Author's Note: New chapter, YAY! I've got midterms tomorrow and should probably be studying more...but I wanted to get this chapter finished lol. Priorities, right? Anyway, enjoy!

To SarahPrincess: Glad you're enjoying it! On Luffy, yes, he is a little OOC, and it was intentional. Because of this AU, I needed him to be a little more...capable I suppose (at least with regards to the sowing). Other than that, humans are much weaker than vampires, so he's not as strong [YET ;)] as we're all used to. Also, he's got some PTSD going on that affects his character and will be pretty evident in this chapter. I do have plans to slowly bring back his sunny personality and carefree attitude, just need some stuff to happen first. Nice theories! All good thoughts ;) Some were pretty close to being accurate (though I won't tell you which ones lol) Thank you so much for the review! It's definitely fun to hear from fellow writers XD

To fluffypuppies: Law's such a softy haha, gotta love him. Sabo's definitely coming in with a different perspective that will hopefully change for the better in the future :) Ya know...I love myself some happy endings, so...*cough* Anyway, thank you so much for the review and I'll definitely let you know if I get a picture of Lu and his pancakes!

To bpv229: Lol XD

To cat saezp: Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it :) Poor Lu...but he will always be protected, especially by his brothers! It's too adorable to resist. See ya next time!

WARNINGS:

- **Panic attack** (TRIGGER WARNING)

- PTSD

- Medicinal drugs

- Vampire/Human relations

- Jumbled emotions

- Ace and Lu are confused


Ace jogged through the long hallways of the citadel, quickly making his way to Law's room. As much as he wanted to sprint, he knew it would draw too much attention to himself, which was something he desperately needed to avoid.

Turning a corner and taking the eastern stairs up, Ace considered how Law had figured it out so quickly.

'…I bet it was the interview…' He mused, gritting his teeth in frustration. Hopefully, the doctor would listen to his reasoning and give Lu back without alerting Marco or the new Lord.

Finally, he arrived at Law's door, located on the third level, and wasted no time knocking vigorously.

"Come in, Ace-ya." Trafalgar called; voice muffled by the thick door. Entering quickly, Ace immediately glared at Law, who was sitting on the edge of his bed, eyes narrow. "Close and lock the door please."

As he clicked the lock into place, Ace scanned the large room for Luffy. Recognizing his searching gaze, Law stood up and moved away from the bed.

There, wrists cuffed to the leg of the bedframe, was his human. Luffy seemed okay, if a little scared. He was forced to sit on the floor as his hands were secured above his head. Recognizing him, Luffy shook his wrists to show his displeasure, unable to speak because of a strip of fabric forced between his teeth.

"I took the liberty of re-placing his bandages." Law said smoothly, leaning back against the wall while Ace knelt before Luffy and checked him over. The freckled vampire took the boy's face in his hands and gently rubbed his cheeks, trying to assure him that he'd be okay now.

"Did he hurt you?" Ace whispered, receiving a head-shake from Luffy. Ruffling the boy's hair, he stood up and faced Law. "Well…what now?"

"What now?" Trafalgar huffed, stalking up to him, "Do you have any idea what you've done bringing him here!? You've broken one of the most foundational rules of the citadel!"

"I know what I did," Ace replied shortly, lips curling up into a snarl, "and I don't regret anything. Luffy's safe here with me."

Law sighed and buried his face in a tattooed hand.

"Honestly…you couldn't have chosen a worse time. Listen, Ace-ya, believe it or not, I'm on your side here." Trafalgar explained, moving closer, "I can see you have some sort of connection with this human, one you probably could've explained to Marco-ya had he still been in charge."

"Like hell!" Ace snapped, biting the inside of his cheek and drawing blood, "You know as well as I do that Marco only sees humans as food! H-He'd hurt Lu or-or try to eat him-" Law crossed his arms and pinned Ace in place with a scowl.

"Do you seriously think he'd harm someone you cared for?"

"I…I…but he's human-"

"I've known Marco-ya for a long time." Law stated while glancing down at Luffy. The poor kid's eyes were wide, and he shuffled in place nervously. "Considering how young this one is, I doubt he would've hurt him, especially since he's your sire."

"You really think so?" Ace whispered, "He… might've accepted Lu?"

"Perhaps, he's more agreeable than you might think."

Ace slumped to the floor next to Luffy and pulled at his hair. Maybe he should've gone through the proper channels with Luffy…but now it was too late. If only those damn purebloods hadn't come!

"What should I do?" Ace asked, voice quiet and unsure.

"Give him to me."

His head shot up and he snarled at Law. This vampire wanted to take Luffy from him!? No way in hell! The kid didn't seem too pleased with the idea either and made little noises of protest behind his gag. Trafalgar rolled his yes.

"Calm down, Ace-ya, and let me explain my…proposition. Unless you want the boy to starve during the next two weeks?"

Ace flinched at the reminder. Law must've heard about the scouts' assignment to accompany the new Lord into the wastes. They were leaving tomorrow around noon, so he did need to figure something out for Lu, but he'd rather not leave him with Trafalgar.

"That depends on what you intend to do." He growled, standing up in front of Luffy, blocking Law's view.

"I will do what's best for the human," Trafalgar replied firmly, "and move him to the stables. I've already ascertained he's old enough." Ace immediately went to protest but was stopped by Law's raised hand.

"Listen, it will be difficult, but I can get the paperwork rung up tonight and have him in by morning. Sabo-ya hasn't looked over the charts for Stable G, so it shouldn't cause any suspicion, and he will be well taken care of."

Ace bit his lip and turned back to Luffy. The boy blinked up at him with big eyes, subtly shaking his head.

"This may be your only chance to do this." Trafalgar put in, moving to place a hand on his shoulder, "After today, Sabo-ya will have all of the charts memorized."

"Why…are you trying to help me?"

"Because I don't want to see an innocent child die." Law answered, lowering his hand, "Don't misunderstand, this is not me accepting your decision to break the rules, it's me protecting his life, and yours."

Ace had to admit; the offer was good. Luffy would be safe and cared for while he was gone. Unfortunately, it was also a very permanent solution. Kneeling down in front of his human, Ace pulled the gag down, so it fell around Luffy's neck.

The human was deathly pale.

"I don't want to!" The boy cried, bottom lip quivering, "I-It'll be small and cramped and-and-" Ace shushed Luffy, running a hand through his hair. The poor thing was shuddering in terror.

'That's right, he hates tight spaces.'

"J-Just let me go! I'll disappear and you'll never even know I was here!" Luffy suggested, peering up at Ace with wet, hopeful eyes.

"I'm afraid that's not possible." Law put in, making the human's face fall, "Even if we got you out of the citadel without anyone seeing, Eustass-ya intends to clear out all the human colonies in the area and take back the city. Frankly, you'd be dead or recaptured in a few weeks."

Luffy curled in on himself and started to shake. Ace immediately reached up and released the cuffs from the bed, allowing the boy's still bound hands to fall into his lap. Gently, the vampire collected the sobbing and borderline hyperventilating human in his lap, desperately shushing and trying to calm him down.

"I think he's having a panic attack." Law stated calmly, kneeling down next to him, "Give me his hands, I'll take the cuffs off."

As soon as the restraints and fabric around his neck had been removed, Ace carried Luffy to a nearby chair and gently lowered him onto the soft cushion. The boy's breathing was erratic, and he practically vibrated in fear. Ace stayed with him, whispering reassurances, while Law quickly prepared a glass of water and a wet cloth.

Ace didn't want to overwhelm Luffy with too much touch, so he simply rubbed a thumb into his hand. After about ten minutes, the boy started to calm down.

"Hey…you back with us, Lu?" Ace whispered, taking the glass of water from Law and handing it to the trembling boy. Luffy took a few long gulps before nodding and giving the glass back. Once the cup was safely on the nearby table, the freckled vampire wiped the kid's sweat away with the wet cloth.

"S-S-Sorry…I d-didn't mean to-"

"It's okay, it wasn't your fault." Ace replied, placing the cloth down alongside the cup.

"Luffy-ya, correct?" Law asked, in possibly the softest, most gentle tone he'd ever heard the vampire use. The human nodded while wiping at his eyes. "I can assure you that our stables are quite large and have an outdoor component to them as well. If you do feel claustrophobic, my team and I can remedy that, okay?"

The boy looked to Ace, eyes puffy and swollen.

"Do…do I have to?"

"I'm so sorry, Lu, but I think this is our best option right now…" Law closed his eyes and nodded, seemingly pleased with Ace's decision.


Luffy pulled at his new clothes, unsure with how he felt about them. The new vampire…Trall…Trafago…Torao-something, had gotten them for him after a quick shower in the creature's bathroom.

He now wore a slightly off-white shirt that was paired with equally white capris. The fabric was light and breathable, which was more than his homemade outfits offered, but it also marked him as livestock. Nothing more than a food source.

At least they let him keep his pendant, his important memento, and he didn't have to wear Ace's ugly shorts anymore (plus they actually fit him).

Huffing, Luffy ran a hand lightly over his left elbow and winced, the flesh already bruising from Torao taking blood.

"Hey…you okay?" Ace asked from where he sat on Luffy's right. Thankfully, he was no longer tethered to the bed post and simply sat in a chair, no restraints holding him down. The boy could only assume he was being treated with more care because of his…episode.

"I'm okay." Luffy answered quietly, moving his hand from his elbow when Ace gently pushed it away from the puncture, stopping him from picking at the still scabbing wound.

"That's good." The freckled vampire smiled, reaching to ruffle his hair. To Luffy, Ace was confusing. On one hand, he took good care of him and even showed genuine concern for his well-being, but also had no problem restraining him and keeping him in a cage, like a pet.

What was he supposed to think!? It was like Ace was projecting his jumbled emotions onto him and expecting him to respond in kind.

Because they were connected in some way…or something. Luffy didn't understand.

'Am I just a possession to him?' The boy mused, wrapping his arms around his thin waist. Shivering at the thought, Luffy turned his head to watch Torao on the other side of the room.

The older vampire had been looking into a microscope at what he assumed was his blood for quite a while now. Unlike Ace's room, Torao had some sort of lab in the corner of his suite and was currently putting the machinery to work.

Suddenly, Torao straightened and walked back towards them, a strange look on his face.

"Is something wrong?" Ace asked, standing up to meet him.

"Possibly…" Torao mumbled before stopping in front of Luffy, "His blood is…different. The cellular structure is extremely dense."

"And that's a problem, why?"

"In layman's terms, Ace-ya, his blood is exceptionally pure." The vampire explained, "However, this purity gives it a potency that's on the verge of being toxic to our kind."

Luffy tilted his head at this information, curling up on his chair. Back then, when that vampire had him, he didn't seem to mind his blood…it must not be all that poisonous…

The boy shook his head, dismissing the upsetting thought.

"Is that why Lu's blood doesn't smell like anything? Not appetizing, I mean." Ace put in, "Well, except for when I first found him…it smelled sweet then…" Torao hummed.

"He was recently injured, correct? I imagine having the blood flowing outside his body is what gave off the sweet smell. Its…inherent scent, if you will, enticing unknowledgeable vampires to drink and possibly perish." The vampire stopped to brush hair back from his face before continuing, "I will make a note in his chart not to harvest his blood for the time being as I want to do more research before allowing anyone to drink from him. Hopefully no one will ask questions."

At that, Torao continued with his "preparations", taking body measurements and hair clippings. It was a long and arduous process, tiring Luffy out. Glancing out the window, he noted the darkness. They'd been awake for most of the night now.

"We're almost done, Luffy-ya." Torao reassured, making him pull back from his cold hands. The vampire made him nervous, for good reason. He didn't want to be fooled by his soft words and promises.

While he trusted Ace, somewhat (for mystery reasons…he wasn't really sure why), Torao was scary. The vampire was strong and hiding something…Luffy was sure of it.

"All that's left now is his tag."

Luffy froze at that. He…was going to be tagged?

Surprising himself, and the two vampires, Luffy leapt up and made for the door, desperate to get away. If he was tagged, all aspects of freedom he'd had would vanish. He'd be banned from sanctuaries and un-marked humans would avoid him like the plague.

They would fear him, maybe even hate him. He'd heard stories of people killing those who were tagged to ensure their own safety from any vampires that might come looking for them.

It was like an invisible collar, chaining him to the vampires for the rest of his life.

Luffy didn't make it three steps before Ace caught him around the waist and held him tightly. Undeterred, he struggled violently, scratching at the vampire's arms and calling out loudly. He hadn't fought Ace's decision because he thought there would still be a chance for him to be free again, but this crushed that hope.

"A little help, Law!" Ace hissed, silencing Luffy with a hand over his mouth, "He's gonna wake up the whole wing!" The boy continued to thrash, kicking at Ace's legs with his bare feet, until a sharp prick in his neck startled him.

Almost immediately, a wave of exhaustion and numbness moved through his body, making him whimper at the feeling. He slumped backwards and was swung into Ace's arms where his head lulled against the vampire's chest.

"Sedative?"

"Just a bit, enough to keep him calm until we're done."


Ace gently cradled Luffy, shifting so his head was supported against his shoulder. The boy's eyes were glazed over from the sedative, a sharp contrast to his normally bright gaze.

"This…is probably related to his fear of enclosed spaces." Ace said, turning to Law, "He values his freedom above everything else."

"And yet, you still brought him here," Law answered darkly, disposing of the syringe, "where its either enslavement or death. Considering how fond you are of him, it's surprising." The younger could only shrug, thinking about what Luffy had told him about his past with vampires. There must be more to the story, continuing after his parents were killed.

"I can't explain it, I just want to protect him, more than anything." Ace whispered, eyes flicking up to meet Law's intense gaze, "Can we finish? He can barely keep his eyes open."

"Very well…" The older vampire relented, "but first, I want you to promise me something, Ace-ya."

"What?"

"When you return from the expedition, inform your sire of this boy's existence." Ace's eyes narrowed at the request, subconsciously tightening his hold on Luffy.

"I…I…I'm not sure I can-"

"That is my condition for helping you keep him alive."

Wanting nothing more than to ensure Luffy's health and safety, Ace nodded. He would deal with that in two weeks, when he returned to the citadel. After he agreed, Law immediately went to work on the tag, a small chip that would be inserted into Luffy's right forearm.

All of the boy's physical and general information was stored on the chip along with a tracking beacon that would relay his location and vital signs at all times. Currently, the tag was connected to Law's computer, and he typed quickly, inserting the required notes.

The elder vampire finished quickly and removed the chip from the computer so he could slot it into a handheld machine that would inject it into the tissue of Luffy's arm. The tag would be placed directly between major arteries, making it very difficult to remove without the assistance of a skilled doctor.

The whole process only took a few minutes.

Ace delicately ran a thumb over the now slightly raised skin, stopping when Luffy flinched and whined at the contact.

"I'm sorry…you deserve better than this." He whispered, cuddling the boy closer. As he did so, Luffy's pendant fell out of the confines of his shirt. Almost in reverence, Ace cupped his fingers around it, feeling the smooth surface of the red orb.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his head, almost making him drop Luffy. He could just barely hear Law calling his name, but his vision was filled with vaguely familiar images.

First was one he'd seen before, a younger version of himself proudly receiving a similar pendant to Luffy's, though his was white.

"You are a… now, Ace." A voice said, prompting small-Ace to nod, "Though young, your abilities will soon surpass even my own. Use them to protect…and slay-"

The freckled vampire shook his head, frustrated he couldn't hear or understand all of what he was seeing. The image shifted, revealing a woman whose face was obscured and unrecognizable. She gently ran a hand down his cheek and smiled before reaching down to cup her belly.

"Who…?" He tried to ask, but his hand went right through her. The environment shifted again to the wastes, desert all around. This time, Ace saw himself, but as a man.

Vision-Ace was bleeding profusely and scrambled away from…something, clutching the pendant around his neck. It was unclear who he was fleeing, but whoever it was, they were strong.

I CAN'T DIE HERE.

Ace grabbed his head as a voice, his own, he realized, reverberated through the air. Were these his thoughts…his memories?

MOM…YOU'RE ALONE NOW…MUST RETURN…BABY…

The freckled vampire cried out as the images stopped, breathing heavily. In front of him, Law had him by the shoulders.

"Ace-ya, are you alright!?"

"Y-Yeah." He replied, looking down to Luffy who was still limp in his arms. His eyes widened as he realized his claws had extended and were digging into the small human's limbs.

"What happened?" Law asked while he slowly willed his nails to retract.

"Another vision…worst one yet." What did they all mean? Were his memories truly coming back?

"I see. Did this vision reveal anything of importance to you?"

"I couldn't really understand what was happening but, I think I saw my parents…" Ace whispered, readjusted himself on the chair. Law hummed.

"Interesting…perhaps your memories are returning…" The doctor mumbled, taking out his note pad and jotting something down, "Are you currently in any pain?"

Law continued to question him for about thirty minutes. Ace tried to answer as best he could, but the images were so jumbled, it was difficult to explain, let alone understand. As the interview came to an end, Luffy groaned in his lap, eyes blinking.

"The sedative is starting to wear off. It's about time to bring him to Stable G." Law stated, standing up to straighten his kimono, "You should return to your room, Ace-ya, I'll take it from here."

"But-"

"He'll be fine. Here's the pen number so you can visit him tomorrow and when you return." Law said while handing him a slip of paper, "You have a long mission ahead of you, so get some sleep. Luffy-ya is in good hands."

Reluctantly, Ace stood and transferred Luffy into Law's arms. The boy, now slightly more awake, struggled weakly and reached for him. It took all his self-control not to wrench the human out of the older vampire's arms.

"Shhh…it's okay Lu." He soothed, carding a hand through Luffy's scruffy hair, "I'll come see you in the morning before I leave, okay?" The human whined and shakily grabbed his hand before whispering,

"M-Mom…don't go…"

Both Ace and Law started at that, glancing to one another in shock.

"I 'don wanna be…alone…"

The freckled vampire went to say something but was stopped by a shake of Law's head.

"It's the drugs, he's out of it." Ace nodded, backing away slowly with a small frown creasing his brows. Did he really remind him of his mother? Exiting Law's room, Luffy's voice the previous day filled his head. That moment when he'd started calling the boy 'Lu'.

"I-Is that not good? I'm sorry, please don't cry!"

"N-No, it's just-" Luffy sobbed, "That's what my mom used to call me."


Once Ace was gone, Law gently lowered Luffy down onto the couch to give him some time to come back to his senses. As he hovered over the boy, he took the red pendant in his hands and looked it over for moment before tucking it back into the confines of Luffy's shirt.

It was obvious Ace had no idea what it symbolized, but Law knew. He also now understood why Luffy was having such an effect on the younger vampire, though he wanted to do some more tests on the boy…to be sure. There could be other factors to consider.

Walking over to the wall next to his bed, Law pressed lightly on a panel, causing it to pop open. He hadn't opened it in years…not since Master Whitebeard began his hibernation. Reaching inside, Law pulled out a small metal box.

Gently, so as to not damage the ancient thing, Law opened his fingers in the chain that lay on the padded innards of the box, he lifted up a necklace, a pitch black bead pendant swinging from it.

'Perhaps it is as they say…' He mused, brushing a fingertip over the pendant, causing the lone letter to illuminate, 'Blood calls out to blood.'

Law held onto the necklace, reminiscing, until Luffy sat up, holding his head.

It was time to go.


Luffy stumbled through the winding corridors, struggling to keep up with Torao who had a firm grip on his upper arm. Whatever the vampire had given him was wearing off, but a film of exhaustion still held his mind and his legs ached with every jarring step.

He tried to pay attention to where they were going, but there were just too many turns and staircases. Eventually, Torao dragged him outside of the main complex, into the yard. Luffy's eyes widened at the beauty, green trees and bubbling streams illuminated by lamps.

Stars twinkled up above, and hardly anyone was around except for guards patrolling the exterior wall. Probably because it was the middle of the night…or early morning? Luffy wasn't sure. Torao led him to the left of the main entrance, where a large building stood, metal fences standing tall in oval shapes around it.

Luffy swallowed nervously.

Torao fished out a key and unlocked the front entrance, subsequently pulling it open.

"Cap? Is that you?" A voice called, startling Luffy. It was a vampire in a jump suit, a strange hat obscuring his face, "What're you doing out at this time of night?"

"Shachi-ya." Torao greeted, turning to face the newcomer and tugging Luffy along with him, "I'm stabling this human; he's been in solitary for a few days now."

"Oh really? Wait…" The vampire trailed off, looking between Luffy and Torao, "Is this another one of your research projects?"

"…possibly…"

Luffy shuffled uncomfortably as the new vampire chided Torao for "overworking himself" and "never telling them anything". Soon he was tugged along into the building, the newcomer trotting behind them.

They passed cage after cage, most of their inhabitants asleep, but some groggily looked up to watch them pass. Torao stopped at the last pen and instructed his subordinate to go get a bed set from the supply closet. Once the other was out of ear shot, the vampire turned his piercing eyes to Luffy.

"I'll be checking on you regularly, as will Ace-ya I imagine…once he returns. For now, do your best not to attract any unwanted attention."

Luffy mustered what energy he could and glared up at Torao, making the vampire smirk.

"Feisty aren't you…that's good." He said before grabbing his shoulders and spinning him to face the cage. The vampire's breath tickled his ear as he whispered, "Trust me, we're your allies, Luffy-ya. If the purebloods find out about your…questionable bloodline, they'll slaughter you on the spot."

The boy's breath hitched as Torao tapped his shirt, right where his pendant was hidden.

"Don't worry, your secrets safe with me. After all…" He trailed off and dangled something in front of Luffy's face. As his eyes adjusted to the object, his eyes widened in shock.

'T-There's no way…he can't be…?'

"…we have something in common. Perhaps sometime soon, you'll tell me which tribe you're from."

Luffy gulped and stared back at the vampire, watching him put the bead pendant away. Other than his parents, he'd never met another person like him, and he certainly never expected to find one a vampire…how was that possible?

Seconds later, Torao's subordinate returned with a bundle of blankets and a pillow, which was placed in Luffy's arms as he was pushed into the now open cell. Barely managing to catch himself, the boy growled through the bars at the two vampires.

"Behave, little one." Torao teased, locking him in before leading his subordinate away, whispering something in the other's ear. Luffy assumed they were talking about him as the smaller nodded and glanced back at him.

Sighing, he turned to examine the inside of his temporary new home. It was quite spacious (which he was very grateful for), with a loft accessible by a metal ladder and ropes hanging from the ceiling. There wasn't much furniture, just a few cushions and some squishy-looking chair things to compliment the padded floor. Currently, the door leading to the outside portion of the pen was closed half-way, allowing some moonlight to filter in.

It was dark, so it was difficult to see, but there were three other bodies in the cell. One was snoring in the back corner near the door while another slept silently on a bed of cushions, blanket pulled up to their chin. The third was sitting up, seemingly asleep against the left wall.

Unsure of what to do, Luffy slowly tip-toed into the pen.

"Oi." A deep voice rasped, stopping him in his tracks, "What're you doing?" It was the one sitting up.

"I…I don't know, really." Luffy whispered, hugging his bundle close, "Was gonna find a place to sleep…I guess."

"Eh…?" The man replied, standing up and moving closer. As he approached and entered the lighter portion of the cell, Luffy could just make out fierce eyes and a broad chest. "Pretty weird for those bastards to throw a kid in here in the middle of the night…"

Luffy could only shrug, eyelids threatening to fall over his exhausted eyes. All of the tension from the past few hours was draining away and all he wanted to do was sleep. The taller man seemed to catch this and motioned towards the loft with his head.

"You can sleep up there, we'll talk in the morning."

Luffy nodded and padded past the man towards the ladder. He somehow managed to pull himself up while keeping hold of his blanket and pillow. As he made himself a little bed, Luffy peeked over the railing to where the man had gone back to leaning against the wall.

"Um…thanks."

"Sure, kid."

"Luffy." He whispered back, pouting slightly in the dark, "Not kid." The man chuckled at that and smirked up at him, eyes barely visible in the dark.

"Zoro. Now quit yapping and sleep."

Luffy smiled silently to himself as Zoro (definitely his new friend) settled on the lower level. Turning his attention back to his make-shift bed, the boy situated himself under the blankets, surprisingly comfortable considering the circumstances.

He fell asleep in seconds.