A/N: Hello. Sorry for not posting for so long. Here is Chapter 11. I realized that my plot became very scattered, so I wanted to go back to focusing more on the main couple. So I hope it's still good! Thank you for the people who are still reading and are still following. And thank you for the reviews!

Disclaimer: I don't know One Piece. So sad...

Chapter 11: To Save You From Me

Robin and Ace spent the entire afternoon sitting on that hill. They didn't talk much. Just enjoyed the view and the silence. When they did talk they joked about what kind of trouble Luffy must be causing and how they both ended up joining the crews they were in. After a while, Ace dozed off and Robin was left alone with her thoughts.

She hadn't been acting like herself lately, she realized. There weren't many things that could make Nico Robin uneasy, and she didn't like what an easy target she's been. Every move they've made so far made her feel like a toy and she hated it. A deep sigh escaped her lips and she closed her eyes. She wondered where everyone else was. The arrow was a warning. That much she knew.

What Robin didn't know about the battles happening at the moment. She didn't know that Zoro was still locked in a fight with the strange man that snuck onto the ship. She didn't know that Frankie was unconscious nor that Usopp still hasn't found Chopper. And she wasn't aware that Luffy was about to be cornered by Mr. F outside of town.

The sky dwindled down to a somber orange hue. Robin took off her purple cowboy hat and looked out over the city, tilting her face up to capture the last bits of warmth before the sun completely disappeared.

At least there's still something good, she thought. Ace... Robin turned and looked at the sleeping boy. Ace looked so completely at peace in his slumber, she was almost envious. If only she could sleep as soundly as Ace then maybe she'd feel less tense all the time. His bright orange cowboy hat covered his face and his chest moved slowly and softly with each breath. She almost giggled at how their hats matched. Maybe that's why she chose to wear it. Or maybe she felt like she needed to remind herself of the person she used to be. She'd assume that reconnecting with her time at Baroque Works might help her figure something out, but she's changed so much since joining the Strawhats. She just didn't think the same way. It was hard doing anything to help herself that didn't involve hurting someone. It was so much easier before. She'd find a place to stay awhile and when the time came, she'd cut ties with everyone and run away without a second thought. It didn't matter who got in the way back then. Robin let out a tired sigh.

"And just when I thought we were having a pretty nice time."

Robin's lifted her eyes. Ace propped himself up on his elbows and his orange cowboy hat fell and laid lopsided over her purple one next to him. He had a crooked grin on.

Robin smiled. "I didn't realize you were awake."

"I just woke up. Sorry, I dozed off. I tend to do that a lot. Sometimes I don't even remember when it happens," Ace said, scratching his neck awkwardly.

Robin laughed. "Sounds familiar." She thought of the few times Luffy fell asleep in the middle of a conversation with someone or when he was being yelled at. "What?" Robin asked when she noticed Ace's funny look.

"Nothing. I just like the way you laugh," Ace answered.

"Oh really," Robin grinned, slightly flushed by the comment.

"Really. You should do that more often. Instead of sighing like the battle has already been won. Which it hasn't," Ace pointed out.

He had a point. She'd fought all her life and now she felt tired. But she had people to fight with her and Ace was a calming presence in the midst of everything. Robin nodded in affirmation.

"The sun is setting," she pointed out. They watched the last rays of light slowly disappeared behind the horizon and the sky turned to a dull blueish-grey.

Robin stood up brushing herself off. She picked up Ace's hat and tossed it over to him then placed her own on her head. Nodding a thank you, Ace asked, "You ready?"

Her lips curved slightly into a sly flirtatious smirk that can only belong to the ever composed Nico Robin. Saying nothing, she began walking towards the heap of trees that leads back into the forest. Ace smiled, tipped his hat up, and followed suit. Now that's the Nico Robin I know.

"Gear-secondo"

Head down and his fist against the dirt, Luffy breathed heavily. His rubber limbs began to steam and turn a bright sizzling pink as he readied his attack. Coerced into a one-on-one battle with Mr. F, Luffy had fought wildly for the past hour. Even so, he had yet to land a vital blow against the Baroque Works agent. Luffy gritted his teeth together as he swung his arm around. Mr. F's smirk oozed with arrogance and he made a gesture egging the rubber boy to come at him.

"GAAAAAAH!" Luffy yelled as he made a running start.

Unknown to the Strawhat captain, two streets over was Zoro and the whitebeard-phony locked down in a match. Their swords clang together several times before they ended in a deadlock both of them trying to push their blade against his opponents.

His fight with the whitebeard impersonator wasn't even close to over when Nami, Sanji, and Marco found them. At the same time, Usopp came running toward them in a state of panic yelling something about the ship being attacked.

"They did what to Frankie?!" Zoro yelled.

"He's all charred and his metal parts are all scratched," Usopp replied. "We need Chopper!"

Nami clapped a hand over her mouth.

"We'll help you look," Sanji replied. "Let's go Nami-san."

Sanji and Nami left the scene looking and Usopp rushed after them. Swords still locked, Zoro yelled, "Who's watching Frankie and the ship?!" But it was too late, Usopp was already too far to hear him.

The only one left was Marco, whose arms were dissolving into a fiery blue and yellow. "Let me take over."

Zoro growled but didn't budge.

"You're the first mate, swordsman. Help your crew," Marco stated calmly but firmly. "Besides, anybody who's pretending to be part of the Whitebeards is going to have to deal with me."

Relenting, Zoro flung his third sword untangling his blade from the enemy. Marco rushed in half transforming into a phoenix as Zoro jumped to the side and headed in the direction of the ship… or at least the direction he thought the ship was in. Zoro turned a corner and suddenly he was at another dead end. Damn it, Zoro screamed in his head.

"So you think Gold D. Roger was searching for the Poneglyphs?"

"I'm only speculating," Robin answered. "Your father's name was engraved by the writings in Skypiea."

Ace halted.

"What's wrong?" Robin stopped to look at him.

Ace's voice came out low. "Please, don't refer to that pirate as my father."

Robin felt a tinge of guilt. She should have realized sooner. Not everyone is good at compartmentalizing their feelings like she was. Robin hid things and she hid them well. Nobody ever questions the crisp, confident curve of her half smile nor the icy air of indifference floating like a barrier around her. But, Ace wasn't like Robin. Ace deflects and he'd channel all his feelings into anger. When he was young, he'd go on rampages, throwing things, punching trees, and getting into petty fights with big drunk strangers. And when his body was too physically tired to do anything else, he'd collapse onto the grass and stare at the sea, thinking, thinking, thinking if it was good. Was he good? And if it even matters what kind of person he was if nobody wanted him to be born in the first place. And when he couldn't figure out the answer, he'd sleep and wake up to start the whole cycle of self-loathing again.

So what did it matter to him if Gold D. Roger was looking for the poneglyphs? All that man did, was die and leave a world of hate for his son. The only reason the poneglyphs are important to Ace now is because they're important to Robin. And this is all that matters.

Robin dipped her head in slight apology. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Ace shook himself off. "I'm good."

What Robin noted as shame and disdain on his face faded, replaced by his signature smile as he began walking again. His disposition changed so instantly, Robin wondered if he was just trying to put up a front. His hand slid into Robin's as he passed her. Fingers interlocked, they continued together through the woods. Her touch soothed him and the tension melted away from the comfort of her presence.

Aside from some rough terrain and slippery slopes, navigating their way to the coordinates wasn't that difficult for two devil fruit users. Plus, Robin had memorized the map at the library. The trees thickened as they continued further and Robin could barely see the moon through the foliage hovering above them now. She noticed that the leaves grew thicker here and the soil was softer. Listening closely she could hear the sound of trickling streams of water.

"Let's take a break," Ace suggested. They'd been walking for hours.

Robin nodded.

"You thirsty?" he asked. He unhooked the water pouch that hung at the side of his shorts and tossed it to her. There wasn't much in there. Robin finished all of it in a few gulps.

"Sorry," Robin said. It wasn't til the cold liquid hit her throat that she realized how dry her mouth was.

"It's okay. I'm not that thirsty." Ace smiled and it made Robin feel warm inside.

"Still, I should refill this," Robin said. "There should be a path that leads Eastward. Mind scouting the area while I'm gone?"

"Leave it to me."

Robin nodded and left Ace while she headed towards the river.

The water ran smoothly downstream, sheer and sparkling under the moonlight. Robin splashed her face and patted the cold water on her cheeks to wake herself up. Wiping her face clean, she opened her eyes and gasped, pulling her hands to her chest from anxious fear and shock.

Trembling, Robin brought her hands out in front of her and surveyed the dark swirly lines tracing her veins. She leaned forward over the water and almost cried out. The veins ran up her neck and around her head. Her eyes, which were once a soft ocean blue, now shone a dark pulsing purple. As she stared into those malignant pupils, a sharp pain struck her temples. Then veins began to glow and scenes from her nightmare flashed inside her mind like some chaotic light show. Robin squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head violently wielding the images to stop. Nami's screeching screams as she's being suffocated by the glowing limbs. Luffy's eyes, dulling as the glint of life extinguished from his face. Chopper pleading for her to stop, to let go, to makes those petaled arms disappear. Her head was throbbing now. When she thought she couldn't feel any worse, the last image almost killed her.

All her crewmates were gone. It was dark and all she could see was the figure in front of her. Ace, solemn but calm, stared right into her eyes. A silent surrender. "Run," she wanted to tell him. "Or fight back. Stop me! End me! Please!" But Ace didn't stop her. Or more like he wouldn't.

"I refuse to hurt you…" he whispered. Before Robin could tell him he has to, an array of arms grew from the ground and enveloped him. Ace let them drag his body into the depths of the dark unwilling to fight or do anything to stop it.

No no no! Stop stop stop… Robin cried inside. With every ounce of mental strength she could yield, Robin fought to control herself. Then everything disappeared. Her heart rate slowed. Robin opened her eyes. The markings were gone. Her eyes were back to their usual blue. Aside from the clear distress on her face and the heavy panting, Robin was back to normal.

"Rooobin!"

It was Ace. She'd been gone too long. Grabbing the water pouch, Robin quickly filled it. She got up, composed herself, and made her way back.

"These look like the right herbs," Chopper said to himself as he plucked a few leaves off of a small plant. He began rummaging through his blue backpack for the medicinal book he brought with him. Flipping through the pages he marked, he finally found it.

"Yes! These should help Robin's sleep!" the reindeer exclaimed happily. That is, until another thought occurred to him. He remembered seeing the swirly lines on Robin's skin and the blood and scars on her arms, ankles, and abdomen. "I still don't know what to do about that. I really want to help Robin."

Choppered looked down at the herbs between his hoofs. "At least I can do something to help with her nightmares." The whole crew had been worried about Robin's nightmares. But Chopper especially. As the Straw Hat's Doctor, Chopper felt he was responsible for treating all of his nakama's ailments. That includes looking out for their physical and mental wellbeing. That's why, after he left Luffy and Usopp at the restaurant, he went searching in the fields that laid between the town and the forest for the herbs to make a sleeping tonic. Still, the little reindeer felt his efforts were insufficient. Chopper stuffed the leaves into his backpack and sighed to himself.

"CHOPPER!"

"Huh? Usopp?" Chopper squinted into the distance.

"Thank goodness we found you!" Nami yelled.

"What's wrong?" It was clear from Usopp and Nami's panting when they reached him, that something big has gone down. Sanji was the only one who wasn't out of breath.

"We need to get to the Sunny Go. Frankie's been attacked. He needs you."

Chopper's eyes went wide and changed to his four-legged form. Galloping in the direction towards the ship, Chopper listened tentatively to Usopp as the sharpshooter relaid what he had seen. There wasn't time to lose.

"I found the path. It's just through those bushes," Ace said when Robin returned. "You were gone for a long while there."

"Oh, I uh… lost track of time," Robin gave him a guarded smile. "Shall we proceed?"

"Sure," Ace said. He watched Robin move ahead of him with a furrowed brow. Something was off. It was like an invisible barrier was placed between them again and he didn't like it. What changed?

"Did you run into any trouble finding the stream?" Ace asked.

"No."

Robin knew her response sounded cold but she couldn't help it. At first, she thought having Ace's help with the poneglyph was a good idea. Even with the threats to her own life, Robin thought that Ace was the one person she wouldn't need to worry about getting hurt. Until this point, she really believed his immense strength and confidence would be enough. And he's never lost a fight to anyone, so the rumors say. But she had missed one obvious and dangerous fact: Ace liked her. He really really liked her. Enough that he wouldn't dare hurt her even if she were to try to kill him.

Robin couldn't be certain if those images she saw were some kind of warning or premonition. She just knew she didn't want to take any chances. She cared too much about Ace. Almost as much as her crewmates. Plus, she'd never forgive herself if she'd left her captain's brother come to harm by her hands. And that would be her undoing. The trump card Mr. Green so slyly put into play without her knowing. Blatant threats may not be enough to scare Nico Robin into obedience, but this would. If Mr. Green somehow found a way to control her powers with Ace there, then he could get her to do just about anything. She'd spill every secret she knew or even sign her soul over forever if it meant Ace could get away.

But that's the other thing. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't imagine Ace running from a fight or abandoning her. Luffy and him were the same. Totally and completely selfless when it came to someone else's life. Luffy fought his way through one of the biggest government facilities going so far as to challenge the entire world just to get her back. As his older brother, Ace would likely do just as much and more. He'd rather let himself get killed than to leave someone behind. And Robin just couldn't take that. How can she keep him safe? Especially from herself? She didn't really know what those swirly lines meant or what they could make her do, and she wasn't interested in finding out.

It was clear to Ace that Robin was grappling with something even if her face didn't show it. Maybe it was the tenseness of her shoulders or the way she seemed to inch away from him anytime he walked just a bit closer to her. Or maybe it was how she kept her hands pulled in towards herself as she walked as if she was trying to avoid any chance of letting Ace take her hand. It was when the bridge, the place where the coordinates pointed to, came into view, that Robin halted in her tracks and finally addressed him for the first time since they started walking.

"You can go, Ace-san. I'll take it from here." Robin said with a steady voice. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but she had to try something.

"What are you saying, Robin? Didn't we agreed to do this together?" Ace asked, a bit taken aback.

"You were fine company, but now I have business to take care of. I believe I only agree to spend the afternoon with you, commander" she replied casually.

"Commander? I thought we were passed the formalities, Robin. You said you trusted me."

The hurt was obvious in his tone and it almost made Robin stumble. She couldn't bear looking at him so she turned away.

"Ace-san. Please, just let me do this alone."

"No. That's the last thing I'd do," He argued. Robin still wouldn't look at him. "What changed, Robin?" Ace asked as calmly as he could.

"Nothing."

Ace couldn't stand this. He grabbed her arm and turned her body to face him. "Don't lie to me. You became a completely different person ever since you came back from the river."

Robin's face twitched and Ace knew his doubts have been confirmed.

"Maybe I just realized that you've been holding me back," she whispered trying her best not to make eye contact.

"What?"

"Don't you know anything about me, Commander-san? Nico Robin works best alone. You've just been a distraction this whole time."

"No, that's not it." Ace pulled her face up so she's forced to look at him. "I've gotten to know the real Nico Robin pretty well in the past 24 hours, and this is not her. The real Nico Robin cares."

Robin tried to push him away but his grip was too strong. Still, she said nothing, so he continued. "The only reason she'd push someone away is if she was worried about them. That's why she tried to leave my brother's crew when she was really just sacrificing herself to save them. That's why she went into the forest alone last night. And I will bet my life on it that this is why she's trying to get rid of me right now."

"You don't know what you're saying," Robin breathed. Ace's face inch closer to hers and she felt his forehead, damp and warm, on her's.

"You've had to fight all by yourself for most of your life. So it's natural to feel like you still don't have people by your side. But, my brother didn't leave you behind and neither will I."

Robin began shaking her head. "Ace. I'm not scared that'll you'd abandon me. I'm scared that you won't."

"Robin-"

"No, Ace. Listen to me. You have to go."

"No."

Robin tried to think of a way to change his mind. And just before she could get another word out, Ace's mouth was on her's. She hadn't expected it and couldn't stop the moan from escaping her lips. Her entire body froze but slowly went limp as she melted into the kiss. Ace's calloused hand held her face, his thumb brushing her warm cheeks as he pushed his lips harder onto hers. His other hand moved behind her and down to the small of her back, pulling her closer to him. Robin tried to wield herself to pull away, to disconnect their mouths, but she couldn't. She didn't want to. Soon she was kissing him back, her lips moving against his and her body leaning into him. Her skin seemed to light up as if responding to Ace's every touch.

Robin was breathless and a little bit dazed when Ace finally pulled away, slowly and reluctantly. His chest heaved deeply from the pleasure and he stared into her beautiful blue eyes. There was so much desire there. But also fear. Ace leaned his forehead on her's again and they stared at each other for a short moment. Until…

"Well isn't that romantic." A mocking voice rang out from the direction of the bridge.

Ace and Robin turned and saw Mr. Green clapping his hands in amusement.

"The funny cowboy got Ms. All-Sunday to love again. Too bad I'm going to have to ruin this happy ending."

A/N: Chapter finished! Kissing is really hard to write btw. Anyways. Hope you liked it!