Author: Yay new chapter for Beneath the Moon! Hope everyone enjoys it! Enjoy your weekend!

" ACE! PUT ME DOWN!" Ai yelled angrily as her Groom had her slung over his shoulder.

" No, you aren't listening to reason." Ace said in a firm voice. " I'm not letting you out of my sight."

" YOU JACKASS! LET GO! KOALA, HELP!"

" Sorry Ai, but I agree with Ace on this one." The blonde said as she and Sabo followed the two.

" SABOOOO!"

" Absolutely not, you are out of your freaking mind to even suggest it right now!" Sabo said in a tone that one might mistake as a parent scolding a child.

" It's not unreasonable to want to visit my family!"

" It's to dangerous right now, Ai!" Koala said, trying to reason with her friend. " You had a almost successful assassination attempt and from what Coby said on top of what Shakky got out of Giselle there's another one coming!"

" But I haven't seen my father and brothers in almost four months!" Ai whined childlike. " I miss them!"

" I know you do, love." Ace said setting her down lightly in-front of him. " And I know that they miss you just as much as you love then."

" So-"

" However," Ace said cutting her off. " They wouldn't want you to put yourself in harms way just to see them. They would want you to be safe, and for right now the safest place for you is here with us."

" Ace…"

" I know you want to see them and I will take you to see them as soon as this threat is gone." Ace said stroking her cheek lightly.

" I need to see my family, Ace!" Ai said grumpily.

" I know, Ai."

" And I don't need your permission to see them!"

" Of course you don't, once it is safe we can go visit." Ace said firmly. " I want to see where you grew up."

" Yeah, we want to go too!" Koala said hurriedly. " You told us all about it and we've been eager to see it! The ocean view sounds absolutely stunning!"

" This is true, the woods around the castle sound like they could have some great adventures hidden in them!"

" I promise, Ai. We will visit your family." Ace said reassuringly. " I'm just asking that you be more patient."

" I'm not a child!" Ai said sternly.

" I know you aren't." Ace laughed, kissing her lightly on the lips. " Trust me, I know!"

" Ace, I'm worried about them."

" I know, my love." Ace said pulling her to tightly to him. " I will do whatever I can to help you see them again. I promise." Ai buried her face into his chest and deeply inhaled his warm scent.

" You better." She murmured lightly. " I'll hold you to this promise." Those words earned a loving laugh from the prince.

" Of course you will."

Approaching footsteps caught the attention of the teens. They caught sight of Shakky swiftly approaching them. In her arms was a small girl with curly lavender hair. " Shakky?" Ace said, worry evident in his voice. " Where did you find that little one?"

" This is Mira, My Prince." Shakky said softly. " She is from one of the nearby villages."

Ai couldn't take her eyes off of the small girl. She was covered in dirt and grime…and blood. Ai could smell fresh blood on the girl. " Why is she here?" Ai barely registered Ace's question as familiar memories flashed into her mind.

" The village was attacked by the Order. There were barely any survivors…Little Mira is one of the few." As she spoke Ai felt herself move towards the two and she gently took the girl from Shakky. The moment she saw the girl's face she knew.

The girl was a born vampire.

" Princess?" Shakky said in surprise.

" Ai?" Ace said warily. She was still a newly Turned vampire and still learning to control her hunger. Yet as she looked at the girl in her arms she felt no hunger, just sadness and pain.

Empathy.

She felt so many emotions but the strongest was empathy. She knew what this child was going through. She knew the pain at the loss of her family. The confusion that came with something as tragic as an Order attack. The girl's violet eyes held the same fear that was once in her own.

" I can't find Mommy and Daddy!" The girl whimpered tearfully. " Mommy hid me when the bad men came! She said be quiet and she'd come back! Where is my mommy and daddy?"

" I'm so sorry, little one." Ai said hugging the girl protectively to her. " You're safe now."

" Shanks, Buggy and Thatch are currently searching for more survivors." Shakky said sadly. " I'll need to inform The King of what has transpired."

" What about this little one?" Ai asked worriedly.

" She'll become the King's Ward, she'll be safe here and well taken care of." Koala said. " Many of us found ourselves here in the same way as this little one."

" Why would they attack that village?" Ai asked in confusion, rocking the girl comfortingly in her arms.

" They wanted to lure us out." Ace said angrily. " They were hoping that the Old Man, you or myself would come to stop them…to save the villagers."

" I'm so sorry, sweet baby." Ai whispered to the child who buried her face into Ai's hair. " I'm so very sorry."

Ace pulled his Bride closer to him. He felt the pain that was coming from the child and knew Ai blamed herself for it. Mira began coughing suddenly and he sensed the panic that ran through Ai. He saw the blunette lift her wrist to her lips and sink her fangs into the tender flesh. " AI!"

" Here, sweet one." Ai said softly, offering her wrist to the child. " Drink." Her mothering instinct was starting to take affect. This little one needed someone to take care of her. She was all alone in the world and the very fact that she was a born female would mean she was in for a rough first few years. If she made it past her first five years of life.

The girl watched her warily before drinking hungrily from her wrist. Ai rested her cheek gently on top of the girls hair and rocked her lovingly. She hummed a soft lullaby as the girl drink, her coughing slowly subsiding. " There, there." She whispered softly.

" She'll need rest." Ace said softly as he watched the girl's eyes begin to droop. He noticed Ai's hold on the girl tighten protectively. " She can stay with us, love. This way, you'll know she's alright." He said softly, easing his Bride's concerns. Once he was sure the girl had her fill he took Ai's wrist and ran his tongue lightly over the bite marks, closing them instantly. The girl hid her face quickly against Ai's shoulder, one eye peaking at him shyly.

He offered a cautious smile to her before she hid the remainder of her face from view. He had never really been exposed to many female children so he didn't really know how to act around them. Yet Ai was very comfortable around them and he saw a glimpse of what it would be like to see her with their own child.

He tried to cast the thought far from his mind. He couldn't allow himself the thought of having a family. Right now, his Bride's life was in danger just from them being together. If word got out that she was with child, there would be no telling what kind of threats would await her and their unborn child.

" Let's head back, love." He said softly, nuzzling her lovingly. She nodded weakly leaning against him, her eyes weary. He nodded to Sabo who took his own Bride to their chambers and Shakky went to give her report.

" What are you thinking?" He heard Ai's tired and saddened voice ask.

" Nothing."

" Yes you are." Ai said making him sigh. They had only been together for a few months and she already knew him better then someone he had known his entire life. He kissed her brow softly and gazed down at the child in her arms.

Anger flowed through him at the thought of the Order's actions. Leaving an innocent child orphaned because of their determination to end his line. He blamed himself even though their actions weren't something he could control himself. However, this child lost her family because he had found his.

" Don't concern yourself with them right now." Ai said resting her head on his shoulder. " We cannot do anything at this moment."

" I know that, but I-"

" Don't…" Ai whispered.

" You know, I feel as though I should be telling you this." Ace said.

" Only because we think alike. I know you would tell me not to blame myself for the actions of others. You would tell me we cannot control how they act out of hate. We can only rest right now and act when we have more information to go on."

" Stop being so reasonable." Ace said kissing her softly. " And stay out of my brain, woman."

" Stop being so easy to read, man." Ai said opening the door to their chamber. Upon entering a flash of black fur appeared suddenly as Selene meowed in excitement when catching sight of Ai. " Hello, precious kitten! Have you been behaving?" Another happy meow came from the small black kitten.

" You're going to have competition in hogging the bed tonight, fuzz ball." Ace said as he set his belt and dagger on a nearby table. A haughty meow came from Selene as she followed Ai to the washroom.

The blunette set Mira lightly on the stone floor beside the hot spring fed tub. " Let us get you cleaned up, little one. Then you can get some sleep."

" With you?" Mira asked nervously.

" If you'd like to sleep with me then we can." Ai said kissing her forehead. " I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise."

" There are towels and a fresh nightdress beside the door when you are ready." Ai smiled at Ace's thoughtfulness. As she attempted to clean Mira, memories of when Rouge had done this with her began to surface. Why was the world so cruel? Why did children have to be left orphaned because of the hateful actions of others?

" Are you a princess?" Ai paused as she heard Mira's soft voice ask her question.

" I guess so." Ai replied awkwardly. " Ace is the prince and I am his Bride…so I guess that does make me a princess."

" You are pretty." Mira said shyly as Ai wiped her face carefully.

" Thank you, Mira. You are pretty as well."

" Mommy said that the princess was pretty, that's how I knew you were the princess!"

" Being pretty doesn't always mean someone is a princess." Ai said, her cheeks slightly pink at the girl's comment. " There are plenty of girls in the world that are pretty who aren't a princess."

" But you are pretty and the princess." Ai smiled, deciding not to argue with the girl. " Is that your kitty?"

" Yes, her name is Selene." Ai said as Selene purred cutely, bopping her head lightly against the the child's leg. " She's very friendly. I'm sure the two of you will get along very well." Once finished she toweled the girl and dressed her, under the ever vigilant eyes of Selene. She carried Mira back into the room to see Ace laying on a nearby couch, eyes closed, one arm slung across his abdomen, the other tucked securely behind his head as a pillow. " What are you doing over there?"

" You two can take the bed. I'll sleep here." Ace said calmly not opening his eyes. Ai set Mira gently on the bed, tucking the blankets securely around her as the girl finally began to doze off. She ran her fingers lightly through the girls soft curls. Once she was sure the child was asleep she took a blanket from the nearby closet and draped it over Ace.

" I didn't really need that." Ace said coolly.

" Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." Ai said kissing him lightly.

" You should get some rest." Ace said interlacing his fingers with hers. " That little one is going need you to be well rested to help her through what she's going through."

" You'll be there to help her too." Ai said smiling down at him.

" You know better then anyone what it is like to go through what she is. Plus children tend to not like me."

" You're only saying that because Luffy was so difficult. Not all children are like him." Ai said smiling. " I'm sure if you were exposed to more children then you would feel more comfortable around them."

Ace didn't respond to her statement. He had told her on several occasions that he did not want children. However, he had a sneaking suspicion that she did. He saw how good she was with children upon seeing her with one. She was gentle with her and he saw how much warmth was present in her eyes as she took care of others around her.

Rayleigh told him how she had taken care of Coby while he was imprisoned in the dungeons. How she requested for his release. How she hadn't held a grudge against the boy for his actions in the attack against her.

Ace felt his Bride's fingers run gently through his hair. This action made him relax even more, he didn't want to open his eyes at the moment, he wanted to cherish the way they were right there. He wanted to stay like this with her forever. With no Order assassins trying to take her from him. No ancient curse entity trying to get revenger on his Companion but hurting Ai.

He just wanted to sit here, just the two of them in their room, her soft scent wafting to him, her soft lips pressing against his forehead. " I love you, you stupid man." He heard her voice whisper, her words brought a smile to his face.

" I-" He froze as a scene came to his mind's eye. One of Ai holding a small blue bundle in her arms.

" Hello, little one." She whispered lovingly, earning several happy baby sounds. " You should be sleeping or else you'll be grumpy when your papa comes home! He's going to be home soon and I know for a fact he misses you!" She walked towards a large, intricately carved crib in the center of a nursery. " Your grandma and grandpa enjoyed seeing you today! You had such an eventful day, you need to rest and restore that seemingly endless amount of energy you have."

" Ai…" Ace whispered walking towards where she stood.

" I love you, my sweet baby." Ai said her arms reaching out to tuck the child in. As she moved Ace saw several burn scars littering up her arms. Anger flooded him as he recognized that they were from silver. He would incinerate whoever hurt her. " Sleep now, my sweet boy."

Ace saw a small set of hands reach upwards for her as she began humming a lullaby. Upon reaching her Ace looked in the crib to see a small baby boy gazing sleepily up at him. The child had a full head of bluish black hair. He blinked sleepy sea foam green eyes up at them, yawning wide as he fought hard to stay awake. The baby's cheeks were litters with his trade mark freckles that there was no denying he was Ace's child.

" My son…"