I feel better now I guess, closure is a funny thing. Sorry for the long wait Holidays are a busy time. Thank you so much to all my readers seriously I love you guys. Your sweet, smart and super.

So italics is flashback and enjoy.

"A Thousand Years"-Christian Perri (I liked it, don't take the lyrics too literally)

I don't own One Piece only my own characters.

Chapter 14

Ava laid on the cold concrete floor her light breathing was the only sound that emanated from her. Ace's eyes couldn't help but be drawn to her. She looked so peaceful and so completely out of place. All this time together and not once did Ace believe she belonged there. Time moved by slowly, as he continued to watch her.

She lay perfectly still dreaming of what he hoped was a better place. So much was different and yet the same. Locked away from the world and yet the distance between them was almost nonexistent. She slept so close to Ace he almost doubted if Ava remembered he was there. Looking down at her all he wanted to do was talk to her. To see the look on her face as she discovered something new, knowing he provided her with that allowed Ace to feel something unexplainable.

She was so innocent and everything about her drew Ace closer. Ace knew that this was as close to her as he would physically get but perhaps they could be close in a different way. He wanted to know everything about her, share everything with her and give her everything. Looking down all those thoughts came to a halt; his surrounding brought him to reality. He could only give her one thing, his story.

Even if Ava could not hear his words it did not stop him. Ace told her everything. Every detail, every secret and every doubt that belonged to him. All he was out in the open for her to see, if she wished to. His thought ran together from one point to the other never noticing that Ava's eyes had opened. Ava watched him as he continued never interrupting him. His voice brought to her a sense of peace she had never known. When his fears came to her Ava knew that she wanted to bring him that same peace.

"yes"

Looking down Ace realized that Ava was awake and she had been listening to his story. What surprised him the most was that she had answered so quickly to a question that he had struggled with for so long. All he could do was smile, a smile that showed Ava just how much peace she brought to him.

Ava stood frozen no words could describe the rush of emotions she was feeling at that moment. All she knew was that she needed to get closer, close enough to touch. Moving closer and closer to Ace she could hear his voice low almost a whisper and then nothing. No matter how hard Ava tried she heard nothing. His voice was lost in a sea of screams that emanated from Luffy. She paid him no attention completely focused on the sight of Ace lying motionless on the ground.

Finally standing right above him Ava fell to her knees. Using all her strength she turned him over looking at his face he appeared to be sleeping. Lifting her shaky hands Ava placed one on his shoulder pushing him slightly. He did not wake. She tired shaking him, again and again but he remained perfectly still.

Her hands continued to shake, the tremors reaching every part of her body. The constriction in her chest weighting her down to the point where she could no longer breathe. At a loss for air she leaned forward gasping for it as best she could. Water she felt it again this time however it came from her eyes. The damp tears ran down her check landing on Ace's face. Ava's eyes became blurry as she closed them once more. A trembling hand left her chest and was placed on his.

"I'm not going to hurt you."

"My name is Ace."

"You never gave me your name, so I decided on that one. I hope you don't mind."

"Please talk to me."

"Many think so. What about you, do you think I'm a bad person?"

"Don't touch her!"

"… Ava you can stay here as long as you like."

All was silent Ava heard nothing else, nothing else mattered.

All this struggling, all this pain, all this fighting, all for nothing. What did it matter, there was nothing holding her back now. So many questions and none of them mattered. The only question she wanted an answer to would remain that, a question. There was only one person that could answer her, no one else would do. Leaning in close her lips touched his as she spoke. It didn't matter now, even without an answer she would ask anyway.

"Can I stay with you?"

Her voice shaky, a whisper for only Ace to hear. Her eyes held shut one last tear fell from them landing on his smiling face.

"…yes"

The sound of his voice ripped through her like nothing else. Her shaking stopped instantly, doubt was all that came to mind. Ava couldn't trust her hearing opening her eyes. Her vision blurred, she couldn't see that smile. What she felt was his warm hand on her check whipping away a tear she hadn't notice fall. His hand traveled down resting on her neck pulling her closer to him. Bringing his lips to hers.

The world stood still.

So any thing that needs explaining just ask. The whole HOW I think will be better explained next chapter. Comments are welcomed they are so fun to read.

P.S. Ava is around Ace's age.

Thanks for reading.