(Dark Carrier AU)
It had been a week. A week of pure hell. Again Ace was forced to follow Sabo around, hoping that if he acted horrible enough, the idiot would finally let him go. Sabo ignored any nasty words Ace said, which was annoying, and then at the same time it would upset Ace that he said those things in the first place. He would burst into tears sometimes and Sabo would try comfort him until Ace could finally force himself to calm down.
Bloody hormones.
He just needed Sabo to let him go. Drop him off at an island where he could go to a temple and get in contact with the priestesses. They would get him safely back to Mariejois. Where he could forget any of this happened and focus on comforting Cedric. Cedric was probably so distressed right now after all.
"Just take me back already. I told you, we're not brothers. You don't have to 'save me', especially when I don't need saving in the first place," Ace grumbled.
"Cedric's a monster. I refuse to take you back to him," Sabo repeated, again. "You're free now."
"Oh good." Ace forced a grin. "Then I'm free to go back to my husband and do my duty."
"You don't have a boat," Sabo looked a bit shifty when he said that much to Ace's curiosity.
"But you must get deliveries that come in with food and trade. Just let me go on one of them and be on my way."
"Ace, you're eight months pregnant. You can't go out on a small boat by yourself. We already risked too much when I took you out on one. I deliberately had you sleep through most our journey, remember?" Sabo reminded as they stopped just outside Dragon's hastily made office.
It was funny seeing Dragon surrounded by so much pink and sparkles, no matter how unbothered he seemed to be on the outside by it. Dragon was gradually changing his office though, mostly with paperwork and maps with targets pinned on the boards.
"This is pointless, Sabo," Ace repeated himself again, for what felt like the hundredth time. "I want to go back. Don't you get it?"
Sabo turned to face him and actually pulled him into an embrace. Ace sighed and allowed it to happen, resolving not to fight the affection anymore. He was so tired.
He swore he could sleep for years and still be tired.
"I know you're scared. That bastard probably hurt you every time you tried to escape and it must have been horrible." Sabo's arms tightened around him and Sabo buried his head in Ace's shoulder. "You will never have to go through that again. I swear."
"Cedric would never hurt me," Ace muttered. "I know you're worried about me but you don't have to be. I'm happy."
Sabo pulled away and curled a hand under his chin, forcing their eyes to meet. "Then how come you never smile?"
"I didn't smile a lot when I was a kid. Why would you think that changed?"
"Because every Wanted poster you had, every newspaper article about you, hell any picture with you in it showed you with a giant grin and bright eyes. You looked so happy with the Spades and the Whitebeards."
Ace bit his lip and looked away. "Don't talk about them."
"Luffy will be so happy when he sees you-"
"He won't see me. I don't want him too." Ace clenched his fists and breathed in deeply. "Now please. Stop talking."
Sabo sighed softly. "Alright..."
He reached over to open the door, one arm around Ace's waist, and Ace sighed internally at the overly protective streak Sabo seemed to be suffering through. "Ace? I'm sorry. Please don't be too upset."
Ace frowned. "What did you do-"
Sabo opened the door and pulled him in by his waist. Ace heard the door shut behind him as Sabo stepped in, but Ace was too busy staring at the sight before him, his heart hammering.
"P-Pops?"
.::.
Whitebeard gave Ace a quick scan with his old eyes, taking in the growing stomach, how much softer he looked, all his toned muscles were gone, a sign he hadn't properly exercised in a long time. He probably hadn't been allowed to either to keep him weak. He was more concerned with the coldness in Ace's eyes getting taken over by panic however. He and Marco had already been warned about it though and knew not to fret, so they didn't work Ace up any further. They had to keep calm for Ace and the baby.
"Hello, son," Whitebeard smiled warmly.
He was so happy to see Ace again. His son shook his head though, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. "No. This isn't happening."
"Ace..." the Chief of Staff tried to place a hand on his shoulder but Ace slapped the hand away.
"You shouldn't have said anything!" Ace snapped, his hands shaking. "Let me by. I need to get out of here-"
"You need to talk to them," the blonde insisted gently. "This is for your own good, Ace."
"I know what's for my 'own good' and this really isn't it," Ace spat, he kept his back turned from him. "No, now you've gone and given them hope when you shouldn't have. I'll be back in Mariejois one day but none of you people understand that!"
Whitebeard couldn't see if his tattoo was still there, not beneath the shirt. He hoped those bastards in the sky hadn't burnt it away, replaced it with something awful. Something none of his children should ever have on them.
The tattoo didn't matter at the moment though. He wanted to see Ace's face, his freckles, his grey eyes. He wanted to see his son. Even if at the moment he was scared and angry. That was fine, they had seen that before when they had first kidnapped his son aboard his ship.
But they had coaxed away the fear and anger. They had helped Ace settle and become soothed, even if it took about a hundred assassination attempts, several broken walls and furniture, and a meltdown from Fossa who had been trying desperately to fix everything and keep it fixed for more than a day. Along with the war declared on them by angry Spade Pirates for kidnapping their Captain.
They were still trying to talk Finamore out of cannibalism after they had found him dangling Curiel over a pot.
"Ace, turn around," Whitebeard called out softly. "Please."
Ace stiffened and at first remained facing away. It was quiet for a time but Ace had stopped trying to get by his brother. Then, ever so slowly, his youngest began to turn around, their eyes finally meeting once more, even as Ace shied away.
Whitebeard smiled. "Thank you, Ace. I really wanted to see your face."
"I... I um... I don't..." Ace faltered, his hands shook. "We can't..."
"Ace, I'm going to hug you now," Whitebeard warned him and carefully tucked Ace into his arms.
His son choked on a breath, clearly startled, but after a moment of stiffening Ace melted into his arms. Soft sobs began to escape Ace as he gently rubbed Ace's back, taking care to be extremely careful. Sam, his daughter, had lectured him and Marco on male Carriers the entire way to the island and Whitebeard knew to be careful with his son being so much weaker now than he ever was.
He could feel the tears against his chest as he brushed a finger through Ace's hair. It was so painful to hear his son sounding so frightened, but Whitebeard ignored the pain in his heavy heart and focused on comforting Ace as best as he could.
"It's alright, son. It will be alright. Let it all out now," Whitebeard tried to console him and he felt small hands weakly push at his chest, Ace gasping, shaking his head. "You can cry, Ace. You're safe."
Ace buried his head back into his chest and the sobs continued, his entire body shaking. Whitebeard kept his youngest close, kept murmuring encouraging things to help Ace let it all out, knowing Ace had kept his emotions bottled up for years.
He needed to let them out before he exploded.
The blonde, Sabo, was watching, expressionless. He could see the pain in his eyes, the relief was there too. Marco remained at the other end of the room, quiet. He was seated by Dragon's desk, although the brat wasn't around. He had lent them the room to allow them to see Ace in a more private environment, rather than all the okamas cooing over Ace, which apparently they did a lot of.
Whitebeard barely restrained a sigh of relief. He had Ace back in his arms again, his youngest child, who was scared and shaking and crying, and hearing the cries hurt. After all the effort they had put in to try and comfort Ace and let him know he was safe and now he was hurt more than ever.
He hadn't protected Ace, just like he hadn't protected Thatch, and that guilt would go with him to the grave.
He just hoped that Teach would go to that grave with him to.
Whitebeard paused, he had felt his hands stiffen, nearly tightening around Ace, and he softened his grasp instantly. A voice that sounded like Sam's chanted 'gently' at him, telling him to be careful. Careful with his son and grandchild.
"I-I'm sorry, I'm s-so sorry!" Ace gasped. "I-I failed you- Teach he- I-I couldn't-"
Whitebeard frowned, brushing Ace's hair back, keeping his touch soft. He was a fool. He should never have let Ace go, even if it meant tying him to the ship. Ace had blamed himself for so long and all because Whitebeard never forced him to sit down and talk.
He had been too busy mourning Thatch and blaming himself for Teach.
"Ace, you did no such thing," Whitebeard reassured him. "I should never have ordered you to go after Teach."
Ace jerked in his hold, looking up at him, confusion written all over his face. His son's eyes were red and puffy and Whitebeard carefully brushed some of the tears away.
Carefully, carefully, carefully.
"I-I ra-ran off-"
"I don't remember that, son, though I am getting old so my memory can be dodgy." He kept rubbing Ace's back, hoping this next reveal wouldn't shock him too much. "Marco, I order Ace to go. Didn't I?"
Ace stiffened up, looking startled before his eyes followed his gaze. Marco offered Ace a smile and stood up, approaching them. Ace kept watching him, little sobs still escaping every so often, tears still running down his cheeks. Whitebeard kept rubbing his back in slow, soothing circles, smiling at his eldest son, hoping Marco and his Phoenix counterpart could keep themselves steady.
He knew Marco was hurting badly, hated himself some days, which Whitebeard always sorted out, because he refused to have his son blame himself for any of this. It was Teach, the priestesses and that Celestial Dragon's faults, that all this had happened. Whitebeard held back a grimace. It was his too, he should have been able to figure Teach out, but he had grown old and stupid and way too careless.
And it had cost him Thatch. It nearly lost him Ace too.
"Of course, Pops. I remember it clearly yoi," Marco replied. He reached out and gently slipped his hand into Ace's hair and Ace didn't wince so Marco stroked the strands of dark hair. "Hey, Ace."
Ace swallowed and whimpered softly. "Marco?"
"Yeah. It's me," Marco breathed out, brushing away more tears with his thumbs. "I'm so glad you're here yoi."
"I-I can't be here... I-I have to go back..." Ace pleaded weakly but he didn't move away and Whitebeard was so thankful for it.
He wasn't sure what he had expected when he and Marco arrived, but for now Ace was taking in the comfort, Marco was also more at ease now, his shoulders relaxing. He knew his elder son was forcing himself to remain calm, that Marco wanted to cry just as badly as he, himself, did at Ace's pain.
But for now they needed to remain strong, for Ace and the baby.
"No, Ace. You don't ever have to do anything yoi," Marco insisted. "I swear."
"We can go home, son. You can see everyone again."
Ace shook his head and buried it against his chest again, shaking once more. "I can't... I just can't..."
"It's okay to be scared. We're here with you," Whitebeard reassured. "Marco and I are both here."
They were here and his son was safe. Whitebeard couldn't help but finally relax, letting the tension in his body and mind ease even as Ace shook and cried in his arms, exhausted and scared. Ace had to go through so much, that was something they could never fix, no, all they could do now was help Ace heal. Start the healing processes over again, just like they had when he had carried Ace on to his ship, unconscious after days of fighting.
Finally Ace had been reunited with Whitebeard and Marco! Now I can start working on the recovery o.o
