AN: I do not own One Piece.

Chapter 11: Homecoming

Ace laid back on his cot. He was currently on ordered bed rest. The twin sisters, Hoshi and Carole, kept shooting him sharp looks daring him to try to get out of bed again. Ace smiled inwardly. Who was he to pass up a dare? He bid his time, waiting for a moment when they were distracted. The two medics were debating some figures on a chart with their trusting backs to the second division commander.

Ace slid his legs out from the cotton sheets and stepped onto the worn floor. He kept a close eye on the women's backs. Each step brought him closer to freedom! He reached out a hand toward the brass doorknob. 'Success!'

Thwack!

Ace jumped guiltily. Between his hand and the doorknob was a metallic clipboard. He turned to the lovely medics with a sheepish grin and a shrug.

"Carole?" Hoshi questioned aloud.

"Yes Hoshi." Carole returned in mock politeness.

"Is it just me, or is our patient out of bed again?" Hoshi pondered.

"If you are crazy, then so am I." assured Carole.

They both were staring down Fire-Fist Ace with supernova eyes. Ace broke out in a cold sweat under such an intense glare. If there was one thing you didn't do, it was tick-off the medical core. In a flash, syringes glinted as they zipped through the air toward Ace. He was just barely able to dodge the sharp needles.

"Tsk." lamented Carole.

Ace practically flew back into his bed.

"Awwww, how boring. He didn't even try to fight us sis." complained Hoshi. "However," she paused dramatically as she walked to her desk to retrieve something. "It has been a long time since I last used these." A sinister grin spread across the young woman's face.

"You wouldn't!" Ace paled as he spied the sea stone cuffs in her hands.

"Desperate time call for desperate measures." nodded Carole simply.

Ace held his hands up in surrender, "Ok, you go it. I'll be a good little patient."

Hoshi twirled the handcuffs around here fingers. The twins wore matching grins. Ace could swear that they actually wanted to chain him to the bed.

"I'll just leave these here." Hoshi placed the sea stone chains on her desk in pain view of Ace. "As a reminder of your promise." She winked at her patient before returning to her work.

The sea stone cuffs shined threateningly on Hoshi's desk. Ace pulled his eyes from the cursed shackles, and chose to look instead at the disappointingly dull ceiling. Staring at the wooden boards, he found his mind wondering back to his mystery. He tried to figure out just what had happened. No matter how he thought about it, he kept coming back to one thing, sand. His brows knitted together in thought. A particularly loud snore stirred him from his pondering. Ace smiled as he turned his head to the right. In the two beds next to him, were Jimbe and Luffy. Both men were sleeping soundly, but Luffy was truly an Olympic snorer.

Luffy had his head turned toward his elder brother and was snoring without a care in the world. The commander's smile grew as he watched his brother mumble softly between snores about food.

Ace turned back to the boards in the ceiling. 'What was with all that sand anyway? Where did it all come from?' He had originally thought it was just the typical sand picked up after spending time in a desert or on a beach, but that was quickly ruled out. There had been way too much of it and it only seemed to affect Sadie. 'It has to be related to her devil fruit, but how? She is made of water not sand like Croc.'

"If you aren't careful your face will stay that way." teased a tenor voice at the end of his bed.

Ace looked down from the rafters at a tall petite man in a white lab coat. "Doc Taka!" Ace sprang up into a sitting position.

The man smiled and made a calming gesture with his hands to indicate that he should lie back down. "Now let's have a look." Taka pulled up a nearby stool to sit next to Ace. He took his time, checking his chart and bandages.

"How much pain are you in?" the doctor asked Ace professionally.

"Almost none really." the commander replied casually.

"Riiiiight." Taka raised a disbelieving eye up to meet Ace's guileless face. The man held his gaze locked with the commander's demanding a more honest answer.

Ace rolled his eyes in surrender. "Fine, it hurts. But it's nothing I can't handle."

The doctor nodded and made a few notes on his clip board. "Now that I believe." He looked back up at Ace who was clearly waiting in hope to be released. He tapped the end of his pen against his lips as he considered the young commander in front of him.

Over the doctor's shoulder the twins were whispering behind their palms. They were clearly gossiping about him, but Ace tried to ignore the young medics. He waited, desperate to be free of the hospital bed. Ace knew that if Doc Taka thought he needed to stay here, they would use those sea stone cuffs and chain him to the blasted bed if they had to.

"Alright. You are free to go."

Ace practically leapt from the bed and was already past the bedpost when the doctor's words halted him. He was comically frozen mid-stride. "However, if you don't take it easy, I will lock you up here for a week."

"Come back and see us anytime Commander!" chorused the girls in unison.

Ace lowered his foot to the floor and started to walk toward the exit at a more restrained pace. "Thanks Doc!" Ace called from the door with a grin plastered across his features and a wave.

"Don't mention it." returned the doctor off-handedly. "Oyaji wanted to see you when you were well enough to be out of bed."

Ace's blood dropped several degrees. He knew it was only a matter of time, but it was still a daunting thing to face his father after everything he had done. He swallowed his nerves down, nodded at the doctor and closed the door behind him.

How he didn't run into anyone on the way to his father's room was a mystery he never cared to solve. All he knew, was that it seemed like only an instant before he stood before Oyaji's door. The lantern in the hallway stretched his shadow so that the door was ominously black. He took a deep breath to calm his track star heart and knocked.

"Come in." rumbled Whitebeard.

Ace somberly entered the large room. Oyaji was lying across a futon, hooked up to his breathing machines and reading a book. Red sunlight poured in through the windows casting its evening rays across the room. The massive man looked up from his book at his son.

The moment that Ace's eyes met with his father's he fell to his knees. He pressed his head down to the wood as low as it would go. "I'm so sorry!" he cried. Sloppy tears started to spill from his eyes as his guilt overcame him. He really had been a foolish idiot.

Ace didn't move at the sigh emitted from Whitebeard. "Ace."

The commander remained kneeling on the floor.

"Ace look at me." Whitebeard commanded.

Ace did as he was told and lifted his shinning eyes to face his father. He couldn't maintain eye contact though and had to lower his gaze.

"Oh my foolish son." breathed Oyaji. "I am the one who is sorry."

Ace's eyes widened in shock as his head snapped up to look at his adoptive father.

Whitebeard was looking out the window at the sunset. The brilliant light danced across his face. "I should have known better than to ignore Blackbeard." The man was silent. He seemed to be considering a great many things as he watched the sun sink lower and lower into the sea. Ace was silent. Of all the many things he thought his father might say, this was not one of them. After several long minutes, he couldn't take it anymore. This wasn't Oyaji's fault!

"No Oyaji," Ace's voice cracked. "I'm the one who disobeyed! I'm the one who betrayed the family!" He stood and approached his father who was still staring out the window. "I-I abandoned you." with his last sentence. Ace lowered his head to look at his toes dejectedly.

"You betrayed us?" there was a pause, "Gurarara." Whitebeard laughed quietly. "You are mistaken. We betrayed you, by asking you to be someone you aren't. We abandoned you, by being a family who forgets one of their own." Whitebeard stopped talking and Ace looked up again to assess why? He was met with the aged stare of his father. "Can you ever forgive us?" asked Whitebeard.

Fresh hot tears ran down Ace's freckled cheeks. He lifted a hand to his face. It was too much. His father was taking the burden from his shoulders, even though they both knew it was all his own stupid fault.

"You are still my son." Whitebeard stated simply.

"Oyaji!" cried Ace brokenly.

It was perhaps the kindest thing the old pirate could do for his son. Whitebeard went back to reading quietly while Ace vented his emotions. He cried and snotted as Whitebeard read page after page, never saying a word or passing any judgment on the younger man. Slowly Ace's tears dried as he found peace after catharsis. His eyes were puffy and sore, but his heart was lighter.

The second division commander stood with one final sniffle. "Thank you Oyaji for being my father."

As Ace left the room, Whitebeard answered lowly, "Always my son."

Fire-Fist Ace had a desperate need to see the open sky. He hadn't seen it in weeks. As he left his father's room, his feet started to pick up speed into a run. Finally, he found himself standing on the deck of the Moby Dick. The sun had set, but a few remaining red rays still pierced the rapidly darkening sky.

His chest heaved as he stared out at the open sea. There would be no more tears. He took a long deep breath and smiled. This was the start of a new chapter.

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Ace awoke with a start. It took his body a minute to remember that he was home again and not still chained in a dirty cell. He fell into a familiar routine as he got ready for the day. He was leaving his room when a loud crashing sounded from somewhere above him.

"FOOD!" screamed Luffy's voice.

Ace chuckled to himself, "It seems like Luffy is awake." He put some speed into his steps as he made his way to the mess hall. He wasn't the least bit surprised to find his brother there tucking into a mountain of food. The Whitebeard crew was used to his own appetite and were perfectly well equipped to deal with Luffy's bottomless pit of a stomach. Ace leaned up against the wall enjoying the sight of his brother once again awake and full of life. The kitchen staff continued to bring food out, ready for a challenge.

When Luffy spied Ace, he slowed his eating enough to call out to his brother. "Oi! Ace!" the rubber pirate waved jovially.

Ace pushed off of the wall and cantered over to join his younger brother. He slid in next to Luffy and stole a few choice pieces for himself. Luffy's eyes immediately started to shoot daggers at his older brother as he bared his teeth. "Get your own food!" growled Luffy.

"Make me!" challenged Ace, as he shoveled more and more food into his mouth. The two quickly fell into a speed eating contest and neither brother was going to back down.

The mountain of food shrank rapidly, despite the chefs' best efforts, and soon both of them were patting their stomachs in satisfaction and grinning like idiots. Back in the kitchen, the entire cooking staff was passed out on the floor from exhaustion.

"Hooo," whistled Luffy. He turned his wide smile to his brother. "Where is Nee-chan?" Luffy asked innocently. "Jimbe-san was in the infirmiry with me this morning, but she wasn't. I want to thank her." he grinned widely.

Ace looked away from his brother and ran an unsteady hand through his hair. "I dunno Luffy. She was taken by the med crew when we got back and I haven't seen here since."

"Hmmmmm." Luffy pushed out his lower lip as he furrowed his brow in thought. "Nee-chan will be alright." He declared through his toothy grin.

Ace looked at him with a slacked expression. Luffy's optimism might just be a force greater than the ocean itself. "Huh." Ace laughed, "Ya, she'll be fine. By the way Luffy, why do you call her Nee-chan?"

Luffy tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Because Nee-chan is Nee-chan." he stated simply.

Ace sweat dropped. "Ok," he hedged, "but what makes her Nee-chan."

"Because you and her are the same."

"Huh?" Ace's voice rose an octave in his confusion. "In what way are the two of us alike?!"

Luffy held a hand to Ace in a silent challenge to thumb wrestle. Ace smirked and accepted the match by linking his hand with his younger brother's.

"Well," Luffy started as their thumbs danced around one another, "You are Portgas Deeee – Aaaaaaa – Sssssss" he drew out the last few sounds in Ace's name.

"Yea," Ace agreed trying to pin Luffy's rubbery thumb under his own.

"And Nee-chan is Ssssss-Aaaaaa-Deeeee." Luffy continued.

In his shock at Luffy's logic, Ace lost the match. Luffy crowed as he successfully pinned his brother's thumb. The rubber pirate ran around the mess hall pumping his arms in the air cheering. Meanwhile, Ace sat dumbstruck in his seat, his fist still in position for the thumb wrestling match. 'He called her Nee-chan because their names were reversals of each other?!'

"Mhuh-MMheh" laughter started to quietly bubble up, before breaking out like a burst of sunshine. "Hahahaha!" Ace held his ribs and banged his palm on the table as he laughed loudly at the whole thing.

Throughout the day, the ship was a busy bee hive. They found and made landfall on a small summer island. There weren't any towns, but plenty of space and food. The perfect setting for a full-blown party. Groups of Whitebeard pirates searched the island for edible plants while others enjoyed hunting the giant game the island provided. By time the time the shadows had lengthened in the afternoon, a series of shelters and tables were scattered about the shoreline. Culinary crewmates were busy prepping the bounty of the island. Shipwrights were still building more canopies to rest beneath, and yet others were carrying supplies or decorating. Finally, all the preparations were done and it was time to celebrate!

The musicians struck up a lively tune that immediately had everyone's toes tapping. Ace started chugging booze with Marco, determined to win this time. Luffy had found a few kindred spirits as they danced with chopsticks in their noses. When the sun set, a wood pyre was set up and set aflame by Fire-Fist himself. The night was alive with laughter and joy so fierce it made the stars brighter.

Ace and Marco sat opposite one another, each with a mug of ale in their hand. The commanders' faces were ruddy with drink, but they weren't done yet.

" 'ad enough ol' maaaaan?" smirked Ace as he polished off another mug.

"P'eas," scoffed Marco, "Isn't it abou' your be-bedtime-yoi?" The two stared each other down, as their mugs were refilled by members of the growing crowd. Their drinking bouts were one of the main events of any party. The current score of matches leading up to this one was Marco 22 and Ace 19. Responding to some unseen signal both men tossed back their alcohol and chugged.

Marco slammed his tankard down hard enough to splinter the wood. Ace accidently broke the handle off his own mug. Ace's glassy eyes stared determinedly into the unfocused gaze of the phoenix.

"Anodder" they both slurred.

With their damaged cups before them, the two men tilted their heads and mugs back - and back - and back - and right off their seats. The match ended in a draw as the two commanders started snoring on the sand. The crowd erupted in laughter at the hilarious sight of their commanders passed out on the beach.

It was the wee hours of the morning when Ace awoke again with sand pressed uncomfortably into his back. He grimaced at the sticky residue on his skin from some unknown source. Sitting up and looking around he saw several members still up and celebrating with old sea songs around the fire. Many more pirates were passed out here and there strewn across the sand. He did a double take as he spied his brother tied in a knot around the branch of a nearby tree.

The world swayed slightly as he got to his feet and Ace took a few extra steps to compensate. 'Stupid Earth, thinks it can trip me.' he thought smugly. Fire-Fist stumbled up the shore away from the throng of the merry makers. His head pounded, and he wanted a little bit of quiet.

Spying a nice patch of cool grass, Ace wondered over and sat facing the ocean. He could still hear the party noise some distance away, but the dominate sound was the rise and fall of the rushing ocean. He watched the mesmerizing waves crash on the beach. The ebb and flow of the water was a soothing stimulant as he sobered. The lullaby of the ocean carried him into a restful sleep.

There was an insistent cough coming from the ocean.

"What's wrong?" questioned Ace.

The ocean merely coughed in response and ignored the man on the beach.

"What did I miss?" demanded the commander. Again, the ocean ignored him and coughed in mockery of his inquiry.

"Just tell me!" he screamed. Ace was getting frustrated. Why wouldn't the damned sea answer his question?

The water rose up and surrounded him. With each cough the water pulsed red, until Ace had to close his eyes to block out the burning scarlet light.

Ace shot up from his place on the beach panting and looking around him wildly. 'A dream…right a dream.' He brought his fingertips to his eyes to rub the sleep from their corners. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his back as he fully woke up. His head still ached as he rubbed his desert tongue over fuzzy teeth. Why did he end up like this every party?

There were two distinct sounds. To his right was the sound of cheering. The party was still going strong. However, to the left was a quieter more serious conversation.

He felt torn, his gut was pulling him toward the discussion he wasn't invited to and not the party for his homecoming. Ace kicked the sand at his feet and debated for about a second before deciding to intrude. He walked around a bend in the shoreline that was hidden by an outcropping of forest. On the other side of the tree stood Marco and Vista.

They had stopped their conversation having sensed Ace's approach.

"Yo," greeted Ace with a small wave.

Marco grinned toothily at his best friend while Vista stoically looked out across the open sea.

"Look who's up-yoi!" greeted Marco.

"Right," responded Ace sarcastically, "I still beat you by like a million seconds." chortled the second division commander.

Ace looked past Marco at Vista. Despite his attempt at stoicism, the man had a rain cloud over his head. There was really only one thing that could depress Vista like that.

"Sadie-chan?" Ace began to question gently.

The fifth division commander turned to Ace with two rivers of tears running down his face. Ace took a step back surprised at the sudden overflow of emotion.

"She-she's ok. Isn't she?" Fire-Fist asked uncertainly.

"Sadie will be alright-yoi, but…" Marco paused here and lifted an unsure hand to the back of his head. He looked between Vista and Ace a few times before finishing, "She won't let Vista visit anymore, and he isn't taking it well-yoi."

The swordsman zipped in front of the phoenix and pulled on Marco's purple vest. "Why won't she let me sit with her?" He whined.

Marco indicated the pitifully weeping man clinging to him with open palms as if to say, 'see.'

Ace nodded slowly as he watched the grown man franticly demanding answers. He found that he could understand Commander Vista's position as he was also filled with a gnawing need for answers.

The young man bent his body in a respectful bow. "I'm sorry, but could you perhaps explain the situation in more detail."

Vista stopped his pitiful pleas as he assessed the man before him. The fifth division commander stood to his full height as the sea breeze billowed out his cape behind him. "Are you sure you want to know?" Vista asked in a stone voice.

"Yes." affirmed Ace still bowed.

"Lift your head." Vista whispered as he looked across the water to where their ships were anchored. "I'm returning to the Camelo. Marco," he turned to the first division commander, "Tell him what he wants to know."

Marco and Ace watched as Sadie's uncle left them to stand alone with the crashing waves. Marco took a long breath through his nose, rubbed the back of his neck and finally turned to his fellow commander. "Let's go for a walk."

Ace nodded, his mouth set in a silent line. The two men walked slowly down the shore farther and farther away from the party noise. The sand shifted under Ace's sandaled feet. His shoulders were heated from the morning sun behind him.

After several minutes, Marco finally broke the emptiness. "What is it that you want to know-yoi?"

"Is everything too specific?" Ace joked quietly.

Marco looked up at the blue sky before replying, "What have you figured out for yourself?"

Ace lowered his eyes from the first division commander. "I thought she was sick. I haven't really ruled that out, but there are a few things that I can't seem to figure out." Ace paused here to look back up to his friend. Marco nodded that he should continue. "One, the amount of sand that continued to follow her was abnormal. And two, why were you all aware there was a problem?"

Marco's eyebrows raised wrinkling his brow, and then lowered as if he was admitting something to himself. "She told us that she was in trouble, although not in words that you would understand."

Ace was staring at Marco insistently. 'When had she told them anything? When he was with Luffy?'

Marco continued looking anywhere but at Ace, "She uses the phrase, 'There was a bit of foul weather.' to discreetly communicate that she used water spout, a forbidden technique."

Ace's ears perked up at that. He had missed her saying that back on the submarine, but this meant she knew what she was doing. A forbidden technique only became so after the negative consequences were discovered.

"As for the first thing-yoi. Where was she when she used water spout?" Marco asked forcing his eyes to meet Ace's.

"You mean the cyclone, right?" Marco nodded, "It was during our escape. We were jumping from one floor to the next. The lower floor was covered in sand like an indoor desert, but the second floor was a simple stone walled hallway." Ace watched Marco as the lines on the phoenix's face were etched deeper.

"Sadie is a water person." Marco said as he came to a stop.

"Right." agreed Ace.

"More specifically, she is a fresh water person."

"Of course, we are all at the mercy of salt water."

Marco nodded, "How much salt, sugar, dirt, blood or other things do you think it takes to change fresh water into something else-yoi."

Ace's eyes widened as he began to understand the reason behind water spout being off limits.

Seeing Ace's reaction, Marco continued, "It doesn't take a lot of contamination to severely impede he ability to manipulate water. If the pollution is bad enough, she loses her ability to manipulate water at all, even herself."

The last statement stunned Ace into a statue. The thought that she used it knowing it could bear such a price.

"I wasn't there-yoi, but I can guess that when she used water spout, a large amount of sand was whipped up in its power."

Ace shook off enough of his shock to weakly answer, "Yea."

"Much of the sand would have then mingled within her own water and it didn't leave when she became corporeal again. The result is that her body starts do everything it can do expel the foreign substances within her."

"The coughing." Ace whispered at his toes.

"Exactly-yoi, I don't know if it always works that way. Tsubaki is usually the one who cares for her afterwards. She probably knows just as much as Sadie herself about what happens during the…cleansing process."

Ace was rooted to the ground. His face was lost in shadow as he replayed everything since Luffy was shot. 'The mud, the flickering mist, her weakness, and sand-so much sand.'

The young commander couldn't take standing there doing nothing. He turned sharply and started trotting back to the ships. If Vista went to the Camelo, then he would bet money that Sadie was there. 'How could she not tell him?! Why did she hide it? And the water, she knew she needed water and she wouldn't drink it there in the sub. WHY THE HELL NOT!?' His frustration at not being trusted spurned him forward faster and faster.

"Oi! Ace stop-yoi!" called the phoenix as he rushed behind his friend. Ace didn't even slow down. "If she won't let Vista in, you don't really think she'll let you in do you-yoi?"

Ace stopped suddenly and shot a dark glare back. "I don't intend on asking." 'Screw her preference of being alone. This time it's too much.'

Marco was left alone on the dirty sand. It wasn't funny, it really wasn't, but the first division commander couldn't help but smile a little.

Ace didn't slow down as he approached the party.

"Heeeey Commander Ace!" yelled a drunken crew member. "Whoa?" The poor man stood uncertain about what was happening because the second division commander suddenly erupted in flames are started flying toward the ships.

Ace landed on the blue figurehead of the Camelo. His blood ran hot in his veins. 'Aren't we nakama?' He asked himself as he stomped across the deck toward the infirmary. He single mindedly dove within the ship roughly opening doors as he went. With the door to the infirmary in sight, he increased his pace.

A black arm clotheslined him and Ace found himself on the floor staring up at a furious top-hatted swordsman. Vista lowered a single sword point to Ace's chin.

"You had better have a very good reason for being here." Vista growled.

Ace swallowed nervously. The fifth division commander's demeanor evaporated his blind desperation. "I'm here to see Sadie." Ace declared boldly.

Vista pressed the blade closer to Ace's skin as the man's face darkened. "Do you really think that I will allow anyone to bother her right now?" Vista's tone made it clear he wasn't really asking as he was threatening Ace.

Ace rolled away from the deadly tip of Vista's sword. "Hey now old man, I don't think that is up to you." argued Ace.

"It is!" returned Vista with his voice growing in volume.

"I'm not asking permission!" Ace insisted.

"You little upstart!" insulted Vista.

Ace opened his mouth to retort when a red blaze flashed past the two men. Both Ace and Vista were suddenly coughing and sputtering to dislodge the gauze that had been stuffed down their throats.

Grasping his collarbone, Ace looked up at the red-headed doctor. Tsubaki's aura burned fiercely. "Kneel!" she commanded while she pointed to an empty space by the wall. Vista and Ace both complied immediately. The two whipped puppies lowered their heads while Tsubaki looked down on them.

"I will not have the two of you waking her up after she finally got to sleep." scolded quietly. "You!" she speared Vista with her eyes, "You should know better. And you!" Tsubaki growled as her piecing gaze cut into Ace, "Haven't you done enough?"

The fiery girl turned to go back inside the infirmary grumbling under her breath as she went. "If you are going to be here, then at least be useful." She jerked her head for the two men to follow her.

Both commanders hurried to follow after her quick steps. "Here." she offered Vista a basin of dirty water. "Go dump that out for me and refill it with clean water. And-Ace I need more fresh drinking water." she whispered while handing the second commander a large empty pitcher.

Ace took the cold metallic vessel into his palms. His eyes lingered on the dark hollow inside momentarily. 'Why am I here?' Empty of his anger, he couldn't really explain to himself why he cared so much. Yes, she could have been more honest, but it wasn't like they were extremely close. There were many things they didn't know about one another. His eyes lifted to the bed where Sadie laid sleeping.

The water-user's breath blew in and out rapidly. Her face was dotted with flecks of light brown. 'At least she isn't coughing anymore.' This was his only comfort because her knitted eyebrows and hands fisted in the blankets said that while she was asleep, it wasn't very restful.

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Sadie stirred under the thin blanket. A cool cloth was wiping her fevered forehead. The contrast in temperature soothed her aching head. She sluggishly opened her eyes to the sight of her best friend beside her.

"Hey there." Tsubaki greeted quietly. The red-head smiled down at Sadie with worry still shining in her eyes.

Sadie groaned, "Stop fretting." She closed her eyes and rolled onto her back. "How long?"

"Two days, well I suppose not really a full two days yet." answered Tsubaki.

Sadie nodded slightly, "That's not too bad considering." A flash of movement drew her eye back to her friend. The medic sat there frowning with her arms crossed. "What?" asked Sadie taken aback the aggressive reaction.

"Not that bad!?" shrilled the red-head.

Sadie flinched, 'Hell, here it comes.' she steeled herself for the oncoming lecture.

"For once I'm not mad at you. It's all that stupid hot head's fault!"

Sadie pushed herself up on her elbows and looked at her friend. "Who? Ace?" She couldn't believe that Tsubaki would blame Ace for something that was clearly her own damn fault.

"Yes, Ace" she hissed venomously, "If he hadn't been so ridiculously pig-headed, then you wouldn't have had to go to that place at all!"

Sadie sat up further fighting the heaviness in her limbs as she moved. "No, no, no. This is my fault. Don't put this on Ace."

Tsubaki's face morphed instantly, "Lie back down." the doctor pushed her patient back into bed.

Sadie's lips were turned down as she complied. "I am responsible for my own actions."

"Yea, yea." Nodded Tsubaki as if she was just playing at agreement.

"What is wrong with you?"

The red-head snapped. "Oh I don't know. How about the fact that my best friend left without even telling me. And then, she radios back that she used the worst weapon in her arsenal. And if that wasn't enough, the people she rescued didn't even take care of her afterwards!" Tsubaki was shaking in her anger.

Sadie paused a moment as she let her friend's words sink in. "It is still my fault. If I had been smarter, or more aware, we could have avoided it. Furthermore, I played it off. I hid it from them. So please, don't blame Ace and the others." Sadie had lowered her eyes near the end. She couldn't bear to maintain eye contact with the inferno burning in Tsubaki's green eyes.

Tsubaki leaned back with a huff. "And what pray tell was so important, that you hid your condition and lied to everyone."

Sadie turned her back to Tusbaki. 'Might as well get this over with.' The patient sighed, "I could say it was because I was making Luffy a priority. I knew if I started drinking water, I would vomit mud all over the place and that could have contaminated Luffy's wound. However," Here Sadie paused again, she wanted to get her words right, "I wanted to be strong. I didn't want the others to think less of me. I guess it really is stupid, but I was embarrassed."

There was silence in the infirmary, so the sound of shuffling feet fading across the wood was louder than normal. Sadie knew it was her uncle. That crazy old man was the only one who would sit outside the door like that. Neither of them spoke for a long time and eventually Sadie needed to turn in order to read her friend's face. She lowered her shoulder and turned her head right into the painful flick of an index finger.

Tsubaki had a smirk on her face as Sadie looked shocked at the small attack. "Idiot." the red-head teased lightly.

Sadie's smile was quick to respond. "Thanks."

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Several hours later, Tsubaki had talked Sadie into visiting the party on the island briefly. She really didn't want to, but Tsubaki insisted that they go grab an early dinner. The only reason Sadie agreed at all was because she made her pushy friend promise that they would eat quickly and then return to the Camelo.

Sadie changed into her traditional tank top and blue jeans. It felt glorious to be able to show off her father's mark again. It felt like an eternity that she had hidden it under her dark clothing. As soon as she was finished, Tsubaki dragged her to a boat and the two women made their way toward the ruckus on the beach.

Unfortunately for the reserved girl, there is no such thing as quiet when the Whitebeard pirates party and Luffy doesn't exactly do quiet either. With the two forces together, the girls' appearance on the island was just shy of a celebrity appearance.

Luffy threw sand up in a blazing trail behind him as he zoomed over. "Nee-chan!" The rubber pirate wrapped himself around her in an excessive hug. "I was afraid that I wouldn't get to see you before I left!"

"You're leaving?" asked Sadie confused. She tilted her head to the side as she stared down at the impossibly placed head by her breasts. "You just got here. Stay for a while." It wasn't that she had grown fond of him or anything. That would be a truth she couldn't admit. It was simply, that he should spend more time with his big brother.

"I can't. I need to go take care of my crew. Rayleigh-san is here and he has agreed to help me.

Sadie looked up and saw that inside a little cove up the shoreline stood the legend Silvers Rayleigh. His hands were on his hips and he smiled genuinely over at the trio. 'Seriously?! The Dark King?! Is there anyone who won't help out this fool of a pirate captain?' This simply reconfirmed Sadie's earlier suspicions that Luffy was blessed with some sort of supernatural good luck.

"Sadie." rumbled a deep voice.

Luffy got down with a small hop and adjusted his trademark hat. Sadie looked over to Jimbe. He had changed into a new royal blue kimono with clam shells printed across the fabric. "Hi Jimbe." she gave a little smile.

Jimbe's face beamed down at her, "I'm glad you are awake. We have been pestering poor Tsubaki-chan about your condition all day.

"Ha!" the doctor mocked, "More like harassing." However, the woman smiled affectionately at the men.

Sadie blushed at the attention.

"So, you are really leaving?" Sadie asked Luffy.

The young man grinned and nodded his head yes, "Unn!"

"I'm going to go with them." Jimbe added.

"Oh," Sadie looked at her feet before back up at her master and friend. "I understand. Take care Jimbe." She offered him a small smile.

However, the old fishman was not satisfied with just that and pulled her into a bracing hug that lifted her right up off the beach. Sadie was really disappointed. It was like she woke up just in time for everyone to leave. However, these were not good-byes. These were until next times.

As Luffy and Jimbe walked away, Luffy turned around to walk backward to call out, "Thanks for everything Nee-chan!" Sadie just laughed quietly to herself. Straw-Hat Luffy was truly a character she would never forget.

The water-user watched as Silvers Rayleigh, Jimbe and Luffy sailed off in a small boat. If he hadn't been with such infamously strong men, she might have worried about the young rubber pirate that she had begrudgingly friended.

"Ace!" Luffy called out from his boat with a wave, "I will become King of the Pirates!"

Ace laughed heartily as he waved good-bye to his younger brother. The second commander's laughter drew Sadie's attention. The man stood with his back to her completely focused on the retreating ship that bore his kid brother. 'Turnabout fair play Portgas D. Ace.' Sadie smirked as she spied the firecrackers in a crate by a nearby table.

Tsubaki watched her friend in open curiosity as Sadie walked over and picked up a string of the small fireworks. Sadie looked around before approaching the closest group and getting a match. She struck one into ignition and lit the fuse. The prankster's eyes narrowed as she watched the fuse burn. Timing would be crucial. At just the right moment, Sadie threw the firecracker at the head of the unsuspecting Ace. The pops and sparks that exploded by his ear sent him flying into the air. He whipped around to identify the source only to receive a waterfall of water in the face.

The entire crew laughed loudly. Even Luffy had seen the prank from his now distant boat. The younger pirate's laughter was carried on the wind to the party. Ace blinked dumbfounded for a few second before he saw the superior grin on a certain water-user's face. He opened his mouth to verbally retaliate, but she beat him to it.

"Welcome home." Sadie smiled.

The crew descended upon them both in waves of cheers. Their family was whole again. To the Whitebeard crew there was nothing better than family. Ace smiled to himself, it was good to be home.

The End

AN: And with that, the adventure that never was has ended. I hope that you enjoyed my musings and I am very thankful for those of you who have stuck with me throughout this story. I have decided to write another story that follows Ace, Sadie and the other Whitebeard Pirates titled, "Evaporation of the Heart." It starts with the Sadie's flashback to Ace's party, but will also continue past Impel Down as well.

This is the first story that I have completed, so I would appreciate your feedback. If you have the time please review! Thanks again!