Author: YAY! NEW CHAPTER FOR BtheM! Hope you guys enjoy it! Thanks for all your favs/follows/reviews! You guys are awesome!
—
" Y-You're alive!" Ace gaped cupping Ai's less pale face in his hand.
" It would appear so." Ai said snuggling against his warmth.
" H-How i-is i-it possible? You were gone just a moment ago." Ace whimpered weakly, stroking her cheek softly. " Is this some sort of trick? Is the Order trying to hurt me more by-"
Ace broke off when Ai pulled him into a passionate kiss. Well, as passionate as she could while her head spun from the dizziness of blood loss. Pulling her closer, he wrapped his arms protectively around her.
The feel over her lips made everything clear to him. The heat of her kiss, the softness and passion that came from her.
This was no trick.
This was his Ai.
His one and only.
" It's you." He whispered pulling back slightly, pressing his forehead against her own. " How?"
" It would appear you've rubbed off on me…and maybe even grown a little on me." Ai said kissing his cheek softly. " I'm far to stubborn to leave you."
" Don't you ever scare me like that again!" He demanded burying his face against her neck and inhaling her precious scent.
When he thought she was gone forever he thought his world had ended. Now that she was back he knew he could handle anything. Taking her small hand into his own he saw the wounded flesh that were left from her silver shackles there. Anger floored through him at the thought of his beautiful Bride being shackled as such.
" Wait…" Sabo said worriedly catching both their attention. " Not to break up this moment but…where's the baby!"
" NO!" Ace said fearfully, placing his hand on Ai's now fully healed, flattened stomach. His hands were trembling at the jagged scars that were now present. " Our son! What happened to him? Where did they take him?"
" Thana…" Ai said weakly causing the image of the pale skinned woman to appear in Ace's mind.
It couldn't be…the woman from his nightmares was actually real.
" Sh-She's here?" He said worriedly. " Did she do this to you?"
" Her and Lucci." Ai said making an angry growl come from her Groom. " We need to find them."
" I'm not letting them have another chance at taking you away from me!" Ace growled. " I almost lost you once, I'm not chance loosing you again!"
" Ace-"
" I will find our son, Ai! Rest assured, as his father, I will find him and bring him home safely to you!" Ace said before sinking his fangs into his wrist once more and allowing her to drink from it. He rested his cheek on-top of her head and stroked her hair gently.
" You may be his father Ace, but I'm his mother!" Ai said pulling back, dragging her tongue lightly over his wound, closing it instantly. " And I'm going to carve out that bitch's intestines and make them into jewelry."
" Ai-"
" The BITCH took my children, Ace, and she's going to do gods only know what with them! She's dead!" Ai snapped standing suddenly and straightening her torn dress.
" Ai, wait!" Ace said quickly.
" Wait…" Sabo said suddenly. " Did you just say children?"
—
" Well, well, well. It would appear that we have another leech whore."
Koala looked up to see an Order Guard smirking down at her. " Oh joy, another brainless Order Servant not even capable of coming up of a good insult." She groaned in annoyance. For real…could they be a little brighter with their insults? She thought, her eyebrow twitching.
" I don't have time for you, so piss off." She snapped continuing forward before catching a familiar scent.
" A-Ai?" She gasped suddenly before she spotted an unfamiliar woman with long black hair adorned with red streaks. She wore a long tightly fitting white gown covered with splotches of blood. In her arms she carried a small bundle wrapped in a bloodied clothe.
" I think not, little leech." Thana sneered in disgust. " I am Thana, the Embodiment of Curses. Don't ever lump me in with the likes of that lifeless whore."
" What did you just say?" Koala growled angrily. Now she understood, Ai's scent came from the blood on the woman's dress.
" Oh my, were you friends with that mouthy corpse?" Thana chuckled. " My charming friend Lucci helped me carve the whore up and I took a little snack from her."
" W-Wa-i-is that-" Koala felt the color drain from her face at the woman's words. " T-That's Ace and Ai's son!"
" Oh my, you leech's really are a bunch of masochistic thinkers." Thana laughed. " You're no better than humans in your quest for only male offspring."
If there were any color left in Koala's face than it would have been replaced with an immense sense of fear. It became worse when she the woman tighten her grip on the bundle and heard a small cry.
" The baby is a girl!" She squeaked at the thought of her friend's worse fear. How in all the heavens did the baby managed to survive this long was beyond her. Maybe it had to do with the blood of Ai's human that helped the baby survive this long.
" Unfortunately for it, yes. If it had been born like its brother then maybe it would have lived a while longer."
" B-Brother!" Koala gasped. TH-THAT MEANS THE BABIES ARE TWINS!
" However, maybe if it was going to live a while longer than I shouldn't have given the brat to Lucci." Thana woman laughed cruelly causing the unseen infant to cry out more.
" What do you plan on doing with the baby!" Koala demand taking a step toward the woman.
" Back down, little leech." Thana smirked. " You best not bear those fangs at me lest you risk losing them."
" Answer the question, damn it!"
" I'm going to eat it." The woman laughed more at the horrified look on the teen's face. " Not until I draw Aviur out. Once he's here I will devour this brat before him and he will finally learn his lesson about picking that human puppet over someone as powerful as I!"
" Who the hell is Aviur?"
" Why am I bothering to explain things to a soon to be corpse?" Thana sighed rubbing her temples. Glancing over the her shoulder to the guard she said. " Why don't you kill the bitch already."
" R-RIGHT AWAY, MILADY!" The guard said quickly pulling his sword from its sheath.
" This brat needs to shut up and accept that its going to be food."
" How can you eat an innocent child!" Koala snapped taking a defensive stance.
" Because they always taste the best." Thana laughed musically. " Newborns are just pure innocence and the most delicious thing I have ever had the pleasure of tasting."
" You disgusting bitch!" Koala gapped as the guard ran to attack her. Dodging him easily, she managed to slam her uninjured fist into his face, knocking him out flat.
" You scoff because you've never tasted such deliciousness." Thana laughed again. " The one you call Ace was once my lover, Aviur, the progenitor of the Vampire race. He and I used to devour children and newborns and then fuck their mother's over their lifeless corpse."
This sick bitch! Koala thought, gagging at what she was describing.
" It wasn't until those meddling bitches of his mother, sisters and brothers got in our way." Thana growled, her nails sinking into the clothe around the babe causing a cry of pain to come from it. " What are you waiting for," She snapped at the guard. " Hurry up and kill the bitch!"
—
" How in the heavens did I manage to lose Zoro already…" Robin sighed as she waded through a sea of slain bodies. She had somehow manage to become separated from her friends during the battle. She knew that they all would be able to handle themselves…however, her Groom was able to become lost quite easily...and she had enough to worry about without worrying about his whereabouts.
" Such a silly male…" She whispered glancing around attempting to figure out where she currently was. The insider had managed to give her a detailed map of the inside of the fortress but this area did not ring any bells.
Sighing calmly, she placed a hand lightly over one of her eyes and she was suddenly able to see throughout the nearest corridors. " Where of where are you, anata…"
Robin paused when she found something she wasn't expecting to find. " Mira-chan!" She gasped in shock. She, Nami and Koala had been worrying ever since they had awoken as to the fate of the small child. Before departing she managed to assure her orange haired friend that she would find the child and bring her home safely.
Managing to mentally map her way to the child and making sure there were no hidden traps along the way she took off.
Something's wrong. Robin thought as she went. This is far too easy. There are virtually no guards present at all!
" Mira-chan?" She said quietly opening the door to reveal the lavender haired child in a sorry state. She was covered head to toe with bruises and cuts. Her clothes were torn and she was trembling something fierce.
" Oh sweetie!" Robin said hurrying towards the child.
" Wobin-nee-chan!" Mira cried suddenly as the woman scooped her into a protective hold.
" It's alright, sweetie! I'm here to take you home!" Robin said rocking her comfortingly.
" Bab peopwe! Huwp Ai-nee-chan!" Mira sobbed. " I wamp Ai-nee-chan!"
" It's alright, sweetie! I'm going to get you home where Ai-chan is!" Robin said making her way towards the door only to pause at the sight of a tall man with short blonde hair and a long rectangular nose. He stared over at them with large empty black eyes framed by three thick eye lashes.
" Robin-san." The man said coldly.
" K-Kaku…" The blue eyed woman said cautiously. " Would it be asking to much of you to leave and possibly forget that you saw us?"
The man called Kaku simply unsheathed one of the swords at his side. " It would appear so…" Robin sighed adjusting Mira in her arms.
In the time it took her to blink Kaku had disappeared and reappeared behind her, ready to bring the sword down upon her.
SCHLING!
" You have wonderful timing as always, Anata." Robin smiled, glancing over her shoulder to see Zoro standing between her and Kaku.
" Take Mira and get out of here." Zoro said placing one of his swords into his mouth.
" Stay safe, Anata…and when you'r finished here, try not to get lost." Robin laughed before taking off with the child in her arms.
" She won't get far." Kaku said calmly. " There are guards everywhere.
" You underestimate her." Zoro said before attacking.
—
Luffy stood over several unconscious bodies of several Order members. He still hadn't been able to make it to that bastard who wanted to kill Ai. He had escaped before Luffy could reach him.
" Bastard." The young wolf cursed. Turning he saw Sandersonia wrapping a cut on Hancock's arm. " Are you alright?" He asked his voice deep with concern.
" Of course I am." Hancock said haughtily. " I was simply careless. Had I not been concerned for both yours and Sandersonia's safety I-"
The Empress broke off as Luffy began to examine her arm. Heat broke out across her face at his sudden closeness.
" What are you doing?" Sandersonia squeaked, her face reddening at the male's sudden forwardness to her sister.
" Not too deep!" He grinned goofily. " That's good. I'd be super pissed if it was worse!"
" Oh Luffy-kun!" Hancock swooned eagerly.
" We should get going. Gotta find that bastard before he hurts Ai!"
" R-Right!" Hancock jerked to attention, regaining her normal regal attitude instantly.
" With all this commotion the Order could have taken Ai-chan anywhere." Sandersonia stated calmly.
" Well we all know her scent so it wouldn't be to hard to find her amongst all this disgusting fetor here." Hancock said pointedly.
" True, but Ace and Sabo have some pretty good sniffers on them…" Luffy said scratching his nose absentmindedly. " They could have already found her."
" I highly doubt it." Hancock huffed. " Vampires and their sense of smell are no where near as magnificent as ours."
" But Ace and Ai are Mates, if anyone could find her then it would be him."
" If he's so great then why did he allow her to be captured in the first place!" Hancock growled.
" Watch it, Hancock! You weren't there when Ai was taken!" Luffy said warningly. " Ace was fighting to keep her and everyone else safe!"
" If she were in Amazon Lily then she would never had been taken!"
" Like that place has such great security. I get passed your guards all the time!"
" Shouldn't we be looking for Ai-chan?" Sandersonia said, interrupting the two before they said something they'd both regret.
" Right…we'll discuss thi-" Hancock froze when a soft crying reached her ears. A sudden chill went through her as she recognized the scent. " AI!" She squeaked, rushing towards the sound.
" Hancock!"
" Nee-sama!"
" THAT'S AI'S SCENT!" The Empress said quickly. " I'D KNOW IT ANYWHERE!"
" BUT THIS COULD BE A TRAP!" Sandersonia yelled quickly following the other two.
Hancock couldn't think as she ran towards the scent. Her little sister could be down this corridor and needing help. Her heart raced fearfully at the thought of what kind of state she'd find her in.
" AI!" She cried busting through the door before her to reveal Lucci standing there with a small blood stained bundle in his arms.
" What an unexpected surprise, Empress." The jaguar shifter said smugly.
Hancock barely registered what he was saying, her eyes locked squarely on the bundle. Please no! She found herself thinking fearfully. Oh goddess, please no!
" LUCCI!" Luffy growled pulling up behind her suddenly. He was about to attack when Hancock placed herself between the two. " WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" He yelled but broke off when he heard a small cry.
" Th-That's-" Sandersonia broke off, her face instantly losing all color.
" That's Ai's baby!" Hancock whimpered weakly. Lucci having the baby could only mean one thing. " YOU BASTARD!" She cried as realization hit her like a ton of bricks.
" Such language in-front of a newborn." Lucci smirked. " Don't worry, your foul language won't have a chance to affect this disgusting thing."
" Don't you even think about hurting him!" Hancock snarled her eyes flashing yellow at the threat.
" Trust me Empress, what we have planned for this spawn won't hurt it for long."
" BASTARD!" Luffy yelled darting around Hancock and slamming his fist directly into the man's face.
" LUFFY!" Hancock squeaked, darting quickly to catch the baby before he hit the ground. " BE CAREFUL!"
" You got him, right?" The He-Wolf asked not bothering to look at her.
" Y-Yeah!" Hancock said cradling the frightened infant to her. " There, there sweet one, Aunty has you! You're safe now!"
The child in her arms had a full head of thick bluish black hair and freckles scattered across his cheeks. Giant tears were streaming down his cheeks from his sea foam colored eyes.
" There, there little one!" Hancock said soothingly.
" Get him out of here!" Luffy yelled cracking his knuckles.
" What about you?"
" Just get him out of here and back to Ai."
The wolves tensed when they heard Lucci begin to laugh. Sitting up and rubbing his jaw before laughing again. " Back to that corpse that's admirable."
" What did you just say…" Luffy snarled angrily.
" Did it ever cross your tiny brain why I had that thing."
" HE ISN'T A THING!" Sandersonia yelled placing herself between Hancock and Lucci.
" He killed Ai…" Hancock whispered. " Otherwise she'd have never let him take the baby."
" You son of a bitch!" Luffy snarled. " Hancock! You two get out of here and find Ace and Sabo!"
" BUT-"
" Don't argue just go!"
Hancock nodded weakly, standing regally, she adjusted the frightened baby in her arms. " Let's go." She said to Sandersonia before the two took off into a dead run.
" Do you really think they'll get far?" Lucci laughed standing.
" Don't underestimate them." Luffy growled as his eyes flicked gold.