Haha so I owe you another apology to go along with the other one. This Fanfic is supposed to be updated once week and lately it's been like once every month. I promise I will update more regularly once I quit my job (this is my last week). But since school started they have me work nearly full time. I work Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But last weekend I got to go to NDK it's a huge anime con in Denver and Ace's voice actor was there! But beside that I haven't had a day off since school started. (Sorry I am going off on a tangent) But long story short I have over 90 followers and I don't know how to thank you enough.

.

"Wait say that again?" Sabo asked from the passenger seat of Zoro's truck. He grabbed the dashboard to keep from hitting the windshield as they screeched to a stop. Ace grabbed his seat belt as he smacked into Sabo's seat in front of him. Zoro wasn't exactly bad at driving, but he definitely wasn't gentle. He reminded Ace of his own driving style. Purposeful and efficient.

Currently the three of them were in Zoro's car looking for Luffy. It was established pretty quickly that he wasn't at school. Zoro however had believed them instantly with a look on his face that Ace couldn't quite place. He had instantly agreed to help them find their little brother. Still he had called all of Luffy's friends and none of them knew where he was, so Zoro decided their best bet was to check at Luffy's foster home.

"I said that his foster parent is a dick." Zoro said louder this time as the wind whipped around them in the open roofed jeep.

Ace frowned lightly, that definitely was not what he had said the first time, but then again he was probably paraphrasing.

"He and Luffy don't really get along?" Zoro said simply his hands tightening on the steering wheel.

"So why did you believe us so quickly?" Sabo asked curiously from his spot in shotgun. "Did Luffy tell you?"

Zoro laughed lightly. "Yea," but only once. It was back when we first met. Zoro trailed off slowly as if he was contemplating how much he should tell them. "He hasn't really said anything since then but I know he misses you both like crazy. When he first got here he tried to make a break for it every day." Zoro laughed at the memory and Ace's lips twitched upwards. That definitely sounded like their Luffy. He was nothing if not persistent.

"What's your relationship?" Sabo asked innocently as the jeep began to pick up speed. Ace relaxed a little but still refused to take his hand off his seatbelt. Zoro was clearly in a hurry to reach Luffy. He knew information gathering was Sabo's job just honestly at the moment he didn't care. Zoro could have answered gay lovers and he wouldn't have batted an eye.

Instead however Zoro laughed. "Well it's interesting."

Four years ago he would have answered worst enemies. But now he didn't really even know. They weren't really best friends, Luffy and Usopp acted more like best friends did then he did. It really varied. Sometimes Zoro would swear they were a married couple, other time it felt like Luffy was his little brother, but more often than anything it felt like he was family (more than his alcoholic father at least). But that was sort of the thing with Luffy, you couldn't really use words to describe it.

"I guess were good friends." Zoro finished lamely. If they wanted a better answer they could just ask Luffy when they found him.

Ace watched as the jeep pulled up to a rundown apartment building. Zoro scanned the parking lot of the complex with a slight frown.

"It doesn't look like Teach is here right now but I have no idea if any of his lackeys are in the apartment either."

Ace opened his mouth to ask what he was talking about but closed it quickly when Zoro unbuckled his seatbelt and slid down from the driver's seat.

The two of them followed him silently as they walked up the back step onto the second floor of the apartment complex. Luffy apparently lived in the corner one with the cracked window.

Ace almost laughed out loud when Zoro went straight to the kitchen window and slid it open motioning to the two of them to climb in. It appeared somethings never changed and Luffy sneaking in through the kitchen was one of them.

Still Zoro looked pretty tense and Ace could guess by the messy state of the house it wasn't exactly the funnest place to live in. Still no place the three of them had ever lived had been child friendly.

Zoro crawled through the window first quickly followed by Sabo and then Ace. They stood dejectedly in the kitchen as Zoro glanced around quickly making sure the coast was clear.

"I think one of his lackeys is in the guest room but he's sleeping so it shouldn't be a problem." Zoro promised in a whisper and they followed him down the narrow hallways to a beaten door.

It still felt a little surreal to him. He could hardly believe after all these years he was standing next to Sabo in Luffy's house. A very messy house at that. Empty beer bottles littered the floor along with dirty clothes and trash. Still it was nothing they hadn't seen before. At Dadans house it was sort of the same situation.

Ace felt his breath catch in his throat as Zoro opened the door revealing the room. He felt Sabo grab his arm in disappointment as a quick scan of the room showed that it was empty. Disappointment clouded his chest as he stared around the tiny room. It was a little messy although better than the rest of the house. To Ace it honestly looked more like a closet then a room. Luffy's clothes were strewn around.

Zoro sighed defeated clearly not having a backup plan. "Come on, lets go meet up with the others and see if they found anything."

Ace was a little reluctant to leave the room after not seeing his little brother in so long but seeing the real thing would be so much better than an empty room. And they were so close, he knew it. He began to follow Zoro but stopped abruptly when he realized Sabo wasn't following.

"What are you doing?" Ace asked curiously crossing the tiny room to stand by his brother. Wordlessly Sabo handed him the pictures in his hand.

Ace's look of confusion quickly turned to wonder as he stared at the pictures. Three of them to be precise, in fact the entire far wall of his room was covered in them.

The first was the little brother Ace remembered, smiling brightly as always. A younger version of Zoro was beside him. They were both covered in scrapes and dirt but they looked happy.

The second Luffy looked slightly older, still wearing his favored cap he was sleeping next to a big group of teenagers, some of who Ace recognized from school today. There looked to be about ten of them all strewn out across a living room much nicer then this apartment's. The orange haired girl was carefully leaning over the blond haired male marker in hand as she drew on his face. All the other kids had some form of marker print as well. Luffy was sporting a pair of whiskers. Zoro had a drawn on eye patch along with a black marker beard. The littlest member among them looked like a reindeer with his little black marker nose. All of them looked incredibly peaceful. Except the girl of course, she looked amazingly serious despite the situation.

Finally was a picture of Luffy that looked much more recent. He looked exactly like he had today. The ever present smile still plastered across his face as he grinned from his perch on the blue haired boys shoulders. He was piggybacking in his typical Luffy fashion as the two of them made faces at the camera.

Lost in thought the sound of Zoro's ring tone made him jump as the green haired teen hurried to silence it before the sleeping outlaw woke up. His face quickly broke into a smile as he held up his phone. He had received a single text message from someone called Dr. Law M.D.

:

Minor medical emergency Zoro, don't turn the town upside down looking for him, you are so very impulsive, (Although you might want to monitor his physical state closer next time) He fell down a flight of stairs. It might be best if he stays with me tonight just so I can keep an eye on him. Either way call me when you get this.

Sabo grabbed the phone from Zoro re reading the text before Zoro could send the insult he prepared.

"Is this another one of your friends?" Ace asked.

Zoro groaned lightly and shook his head, "No more like one of Luffy's friends. He's not exactly the most sociable person but he is definitely good at what he does. Although if he is involved, Luffy's probably in a bit of trouble.

"Let's go." Sabo said brushing passed Zoro into the hallway.

.

Please don't kill me for not reuniting them in this chapter either. Seriously I know I keep saying this but it will definitely be next chapter. I swear I'm not putting it off, it's not the climax of the story it's just another story point. The climax is going to be much more climax'y ( yes that's a word) next update should come soon considering for the first time in a month I have three days off after school ends this week! Super excited. Anyway please review and read. Thank you so much for sticking with me.