Hello again! I am back with a continuation of The Woods! Chapter 14 and onwards is Part 2 which occurs before the time skip. This chapter is post-Alabasta arc.

I will give everyone (who reads author notes) a fair warning: there are a few additions to Law's crew. These are not in anyway major characters but were included to further the plot of Part 2, also for two other reasons:

1) How can a badass guy like Law not have more useful crew members? Bepo is great but we need more badassery for this Law who must compete with his little brothers.

2) Diversity. Oda's just gotten fudging lazy in writing women and what happened to the different skin tones from the earlier seasons?

Again (I must repeat this since some people hate the existence of OCs), they are not major characters and their backstories will not be flushed out.

Now that the warning is out … moving on! Thank you to everyone who took the time to leave a review. Pleasant words or constructive feedback I very much appreciate in equally measures. Thank you glassbaubles, Hellfire000, Blackthorn Ashe, Mel72000, Sesshomarusama3, Lunapok, Phantom Trainer, SilverLunaMoon, Natsuyuuki, Jelly Babes 101, ScarletRoofs, The Richmaster, RockingTheGraveyard, sarge 1130, NightFlowerLuv, CherepMikhailov, surgeonlaw, Yonkonkaroo Amora, YokaiAngel, Gyuchin, Diclonious57, IdioticLaptopUser, Akumaltelios9, SansTheLanguage218, BiancaGracePotterEverdeen, Meilinfan, SomebodyLost, Alsheon and 3 Guests! I apologize that I don't have much time to respond to everyone's reviews. Life happens. Please know I appreciate you!

Chapter 14

Part 2: In Which There are Insufferable Brothers

Ace jerked awake and sat up. The food left on his plate looked a little squished in a shape that suspiciously resembled his face. He rubbed a hand over his face and wiped off a large chunk of mashed potatoes and a smear of sauce. His napkin wasn't where he thought it was and he lifted his plate to see where it could've gone. A tanned, tattooed hand appeared in his vision with a clean napkin being offered to him.

"Ah, thank you very much," Ace gratefully cleaned off the glob of sauce and other crumbs on his face. The crowd in the bar were quiet and nervous. A woman shuffled her chair further away from Ace's table and ducked her head. As a well-known member of the Whitebeard Pirates, on average people gave him a lot of space and respect. But this was beyond the normal level of fear he was familiar with causing.

Ace turned to the person who had helped him out. "Thanks for the napkin -"

He blinked. The words he was about to use vanished and left his mouth hanging open because sitting beside him was the last person he expected to see. Relaxed in the bar chair was a tall, lanky man with a fuzzy spotted white hat. He wore jeans and a yellow hoodie with a jolly roger smiling from the front. But what Ace recognized besides the hat was the man's face. It was narrower and slimmer compared to the last time they saw each other, with a neatly trimmed goatee. The light caramel skin was free of any white patches and instead marked with black ink such as DEATH spelt across each finger of his left hand. Dark bags under his eyes made those sharp silver eyes stand out even brighter and no one could mistake that insufferable smirk.

"Long time no see, Ace-ya," Trafalgar Law smirked.

"You!" Years of manners practice and memorization flew out the window when he lost it and pointed his finger in the older man's face. Civilians around them screamed and scrambled from the bar in a stampede, leaving only the braver and stupidly curious ones behind. The logia Devil Fruit user completely missed the exodus from the bar as he zeroed in on the unexpected presence in front of him.

Unsure how to react, his mouth opened and closed. Should he yell like his younger self would have done because Law was an insufferable jerk? Except Ace could acknowledge he was a jerk too so that would be hypocritical. Should he smile since Law was his not-adopted brother who he hadn't seen in a decade because the man was an insufferable martyr? Except he was rather mad because Law martyred himself more like a hero than a pirate. Either way, the guy was insufferable.

He kind of liked the latter option for some bizarre reason.

"Law!" With an obnoxious bellow, Ace reached out and wrapped his arm around the older man's shoulders. He pulled the man into an awkward hug and ignored Law's disgruntled squawk. "I haven't seen you in years, you arrogant bastard! One letter a year? You trying to piss me off?"

A hand pressed against Ace's face and forcefully pushed him away. Law scowled and fixed his hoodie. "I sent a letter every few months. It's not my fault if mail disappears between North Blue and East Blue."

"I was constantly reminding Luffy of that. The kid collected your letters like some sort of treasure. I had to use them to teach him reading cause he got bored with everything else." Ace's lips curved upward at the memories and Law seemed rather thrown by the admission. "I think he collected his own letters to give you. Fair warning, they're illegible and almost only doodles."

Law's smirk was a little softer and fonder. "I'll prepare my acceptance face."

Ace slapped a hand on the man's shoulder and waved a hand to get the bartender's attention. The stunned middle-aged man jerked out of his stupor at the movement. "A beer and some food for my brother. No bread, right? No bread!"

While the bartender prepared a meal for another infamous pirate with shaking hands, the other patrons began to relax at the friendly atmosphere. They no doubt expected a fight to break out between the Whitebeard Commander and the rookie phenomenon from North Blue. But a comfortable ambience settled over the bar as the men preferred a friendly chat.

"So, I gotta admit that when I set out to become a pirate, I thought you would've already been on the seas with your jolly roger." Ace chewed and swallowed a large piece of well-done steak. "What have you been doing all this time?"

Law shot the other man a deadpanned look as the bartender hesitated then placed a bread-free meal and a tankard of the local beer in front of him. "Do you realize how many years of studying becoming a surgeon takes? I can't just learn surgery from books. I need to apprentice with the best."

"Oh yeah, your nickname is 'Surgeon of Death'. Do you realize how creepy that is? Nice method of inspiring fear considering how many people hate doctors. So you're an actual surgeon?"

"Of course."

"What's the difference between being a doctor and a surgeon as a pirate? It's not like you need qualifications."

Law daintily picked at food, pushing it around like the picky eater Ace remembered. "Besides being a doctor, I also specialize in cutting people open and fixing their insides. If I engaged in improper training or self-training, a disaster may occur should a situation require me to do surgery on my crew members. As captain it is my duty to keep my crew safe and healthy. Utilizing my knowledge enhance my Devil Fruit ability to swap body parts and rearrange intestines is a side-benefit."

Ace leaned a little away from the man. "Ugh, that sounds exactly like something you'd enjoy studying. I remember your creepy power."

"You are correcting in saying I find great pleasure fiddling with people's internal organs and external limbs. However, I also take great pride in my ability as a surgeon and it would be a failure on my part if I were incapable of saving a patient." Law swallowed a sip of beer, his lips twisted at the flavour on his tongue. "Not nearly up to North Blue's standards."

"I don't know, it's pretty good." Ace drained his own tankard and leaned back in his seat. Empty plates and empty glasses. He felt full and happy. "I've never been to North Blue though, so I can't compare."

"So far nothing on the Grand Line compares in taste or quality to North Blue's beer." Law swirled his amber liquid. "I keep telling myself it's not their fault they are ignorant to superior quality."

Ace considered stealing the older man's beer but decided he liked his hand attached to his arm. Instead he drummed his fingers on the table before asking a question he'd been thinking about should they ever cross paths. "So, you're a pretty good surgeon. Is there any way you'd be willing to make a house call?"

"If you're referring to Whitebeard's known health issues then no."

Ace frowned and slammed his hand on the table making all the others in the bar jump in fear. "Why the hell not?"

Law's glare was just as deadly as when he was a teen. The hatred and rage had vanished but those steel gray eyes were piercing. "News through the grapevine said you had joined Whitebeard's crew, much to my disbelief. I will sugarcoat nothing for you considering you're an adult. From what I've heard about his condition, he'll need a miracle. Old age isn't a disease, it's a chronic, deadly condition."

"But you're a surgeon. What about an organ transplant? His kidneys and liver are really bad but our doctor thinks he'll get better with new ones -"

Law held up his hand to stop Ace right there. "Do you believe a new kidney will satisfy Whitebeard?"

Ace opened his mouth to reply because what else could his adopted father possibly want from Law other than his skills as a doctor. But then remembered years back when they tried to protect Law from a pirate disguised as a marine who wanted him for the Devil Fruit he ate because it could grant eternal youth.

"Everything comes at a price. Immortality at the cost of the User's life."

Naturally, Ace wanted to defend Whitebeard. Sure, the man was ambitious. Out of everyone alive he was the closest to becoming Pirate King. But at 72 years old and in declining health, his life's dream was slipping further away. Ace liked to think the man wouldn't force his semi-reluctant adopted brother to perform a self-sacrificing technique to live forever. But he couldn't be 100 percent. Even worse were some of his crewmates whose lives revolved around their captain for decades and feared what would happen should the man die.

"Oh… not sure, to be honest."

"Desperation will drive people to actions they never considered previously. I'm not willing to take that chance."

Ace swallowed his disappointment at the logical argument. This wasn't a fight he would win. Law had survived so long by being cautious and no one could expect the stubborn bastard to change. "That's fair."

Law scraped the last of his mashed potatoes and pushed the last half of the steak away. Ace snatched the red meat and shoved it in his mouth like a walking, talking garbage disposal. The doctor leaned back and crossed his arms. His calculating eyes were still unnerving in their stare.

"So why the Whitebeard Pirates? I never saw you as someone who takes orders well."

"Neither did I," Ace shrugged and tried to put his feelings into words. "Just - I guess… I don't know. The Whitebeard Pirates are a brotherhood and I felt at home. I never had a father before and Ojisan wanted me to be his son. It's like a family."

"I was unaware you were searching for a family."

"It never occurred to me that it was something I wanted until the opportunity came about. Luffy was there, and you too I guess, but I suppose I was looking for something more. I suppose that's not something you're looking for?"

"When I was a child, I had a father and a mother who I loved and they loved me back. I have no desire to replace them." Law drummed his long fingers on the table. Thin eyebrows furrowed in thought. "Did you have a fight with Sabo-ya?"

Ace felt the blood drain from his face. "What?"

"You haven't even mentioned him. When talking, you included me as a brother but not Sabo-ya which is bizarre as you and I never got along." Law's eyes narrowed and Ace rubbed his sweaty hands together. "What happened?"

"Shit, you don't know. Of course you don't know. It's not like we could tell you." The Flame-Flame user grabbed Law's forgotten tankard of half-finished beer and drained it. Ace wiped at his mouth and sighed. "Soon after you left, Sabo's parents came and dragged him back. He didn't want to stay and set sail to start his journey as a pirate. But a Celestial Dragon sank his ship before he even left port. He's dead."

Law tipped his hat down to cover his eyes in shadow. "I'm sorry to hear that. He was a good person."

"He admired you," was all Ace said in response.

The doctor nodded. "I respected him."

The pair sat in silence, lost in thought over a fallen brother. Ace pulled himself out of his dark thoughts and searched for something to say. His dark eyes landed on Law's ever-present hat and a thought occurred to him.

"So where's Bepo?"

The polar bear, always one step behind Law back in East Blue, was conspicuously absent once Ace thought about him. And no one in the bar looked to be part of the doctor's crew.

Law glanced at the clock. "He'll be here any second. He was gathering supplies with the rest of the crew."

"You left your crew to do your dirty work?"

"I heard Fire Fist Ace was in town and couldn't resist."

As if mentioning him was a summon, a large white bear in an orange jumpsuit walked into the bar followed by two men in grease-stained white mechanic uniforms and a woman dressed in leather and armor. It was like the start of a bad joke. A narcoleptic, an insomniac, and a bear walk into the bar…

Bepo blinked at him from over Law's shoulder.

"Hey, Bepo!" Ace grinned at the soft looking bear. "You're so much bigger than the last time I saw you."

"You smell like charcoaled meat now," Bepo sniffed again and sneezed. Ace blinked at the extended vocabulary the bear exhibited.

"What?" The redhead with sunglasses and a teal hat crossed his arms. "You never said you knew Fire Fist Ace!"

"Kind of important to know." The other man with 'penguin' on his hat slapped his hand on his face.

"Sorry." Immediately Bepo slumped over in depression. The girl with pale blond hair and dressed in leather patted the bear on his back.

"Ha! Looks like you're doing fine." Ace stood up and rubbed Bepo's ear. It was just as soft as he remembered.

Law jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the newcomers. "These guys are some of my crew."

"I'm Penguin. I'm the Captain's medical assistant." The man with 'penguin' on his hat waved. What an unfortunate name but since Law's best friend was a polar bear, it kind of made sense. He then introduced the others with a wave of his hand. "You know Bepo who's the navigator. Over here is Sachi. He's the head mechanic. That's Brenna. She's like our sleep therapist."

"Nice to meet you." Ace stood and bowed as he found his manners again. "I'm Portgas D. Ace. I spent some time of my childhood with Law. We're sort of brothers."

"Oh! So this is one of the famous brothers the Captain grumbles about," Sachi snickered.

"You're much politer than the barbarians we heard about," Brenna sat with her back stiff in another chair around the table and tossed her long hair behind her shoulders.

Ace laughed and punched his adopted brother in the shoulder in his good humour. "We were rather barbaric. Fair warning, I saw Luffy a few weeks ago, and he hasn't changed at all."

"He has quite the impressive bounty." Law scowled and rubbed at his shoulder.

"His crew's really interesting too. They're a real mix of characters but only one member has a bounty."

"The pirate hunter, right?"

Ace leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. "Yeah, Roronoa Zoro. He's a strong fighter. I think all of his crew will be strong." He glanced at the quiet blond sitting straight in her seat like an upper-class woman surrounded by a horde of idiots. "If I can be honest, you don't look like the fighter type. Especially not someone who'd join this jerk."

Her dark blue eyes were unmoved by his frankness. She tilted her head to the side, loose intricate braids swayed with the movement. "I have a Devil Fruit that can incapacitate people for short periods of time."

Ace tried to think of her wanted poster but couldn't remember if he looked at it. "What Devil Fruit do you have?"

She picked up the discarded steak knife and slammed it down onto her other hand. Blood spurted everywhere, and Ace startled at the surprising force of violence she inflicted on herself. The red liquid spread across the wooden table and she raised the knife again. The other men remained unmoved.

"Holy shit! What're you doing?" Ace jumped to his feet.

There was a snap of fingers and the scene changed. Her hand was smooth and free of wounds or blood although still calloused and scarred. Not a fleck of fresh blood stained the table although last he saw there was a rather large puddle.

She twirled the knife in her hand and ignored Sachi's snickering. "I ate a paramecia type called the Dream-Dream Fruit. Creating illusions is the foundation of my abilities."

"Just like you to get a strong crew with disturbing imaginations, Law." Ace caught his breath and kept his eyes trained on the pile of gold coins she imagined on the table with a wave of her hand. All pirates were like magpies and couldn't help but admire shiny things. He eased back into his seat and rubbed his eyes. The gold coins had disappeared when he opened them again.

"I couldn't fall behind you two," Law shrugged and adjusted his hat. "A little extra recruitment effort goes a long way."

Sachi snickered and leaned over. Sharp white teeth glinted in the weak lighting. "More like he couldn't resist the challenge."

"Sachi, is the sub loaded with supplies?" Law interrupted, his eyes narrowed in displeasure.

"Yes sir! Captain, sir!" The redhead jokingly saluted.

"All of you go and prepare for departure, I'll follow shortly."

The crew members left with waves and Bepo patted Ace's head in goodbye which Sachi and Penguin subsequently scolded him for. Law tsked and stood up. He picked up the long nodachi that rested against the table and sighed.

"They're a handful."

"They seem fun."

Law glanced around at the almost empty bar. Just the bartender remained, cleaning glasses and avoiding looking in their direction. His slate gray eyes turned back to the logia-user.

"So what is your true purpose, so far from the New World? As one of Whitebeard's commanders I expected you would be close to him."

Ace stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm chasing down a traitor, Marshall D. Teach."

"Blackbeard?" Law's eyes narrowed. "I've heard unsavory things about him."

"They're all true. He stole from the captain and killed the 4th division commander. If you come across him, I suggest you run." Ace offered for his word of advice. "I know Luffy won't ever back down from a fight and Teach is the type of guy who would piss him off. But you have more common sense so I trust you to do the right thing for you and your crew."

"I've survived this long. I have no qualms with running," Law huffed. "But why are you going after him alone if he's so dangerous? I know your Flame-Flame Fruit is a logia type, but doesn't he possess also possess a logia type?"

"I'm one of the strongest in the Whitebeard Pirates so if I can't beat him then I won't drag others down with me."

"Be careful, Ace-ya." Law tossed a decent amount of bills on the table. "Most people don't share your moral code."

"I'll be fine." He walked out the door and enjoyed the warmth of sunlight on his skin. Law followed behind shuffling through a very familiar wallet. "Hey… is that mine?"

"You forgot to pay the nice man for your ridiculous number of meals. I was being kind and helpful. You're broke, by the way." Law tossed the empty wallet back and Ace mournfully sighed at where all his money should have been. "If you weren't such a glutton, you wouldn't have this problem. Go rob a Marine base."

"Fine," Ace put the empty wallet away and looked back at his brother. "Are you heading out now?"

"Yes. The log pose set three hours ago, so the sub should be ready to depart."

"Sub? You mean a submarine?"

"Of course. What else would I mean?"

Honestly, Ace's first thought was of a sub sandwich. But an actual submarine was way cooler. Leave it to Trafalgar Law to get his thin, spider hands on a rare piece of equipment. "You ain't getting rid of me that quick. I must see this submarine of yours!"

"Very well, but I'm not feeding you."

Under the warm sun and a nice breeze, two brothers walked side-by-side to the shore. One brother was tall and lanky, the other was wide-shouldered and freckled. They didn't look anything alike. But they both wore small smiles of comfort and companionship.

So our first few chapters won't have much action. However, for some reason I believe many people reading this fic are just looking for some brotherly moments. I know I am! I didn't start writing because I love action scenes. Let me be clear: action scenes are hard and I don't like writing them.

So I'm bumbling around grad school and working all summer. As much as I adore reading, my writing speed is turtle slow especially when I'm busy with life. I appreciate everyone's kindness and understanding as I try to finish this story and my massive Young Justice story (shameless plug?).

Please fav, follow, or leave a review if you have anything you'd like me to know. If you've noticed a spelling or grammar error somewhere I'd love to know. If you think I'm running off the rails with character or plot, I'm willing to listen. If you'd like a reply, send me a PM or ask your question in a review. If you think I'm nuts and I should change everything, you're about 13 chapters too late!

Anyways, next chapter: Sabo!