An entire group of Japanese girls came by and I got to play tour guide (it was awesome). They called me Kawaii more times than I can count and I'm way taller than them. Anyways I promise there is a very good reason this chapter is a month and a half late. Thank you so much for your comments they made me so happy. Please forgive me for the lateness. (Wasn't it cute how I thought I would update every week)

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Luffy stared bored up at the clock wishing for the class to be over. Right now he had a pounding headache that was making black spots dance in the corners of his vision. Needless to say Tech was not happy with him. His gaze turned towards the door wishing he could leave already. Not that he was the best student in the first place but right now it was only adding to his pain. His ribs felt like they were going to slide out of place at any second. Besides him Chopper threw him a concerned look which he brushed off with a smile. Chopper worried too much. As he returned his blank stare to the open doorway something unexpected happened. The fire alarm rang.

Luffy sat up suddenly a lot more interested in his surroundings. Was it just an alarm or something else?

"We're going to die!" Chopper screamed dramatically making Luffy laugh. Students fled the classroom all around them.

"Why are you just standing there? We need to go." Chopper said dramatically hopping up and down on his feet.

"We'll be okay." He promised getting to his feet and making his way to follow the panicked students.

"That's what you always say." Chopper argued taking his arm and pulling his quicker through the mass of students.

"We have a fire drill every month." He argued sniffing the air for any smoke. Luffy always liked them because they gave him a chance to talk to his friends and they cut into class time.

Once the two of them made it outside they quickly spotted their friends. It was always pretty easy to find them considering there weren't many students with green or blue hair. When the two of them walked up Zoro and Sanji were already fighting.

"What going on?" Chopper asked innocently seeing the worried looks on Vivi's face.

"I don't think this was a fire drill. Someone pulled the alarm on purpose."

Usopp laughed, "So what's the big deal? It happens all the time right?"

"Yeah but not every time the military show up." Nami said pointing to the group of men talking near the school doors.

Just as Luffy was about to reply something caught his attention. A blur of black and blond hair heading back into the school. It was only a flash untile it was gone but that was enough.

He vaguely heard his friends cry's as he began sprinting back to the school.

"Luffy, where are you going bro?" Franky questioned drawing the curious looks of a few nearby students.

Still he didn't turn around. Not at his friends cries of at the cries of the teachers as they yelled at him when he ran back into the school. It was loud, almost too loud to think inside. All around him the lights were flashing threateningly. It was only a drill, so why couldn't they just turn them off? He glanced desperately wondering which way to go.

It was just his head making up things. He was crazy, he was delusional. He missed them so much his mind was making up ways to cope. So why was he getting his hopes up? Still he continued to run down the hallway. Every time he moved his injuries protested making his vision hazy. It was growing harder and harder to breath.

After another few minutes of searching he leaned up against a wall to catch his breath. He was being stupid… again. There was nobody here. It was just him, alone in this abandoned building. He didn't know why but the thought made him sad. He should just go back to his friends.

Using the wall for support he began to limp back up the hallway. He was almost at the top when he heard voices. Luffy cocked his head carefully listening. It sounded like they were coming from the choir hallway.

Not giving himself time to recover he began sprinting back that way. His vision blurred threateningly but he ignored it. As his breathing became laughed and his feet became heavier he failed to notice the flight of stairs until it was too late.

Like all things in his life Luffy went down them head first, banging into every step along the way. He lay at the bottom gasping as new bruises formed on top of the old ones.

The last thing he saw before passing out was a tan black haired man walking towards him. His vision was too blurry to see properly but he heard concern in his voice.

"Luffy? Luffy are you alright?"

He smiled lazily as his eyes slid closed. "S'm fine Ace."

XXX

It was a dream. Luffy knew that much. He was a few months away from his fourth birthday. He was sitting on the counter of Makino's bar in Fushura village. That was the town he was born in. He lived there in an orphanage until he was moved to Dadan's house. At first it was very lonely and he had no one to talk to. But that's when he met Makino and the Red Hair Pirates. After that everyday had been an adventure.

He talked to Shanks openly, completely unaware of the tragedy that was about to befall them. Whatever he said caused the man to laugh loudly which in term had Luffy yelling at the man not to make fun of him.

"Do you really have to leave?" He asked saddened. He didn't want to be alone again. Not now that he had finally found friends.

"You know I do kiddo and before you even start NO, you can't come with me."

"But why?"

Shanks smile softened as he looked at Luffy carefully.

"It's too dangerous Luffy, you could die. Besides." He paused for a few seconds. "I know you won't understand this yet but you will be missing out on a lot of really important things."

"Like what?" Luffy challenged him.

Shanks shook his head the cocky grin was back. "Meeting friends, finding a family, people that are important to you."

"That's never going to happen." Luffy deadpanned.

To his surprise the man didn't laugh instead he ruffled his spikey black hair. "That is something you will have to determine for yourself. But I can promise you this Luffy. No one was born to be alone. Somewhere out there people are waiting for a friend, just like you."

That was the day shanks had given him his hat. After that Luffy no longer protested Shanks leaving him behind. Although he didn't believe what Shanks had told him he loved him too much to argue any further.

It was three days after that Shanks and his crew had left the town.

It was a week later that the news of their deaths reached the town.

And in that moment he thought his life ended.

XXX

When Luffy woke up again sun was streaming lazily through the window. Things looked much clearer now and his bruises didn't hurt as much anymore. He was also a little more rational now. He pulled himself to a sitting position looking around. He was laying on a couch in someone's living room. He stood up looking around curiously. This apartment looked familiar, he was sure he had been here before.

"Mugiwara?"

Luffy's face broke into a grin as he turned to face law.

"Traffy! What are you doing here?"

Law frowned in a mixture or irritation and amusement.

"What am I doing in my apartment?"

That was why it looked so familiar, he had been here a few times before. The better question was what he was doing in Laws apartment.

Law laughed at the confusion on his face and leaned against the wall readily filling in some gaps.

"Let's just say I think I knew who pulled the fire alarm, I was in the midst of looking for them when you belly flopped a flight of stairs. Then you started sprouting nonsense and passed out. I treated your injuries…again." Law sighed. If he got payed to heal Luffy he would be rich.

Luffy smiled softly as his fears were confirmed. "He hadn't seen anything, it was just Law. He really was going crazy." It was better not to dwell on the past.

"Want to play cards?"

He had to keep smiling.

XXX

(Back at school)

(About the same time Luffy fell down a flight of stairs)

(It is a little funny when you think about it)

Ace sighed in frustration as he and Sabo exited the school once again. It was just their luck to get a stupid fire drill at that very moment. Karma was a bitch, and apparently also held grudges.

"It will be okay." Sabo told him reassuringly. "We will find him tomorrow. He promised as they watched as the students trickled away. Because of the 'mysterious circumstances' of the alarm school was cancelled for the rest of the day. The whole thing didn't sit right with Ace but he figured there were bigger things to worry about now.

Just when he was about to agree Ace froze. He watched the green haired boy from this morning get into his jeep. Ace grabbed his brother's arm and pulled him into the parking lot, directly in the way of the jeep.

The green haired boy frowned but turned his motor off as Ace walked up to his window.

"We need to talk."

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So School starts tomorrow so I really don't have time to spell check this. I'm am so sorry world. But I really want to get it up tonight. Also there are probably many continuity issues because keeping track of my own train of thought is really hard. If the characters were out of character I am sorry, I am a little out of the mindset. Still I hope you liked it. I know I've been saying this for a while but next chapter they will reunite. I mean it's a small town there's only so long I can delay it. (Most because I don't know how to write it.) Chapter 13 won't take as long I promise. Thank you so much for your support.