stubborn and collected as she was.

But on the other hand, she was a noble woman. The men refused to listen to whatever she'd said against the false claims, thinking she was just in shock, frightened out of her little mind. Instead, they took her words and came up with the idea that she and Sabo were in the process of being robbed and possibly held hostage by two third-class ruffians, and that they'd threatened further violence unless she kept her mouth shut.

If things were different, Ace imagined she'd have beaten the living hell out of every single one of them. He had no idea why he'd thought that, but he did. The picture it painted was glorious.

Ace slid his eyes over to the lady in question sat on the floor, Sabo's head resting on her lap, one gloved hand gently carding through his hair in a comforting manner. Luffy was stood nearby, but not too close; the bodyguard – the big greasy guy from early that afternoon – Outlook's wife and their coconut-headed son were all scowling at Luffy in warning, and though Ace knew Luffy wasn't afraid of them (he was a twig, small for his age, but Ace was proud to declare that he could still kick an ass or two) the boy knew they were in enough trouble as it was, and provoking them further would probably get them thrown in the brig or something.

That is, if Titanic even had a brig, being a cruise ship and all.

He couldn't help but notice that neither the mother nor the brother looked all that worried about the condition Sabo was in. In fact, they'd been complaining about being called away from their meal and into the cold to 'deal with that boy again' since they'd arrived.

'That boy' is your son, your brother, your family. What is wrong with you people?

Luffy looked worried, his brow creased and lips taut in a frown as he stared down at Sabo's prone, pale form. But when Koala met his eyes, a reassuring smile on her painted lips, Luffy's frown eased somewhat and he managed to return her smile with his own (though it was marginally smaller than it had any right to be) before looking back down at Sabo.

The young blond in question had fainted after his kind-of-suicide-attempt and had yet to rise. It was both hilarious and slightly worrying, considering the pale hue of his skin. Regardless, Ace really wished he'd hurry and wake the hell up already, because he was three seconds away from punching this Outlook creep in his ugly face.

Speaking of…

"Look at me, you filth!" Outlook snapped, snatching the front of Ace's shirt and giving him a shake until Ace transferred his scathing glare to him. He nearly grinned when he saw Outlook pale a little under his burning gaze as he let go of his shirt, but the man quickly recovered. "I want an answer, damn it! What do you think you were doing?!"

"We've already told you," Ace bit out, "we swear, we weren't trying to hurt Sabo or Koala –"

"That's Master Outlook and Lady Koala to you, insolent cur!" Outlook raised his hand to strike Ace. "What, were you raised in the wilds? You address your betters with respect –!"

"Sabo's waking up!"

Outlook's hand froze inches from Ace's cheek at Luffy's eager announcement (which was lucky for him, because Ace was just about ready to bite his hand right off), and all eyes turned to where the young man was slowly blinking awake with a groan, taking in his surroundings piece by piece.

Luffy, ignoring the nobles and the warning glares from the crew-members gathered, moved closer and crouched right next to Sabo. Koala seemed amused when the scarred boy got right in Sabo's face, grinning fit to burst, and the blond jerked with a squeak of surprise – a freaking squeak.

"Heyyyy Sabo! Glad you're okay!" Luffy giggled, patting Sabo's head like one would pet a frightened puppy. Condescension wasn't the intent, but Sabo pouted up at Luffy anyways. And for a guy around the same age as Ace, it was almost cute.

"So now that you're awake, can you tell those jerks to let Ace go? He's starting to get pissed and so am I, and bad things usually happen when we get pissed."

All of that was said with a great big sunny smile, so it must've been disarming and a little disturbing to anyone but Ace.

Regardless, Sabo quickly got the message and blinked, sitting up from Koala's lap with a start. "H-Huh?" he muttered, looking around the deck until he noticed Ace, trapped between two guards, and Outlook, watching him with something akin to irritation rather than concern. His wife and other son were no different, the coconut-head snorting "It's about time," under his breath.

Ace decided then and there that he really hated Sabo's family.

Sabo stiffened, his mind finally catching up with the rest of him, and he promptly scrambled to his feet. He remembered to offer Koala a bow and a 'thank you' – and a very embarrassed whisper of 'I'm so sorry' – to which she shook her head with a dismissive wave and a smile, before turning back to the matter at hand.

"Please, let him go," Sabo said, approaching Outlook with a pleading frown. "Whatever it is you think he did, I promise you he's innocent. It was – it was my fault, an accident."

Outlook wrinkled his nose at Sabo in confusion, be it by the claim that Ace was innocent or the fact that he'd spoken against his father. "A…an accident, you say? What are you prattling on about, boy?" he scoffed. "These officers clearly saw these two hooligans holding you and Lady Koala against your will."

Standing up and patting her dress down, Koala rolled her eyes so hard it was a surprise they didn't get stuck like that. Sabo looked about ready to scream. Instead, he took a deep breath. "No, sir, that's not what happened," he said, calmly as he could manage – and, did he just call his own dad 'sir'? Was that a thing?

"It…I was leaning overboard, far overboard, to see the uh – the uh – um, what're they called again…?" Sabo bit his lip and snapped his fingers repeatedly as if trying to recall the name of something to blatantly lie about.

"The propellers?" Koala offered.

"Yes!" Sabo snapped his fingers again and pointed at her with a bright grin before turning to Outlook who, by this point, looked more and more exasperated. "Yes, I wanted to see the propellers and I slipped, right over the rail," he continued, feigning embarrassment as he scratched the back of his head.

"I admit it was rather stupid of me. I would've gone overboard if it hadn't been for Mr. Portgas here and his younger brother, Luffy. They're the ones who pulled me back, and almost went over themselves in doing so! Lady Koala alerted the crew-members nearby for aid, and they simply got the wrong idea. It was all just a big misunderstanding, and entirely my fault. And for that, I deeply apologize, everyone, for causing such an upset tonight."

Ace stared at Sabo, mouth agape. Luffy and Koala were no different, though the young woman was more discreet about her puzzlement whilst Luffy had yet to pick his jaw up from off the floor. It was all well and good that Sabo was defending them rather than leaving them in the dust after what they'd done…but…

Why aren't you telling them that you were hanging over the edge of the rail on purpose? Why are you making a fool out of yourself? Why aren't you speaking out? You were convinced you were ready to die, Sabo, say something, get help –

It was then that Ace realized…Sabo wasn't saying anything because his dad was there.

It wasn't just resentment. This was the man that Sabo feared, one of the reasons he'd been driven to suicide – or close to it. He'd wanted to get away from him, and that plan clearly hadn't worked out because Ace and Luffy had stepped in. Saying anything now, in front of that man, would only make Sabo's life so much worse. Not only that, but Outlook would probably blame that on Ace and Luffy somehow; he was a noble, he had that power.

Either way, somebody would've gotten screwed over unless Sabo took the blame and lied through his teeth.

A part of Ace was awed. The other part was enraged.

"Was that the way of it, lad?"

Ace blinked out of his thoughts, realizing the question was directed at him by the Master at Arms – an old guy named T-Bone who looked more like a decaying body than an actual person – who peered at Ace suspiciously. Ace snuck a quick glance at Sabo, who had a relaxed smile on his face, but his shoulders were tense, his fists were clenched, and his eyes were screaming 'please just go with it'.

And with a look that desperate, and with Outlook still glaring at him and Sabo with clear disdain, Ace could do nothing but swallow his fury and nod.

Damn it all.

"Yep, that's about the size of it," Ace said, forcing an apologetic grin. "Sorry for the mix-up, we really meant no harm at all. Right, Luffy?"

They all turned to Luffy then, who ignored their stares and regarded Sabo in silence.

That gleam in his eyes was back, that seemingly blank yet piercing gaze shadowed by the rim of an old straw hat, too wise for a boy his age, a gaze that could mean nothing to an outsider yet anything and everything to one who truly knew Luffy. Sabo already seemed to understand what it meant to be the center of that look, the center of Luffy's undivided attention, and yet he refused to back down.

Luffy hated liars. He couldn't stand the thought of someone deceiving another for their own selfish gain or amusement, or simply to cause others pain. They were rotten, bullies, the kind of people Ace knew Luffy would crush under his fists without hesitation, without remorse. But Sabo wasn't that kind of person, not that kind of liar. Sabo was lying to protect them, because he was afraid, afraid of the man standing right behind him, a man who was supposed to love and care about him.

Sabo was lying for them.

And yet that, more than anything else, infuriated Luffy, more than it would have if Sabo were lying to save his own hide.

However, in the end, Luffy had no choice but to give in, too. He couldn't lie like Ace or Sabo to save his life, but he could fake a grin, wide and bright when really, he wanted to scream and shout and destroy the ones who'd hurt their new friend. And without a word, Luffy nodded.

Sabo's shoulders loosened, and to the two raven-heads, the relief was evident.

The crew-members – and the nobles, reluctantly – seemed to believe their story, and Mr. T-bone smiled with a nod of approval. "Well, then these boys are heroes!" he said, motioning for Ace's captors to let him go. "Well done, lads! You've done the Outlook family a great service tonight, you both should be very proud!"

Ace shrugged roughly out of the arms holding him back and opened them again just as Luffy ran past the nobles to attach himself to Ace like an octopus, arms wound tightly around his older brother's waist. "Uh, yeah thanks, I think," he muttered, watching Sabo as Outlook and Belinda gathered around the blond along with two crew-members who recommended he see a doctor just to be safe, before being shooed away by the bodyguard.

Their eyes met amidst the throng of people, and Sabo sent him an almost unnoticeable smile before it fell flat as Outlook snapped at him to pay attention, telling him that he was foolish, humiliating their family with his irresponsible behavior. In the face of such scandal, Sabo only nodded and apologized, vowing never to do it again, eyes cast to the floor in shame.

Holding Luffy closer, Ace frowned deeply, and it took everything to hide the pure rage burning like a furnace behind his narrowed silver eyes. "It was nothing. We'd do it again in a heartbeat," he said. To his surprise, he meant it.

Mr. T-bone chuckled in response, slapping Ace on the back in a friendly manner (holy crap did that knock the wind right out of him), before he called his men and left the deck, leaving the two brothers alone with the nobles. A brief, heavy silence befell them at the crewmen's departure, both sides regarding each other with cool and repulsed gazes respectively.

It was almost like a standoff, a silent showdown between two classes, two completely different worlds –

"Well, that certainly was a wild ride."

And then the moment was lost.

Both brothers jumped and turned to find Koala standing there, arms folded over her chest as she coolly regarded both sides. Ace felt pretty guilty for forgetting she was still there. The Outlook's, minus Sabo, didn't seem too remorseful though, and raised their brows at her cheery disposition as Koala spun on her heel – her high heel, good lord how did she do that? – to face them.

"You know, these two young men did save Master Sabo's life," Koala said, and Ace could hear the mock-sweetness in her tone despite the contradicting smile. "Perhaps a reward is in order, eh Master Outlook?"

Outlook reared his head back in surprise. "A…a reward, you say, Lady Koala?"

Koala nodded. "Yes, Master Outlook, a reward. Or am I correct in assuming you were simply going to leave them here without so much as a 'thank you'? Is that really the going rate for saving your son, and your eldest heir?" She tilted her head, still smiling brightly, and something dangerous ignited within her deep blue eyes.

Whether Outlook picked up on the sudden spike in tension or not, Ace wasn't certain, but he sure did, as did Luffy as the boy stiffened against his chest and gulped. Even Sabo looked a little nervous.

First Nami, now Koala. Why are women so scary?

However, it seemed the comment wasn't made to intimidate Outlook, but to chip at his pride, and the older man pursed his lips with slight irritation in response. "I beg your pardon, my lady, but I don't see what business it is of yours as to how I chose to express my…" he glanced at the brothers, his nose wrinkling in mild repugnance. "…gratitude."

At that, her smile imperceptibly tightening, Koala shrugged a shoulder. "Well, as much as I respect your opinion sir, I was merely thinking it would be quite a shame to inform the Nefertari family that the Outlook's were rather reluctant to pay their respects to the young men who saved the life of the young master. I'm a friend of the bride-to-be, you see, and you know how we girls just love to gossip about our men…" he tittered behind her hand.

Outlook and Belinda visibly stiffened.

It took everything in Ace's power to withhold the laughter, biting his lip so hard he might've tasted blood.

Luffy had let go of Ace to slap his hands over his mouth instead, fighting back a smirk. Behind a steadily paling Outlook and a very amused bodyguard and coconut-headed kid, Sabo slowly raised a hand and bit down on a knuckle, the beginnings of a wild grin stealing his face.

Oh, this woman is amazing.

After a rough clearing of his throat and the slight nervous tugging of his cravat, Outlook regarded Koala with a new sense of respect – and apprehension, god this was too good to be true. "A friend, you say?" the man repeated, and Koala nodded sweetly. Outlook turned to Ace and Luffy again with great reluctance in his narrowed-eyed gaze, but a quick side-glance at an expectant Koala had him striding towards the pair with purpose. He was a good few inches taller than Ace, which he seemed to want to use to his advantage.

Ace wasn't intimidated in the slightest. He was just a man, probably never learned how to throw a punch. Ace had no reason to fear him.

"On behalf of the Outlook family, I invite you both to dinner tomorrow evening as a token of our gratitude," said the nobleman, looking down at the boys with his chin raised in superiority. "Perhaps you could regale our group with the…heroic tale of how you single-handedly saved my heir. What say you?"

Mouths agape and eyes wider than dinner plates, Ace and Luffy stared.

Dinner…with nobles?

Dinner. In first-class. With nobles?

Holy hell.

"…uh…sure," Ace shrugged. "Yeah, why not? Count us in."

Beside him, Luffy nodded hard enough to nearly knock the straw hat off his head, a genuine smile on his face at the prospect of food regardless of where it came from. Of course the little idiot thought of food first rather than anything else, like what two third class boys eating dinner with nobility actually meant. They were either the luckiest guys on the whole damn ship or they were in so much bull it wasn't even funny. Either way, there was no backing out now.

Koala, however, seemed delighted as she clasped her hands together. "Oh, that's a great idea!" she chimed, turning to Belinda who returned her smile with great hesitance. "I must say I'm impressed. How generous of you, Master Outlook! I'm sure Master Sabo is pleased as well, aren't you?"

Sabo blinked, clearly not expecting to be addressed. Yet again, however, the blond locked eyes with an equally surprised Ace and Luffy, holding their gazes for a moment.

Then he smiled. It was only small, nothing compared to what it should've been, but it was there, and it was sincere. "Yes," he said, turning to Koala to grace her with that same smile. "I think it's a wonderful idea."

Practically glowing in the face of Sabo's smile, Koala nodded. "Good. It's settled then!" she said brightly, facing the rest of the Outlook family once more. "You'd best get back inside and make sure Master Sabo gets some rest. He's been through a lot tonight, I imagine, and he must be exhausted. I'll be along in a moment. I'd just like a word or two more with the boys if you don't mind."

Outlook tipped his hat to her. "Of course, my lady. Do take care," he said, clearly relieved to be rid of the presence of both her and the third class boys, and without another word he turned on his heel and motioned for his family to follow him back inside, which they did without delay…aside from Sabo, who couldn't stop looking back at Ace and Luffy as he was herded away by the greasy bodyguard.

The three remaining on the deck watched Sabo until he was no longer in sight.

Then Koala sighed, loudly.

"Oh my God, what an arrogant ass," she groaned, clenched fists on her hips and lips tugged downwards in a deep frown. "I mean I knew he was scum, but jeez, I've seen actual criminals with more common decency than him. And more common sense. He seriously bought the whole 'oh I'm-friends-with-the-bride' thing? Please, I've never even met Vivi in person. That's the oldest trick in the book – a child wouldn't believe it! How gullible can that bastard be?" She shook her head, scoffing. "I'd honestly laugh my ass off if I wasn't so damn livid."

Ace and Luffy stared at her, eyes blown wide, mouths gaping.

Gracious and kind and sickly sweet one minute, and then loudmouthed, foulmouthed, and downright manipulative the next. Just what the hell kind of noble was she? Was she even a noble at all? Well, she had to be wealthy, at least, to afford such extravagant clothing, but still.

Taking a deep breath after a moment to calm herself down, Koala faced the boys again with a new smile. "I gotta say, you guys did good back there, regardless of what those stuck-up morons think or say," she said sincerely.

Ace looked away with a mild blush, never used to receiving genuine compliments.

Luffy beamed brightly at Koala as he adjusted his hat when it slipped over his eyes. "Thanks! But you did good, too! You came to help us and then you stuck up for us when Sabo passed out, which was really cool of you, so thanks for that! And you looked so mad when they ignored you, I thought you were gonna kick their asses, which is what I wanted to do too because seriously, those guys were real jerks. You're a good person, Koala, I can tell."

His grin doubled in size, if that was even possible, and he snickered in that adorable way of his.

"I like you!"

Koala blinked down at Luffy owlishly, a slight blush creeping across her cheeks. Then she returned his grin, almost matching it in size. "Well aren't you just the sweetest thing?" she giggled, pinching Luffy's cheeks affectionately and then stretching them not-so-affectionately, making the kid wince a little before she let go.

With that, Luffy had officially claimed another helpless victim. Ace's little brother was merciless when making friends and left no survivors.

Stepping back, Koala put her hands on her hips and extended her grin to Ace. "Your names are Luffy and Ace, right? Well, I know I've said it once or twice already but you both really did a good thing. You deserve far more than just a fancy dinner in some stuffy first-class suite or something."

Ace quickly held up his hands. "No, ma'am that's not necessary, really," he insisted, biting back the words he wanted to say, the itching curiosity sitting on the tip of his tongue. "We were just doing what we thought was right, that's all."

Something softened in Koala's eyes as she regarded Ace for a moment, like she was evaluating him. It didn't take long for her to nod in what Ace assumed was approval. "Well then, guess I'll see you tomorrow night," she said, turning on her pointed heel with ease to head back inside, fingers laced behind her back.

Watching her leave with a light skip in her step, Ace grit his teeth and decided 'Screw it'.

"Hold on a sec!"

Koala paused mid-step, glancing over her shoulder at Ace who leveled her with a searching gaze.

He'd tried, he really did, but he couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer.

She knew way more than she'd let on. After all, she'd shown up literally seconds after they'd hauled Sabo back over the rails, meaning she must've been close by – if not somewhere right behind them – to at least hear the commotion and run to find help in time. Besides that, no one, let alone a lady of nobility, in their right mind would even consider stepping out onto the deck on a night like this without a coat, without company, unless they'd been in a rush. Unless they'd been after something…or perhaps someone.

"Not to sound like I'm accusing you or anything, madam," he began slowly, watching her carefully, "but you told me earlier that you'd 'seen everything'. What exactly did you see?"

Koala stared at him in silence for a long time, her exuberant smile disappearing. Her eyes were solemn, her fingers tightening around each other. Chilling winds swept over the deck, tousling hair and dresses yet no one shivered, no one moved or spoke.

"…I saw him earlier, in the hallway," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper and yet it carried across the deck. "At first I thought it was none of my business. I didn't know him personally, only in passing or by word of mouth; you'd be surprised just how much nobles like to gossip about other families. Still, I couldn't help but feel that…that something was wrong, and in the end, I did what I thought was right. I followed him out here, hoping to see if I could help. Then I saw him climb over the rail…and then you two showed up. I watched, listened…and what you did..."

She met their eyes again, and this time her smile was that little bit wider, though somewhat pained. "Like I said, I don't know Sabo personally, but I do know what he must be feeling right now, what he must be going through. I know a certain kind of suffering when I see it, no matter how hard they try to cover it up. When someone needs help, when they're so desperate for a way out, they'll do almost anything to escape regardless of the consequences."

His fist clenching at his side, Ace dipped his head in acknowledgment. Yeah, he knew that feeling well, too well.

His early childhood had been…pretty bad, after Garp had finally told him who his father was and what had happened to his mother. He'd been five years old at the time. Before that, he'd never understood why people never got too close to him or why the other children mocked or abused him, until he'd learned the truth. Everything made sense then, but all it did was him feel worse, lower than dirt, worthless.

Several times he'd tried to find an 'escape', most of which ended up with him needing stitches and layers of bandages. The scars would never go away, and Ace almost never left home without long-sleeved shirts regardless of the weather.

It wasn't until he'd found Luffy that he thought, maybe…maybe he didn't have to disappear. He could carry on, he could live, because he'd found someone who cared, gave a damn about him…who didn't care about who his father had been.

Sabo must've felt the same thing, or something similar. His parents – both, unfortunately – were the worst, and he was shackled to a name, a way of life, that he clearly didn't want if suicide was the answer he'd come up with (not that Ace could talk, really).

"Yeah," Ace muttered solemnly, throwing an arm around Luffy's shoulders and drawing him close. "I get the feeling. But how would you –?"

"That, I can't tell you. Personal stuff, y'know," Koala said, quick enough to make Ace decide to let the issue go. He'd heard more than enough already. It was getting late, and it was bloody cold.

But then, to Ace's shock, she lowered her head and bowed to them. The boys could do nothing but stare, eyes round.

"You did something for Sabo that I don't think even I could've ever done," she said, sincerity ringing loud and clear in her unwavering voice. "You've probably saved him in more ways than you could imagine tonight. For that, I don't think I can ever thank you enough."

Koala straightened, offering them a final smile. And then she turned to make her way back inside without looking back once, taking the heavy atmosphere of their prior discussion with her.

Only when she was gone did Ace and Luffy break out of their stupors, blinking hard before turning to stare each other.

"…what the actual hell did we just get ourselves into?" Ace murmured, bewildered, raking a hand through his wavy black hair. One minute they'd been on their way to falling asleep on a bench, and the next they'd saved a guy from killing himself, almost got arrested over false assumptions, watched a noble get roasted, got invited to dinner, and then had a lady bow her head to them?

What in the actual hell?

Luffy, oblivious to Ace's inner crisis, only shrugged with his ever-present carefree smile. "I dunno. But I like that Koala lady," he said brightly, "she's kinda scary, like Nami, but she's still really nice. And Sabo…"

His smile fell at the mention of the blond they'd saved. He turned back to where they'd last seen Sabo, as if he were trying to spot him through the brightly lit windows of the first-class entrance. Ace watched him, and already he had an inkling of what was going on inside his little brother's head. A rare occurrence.

Soon enough, a determined frown took over Luffy's features, and with one hand bracing the top of his straw hat whilst the other clenched into a tight fist, Luffy turned to look Ace in the eye, electrified brown meeting steel grey. And with conviction most grown men could only hope to imitate in their entire lives, he declared –

"We're gonna help Sabo."

Ace stared down at his baby brother, holding his gaze, before it flicked in the direction Sabo had left in. It went without saying that Sabo needed help; the guy was no older than Ace, probably younger, and he'd been driven to recklessness due to abuse, fear, hatred, yearning for a release he'd thought could only come through death.

They'd saved him from that fate, but it wasn't enough. Not yet.

Sabo needed to be free, just like Ace and Luffy. He yearned for freedom, had almost killed himself to achieve it because those nobles had him trapped like a bird in a cage rather than treating him like a human being.

It didn't matter that he was a born noble. It didn't matter that they barely knew him. What mattered was that he was a good person, too good to deserve such a fate. He deserved better. He deserved freedom.

(And if Luffy and Ace could see that after only knowing him for a few hours at best, it must've been true.)

Ace didn't know how they would go about it, didn't even know if it would be possible. There were literal barriers between their world and the world Sabo had been born into, and severe consequences would arise should those barriers be crossed or broken.

Then again, the two D's had never been the type to follow the rules.

Eyes narrowed, Ace nodded once as he braced a hand on Luffy's shoulder, squeezing it firmly. "Yeah, Luffy," he said without an ounce of hesitation. "We will. That's a promise."

And if there was one thing they'd all learned that night, it was that Ace never broke his promises.

Sabo wasn't surprised that when all was said and done, he was escorted straight back to their rooms by Bluejam.

The moment he was alone in his personal room, the door locked behind him, the young man gave enough pause to take off his coat and toss it to the floor before he made a beeline for his bed and flopped down face first onto the downy surface, emitting a tired groan into the blankets.

He only noted in passing that the shattered remains of his mirror had been cleared away, and new mirror had taken its place; not a trace of his outburst was left behind. Huh. The servants must have cleaned it up after he'd left. He wondered how that went down, seeing blood and glass everywhere like a crime scene.

Lady Koala's words had been no exaggeration by any means; tonight really had been a wild ride, from the moment he'd set foot on the deck to now as he lay face down on his sheets. And apparently, tomorrow night promised to be something utterly disastrous if Outlook had his way when Ace and Luffy showed up for dinner…

Ace…Luffy…

Sabo rolled onto his side to stare at the opposite wall, his thoughts drifting back.

He'd thought he'd get away with it. He'd truly believed he would've slipped away without anyone noticing or caring, without tears mourning his loss or pleas for him to reconsider. After all, if his own family didn't care, why should anyone else, right?

But then Ace and Luffy had appeared.

Together, they'd gotten Sabo to reconsider everything within mere minutes, to accept the hand and the help they'd offered, to let them help.

And when he'd been hanging helplessly over the back of the ship with nothing below him but the freezing jaws of death itself, they'd refused to let him go even then, promising him that he'd live, encouraging him, telling him that he could pull himself back up, he could do it, when all his life he'd been told he couldn't do anything on his own, that nothing he did could be achieved without wealth, status, power over the less-fortunate.

A smile touched Sabo's lips, his eyes drawn to his right hand which had long since been cleaned and bandaged.

He remembered the way Luffy had held it, rubbing his thumb across the wounds with tenderness and care, remembered the smile he'd given him and being unable to help but return it. He remembered Ace's grin, his laughter edging on hysteria when they'd collapsed in a heap on the deck, remembered looking at the pair of unruly brothers and thinking 'these two are something else'.

People like Ace and Luffy were considered lower than trash compared to those born in nobility. People of their class were nobodies and thugs, good-for-nothing…and yet to Sabo, who'd seen the very worst the world had to offer, lived in the presence of corrupt people who cared only for themselves and the money in their pockets rather than the emotional state of their own children, they were some of the purest people he'd ever met.

Of course Sabo knew they weren't perfect; nobody could be entirely pure and honest or kind, he was certain of that. Well, the little kid, Luffy, came very close to that, with those big doe eyes and that silly smile that stretched for miles. Still, Sabo wasn't that naïve.

But to think, had Sabo let go, had he decided to give up and let the sea claim him, he never would have met them.

Something warm welled up in Sabo's chest, something he hadn't felt in a long time, possibly ever. And with that feeling, a smile appeared and grew into a dopey grin as he closed his eyes, envisioning the raven-haired boys' beaming at him, offering him help and hope…

The days' events finally caught up with him, and Sabo felt exhaustion in his bones and every muscle in his body as he sighed heavily. He didn't bother changing into his sleepwear as he kicked off his shoes and curled up on his bed, laying his head against the plush pillows. He tucked his bandaged hand against his chest.

Moments before sleep claimed him, Sabo decided then, no matter what, that he would see them again in the morning. He had to, to thank them for their kindness, for saving him…for giving him hope again when he'd thought it lost.

Thoughts of fire and pain and crippling loneliness were a faraway thing as a pair of grins brighter than the sun itself took their place in his dreams.

The next morning…

"Oh, Sabo. What's got you up so early?"

Sabo nearly stumbled at the bottom of the grand staircase, swiveling on his heel to face the man who'd addressed him. Relief flooded through him, and it showed quite evidently even as he smiled at Mr. Hack as the man made his way down the steps to meet him.

Sabo had quickly grown attached to the man not only due to his overall likeable (if not a little stoic and a tad sarcastic) personality, but because he didn't seem to mind Sabo's continuous and eager questions about the ship, his profession and his skills. In fact, he seemed more than happy to humor the young noble regardless of what his parents seemed to think.

Hack was certainly an interesting man, and one of the few people Sabo had ever really connected with.

"Good morning, Mr. Hack," Sabo tipped his hat in polite greeting, and the man chuckled at the gesture. Hack didn't care too much for formality, another thing Sabo liked about him. "I just thought I'd take an early walk around the decks."

Hack raised a brow and a hand to stroke his admittedly impressive mustache. "A walk? I think you should still be resting," he said, stepping closer to rest a large hand on Sabo's shoulder. "I heard of what happened last night, quite the experience. You sure you're alright to be wandering about after something like that?"

Sabo tried not to stiffen under the bigger man's palm, his expression polite yet passive. Inside, he was screaming again.

Outlook and Belinda hadn't seemed to care all that much about what had happened the other night, whether it was due to the lie Sabo had fed them or because it was Sabo, he didn't particularly care. So he hadn't expected them to tell people about it at least until dinner the next evening. Unless they'd decided to blab and gossip as nobles were prone to do, Hack should never have found out, unless…

Something in Sabo's expression must have faltered, for Hack chuckled again and patted his shoulder consolingly. "Don't worry, boy. I only know what I've heard from Koala. She and I met shortly after she boarded at Cherbourg, and though I'm not much of a gossip, she stops by every now and then to fill me in on what goes on around the ship. Your little incident came up during one such conversation. Something about slipping over the railings trying to peek at the propellers? You know, I have the blueprints of the ship in my quarters. It's much safer than, you know, leaning overboard."

Trepidation quickly turned to embarrassment as heat crept up Sabo's neck and colored his cheeks pink. "…it's…it's not…shut up."

Hack let out a bark of laughter. "I'm just pulling your leg, kid. If you're truly well, I won't stop you from doing as you like. Oh, before I forget…"

Hack reached into his waistcoat pocket, pulling out a rectangular parcel. "Koala told me to give this to you should I see you again. How she thought I would, and why she couldn't just give it to you herself, I have no clue. I'm not about to go out of my way to understand what goes on in that woman's head."

Baffled beyond hope of rescue, Sabo took the offered parcel, regarded it in utter surprise – when did women he'd only met briefly just give him stuff? – and set on unwrapping it. He stared at the gift in his hands, wide eyed with his mouth agape, dry, not quite connecting with his brain as he fought to speak.

Ultimately, all that would come out was,

"Bugh?"

Hack chuckled again. "They're designed to fit around your hat, I believe. She said she had a few spares lying about and thought you'd like a pair, that it would 'cheer you up' a bit." He shrugged. "Koala is a mystery that not even I can hope to crack, but then again I have no reason to pry into her business. At least she's not tearing my quarters to pieces to get her paws on my books again."

Sabo continued to stare down at the gift, his jaw working to form the words. "…I…I don't understand…" he stammered at last.

Hack shook his head and sighed with a hint of fondness he failed to hide. "Just remember to thank her next time you see her." Grasping Sabo by the shoulders, he turned the boy around and gave him a gentle shove towards the doors leading outside. "Go, run along. And try not to lean over any more railings, boy."

Sabo pulled a face at Hack, but soon met the man's teasing grin with one of his own as he tipped his hat a second time, his other hand clutching Koala's gift tightly. "I'll keep that in mind. Will I see you at dinner tonight?"

Folding his arms over his broad chest, Hack nodded. "Count on it," he replied, an easy smile on his bearded features. "I'd like to meet the heroes who saved your life and thank them personally."

Sabo's smile softened as he nodded in full agreement, and without further delay he strode towards the doors and thrust them wide open, stepping out onto the deck and relishing in the golden rays of a beautiful sunrise.

People were already milling about, people who'd had similar ideas to his as they leaned against rails or reclined against benches to soak up the sun, inhaling the rich salty scent of the open ocean around them.

He breathed in deep and let out a long, content sigh.

I never thought I'd see a sunrise like this again.

A smile on his face and a new skip in his step, Sabo began his search for Ace and Luffy, at the same time taking off his hat to settle the shining pair of rectangular, cerulean goggles around the base before popping it back on his head. He grinned a little. The added weight of the goggles felt so right, though he knew not why. His parents certainly wouldn't approve of the accessory, or his current attire for that matter, but at that moment his parent's opinion of him was at the very back of his mind.

And wasn't that a first?

He had to find Ace and Luffy, to thank them for what they'd done…and probably to warn them about what was to come at dinner.

Dinner with nobles, Sabo muttered inwardly, and he shivered. And my parents, no less. Yikes.

A/N ~ Thanks for reading! More chapters coming soon.

Reviews are writer chow :3