Hello everyone, here is an another one shot. This is a missing scene.

This is the scene I mentioned in chapter 18 The Birthday. When Rayleigh found Ace passed out drunk

Hope you enjoy

Read and Relax

Ace sat on the ground, back leaning against a tree. He and his brothers where visiting Rayleigh, Luffy wanting to meet the man again. Ace had known Rayleigh for 2 years now, but had only visited him a handful of times. Luffy and Sabo had been with the man more often than him, sometimes watching them when he had a long mission and didn't want to leave his brothers alone for long. He had just been on a mission, which had taken 8 days. He had left his brothers at Rayleigh, telling them that they could stay there until he was finished. He was finished, had been back for a couple of hours actually, but he wasn't going to get his brothers and leave just yet. He was at the island where his brothers and Rayleigh was, he needed to see that his brothers where safe and happy, it always made him glad and calm.

After he had seen that they were fine, Ace had left to a somewhat secluded part of the island, where he now sat, and was drinking from his bottle of whiskey.

The assignment had not gone as he hoped. The assignment had taken a horrible turn the last day. Instead of finding an empty mansion, except the family living there, he had found a bloodbath of a basement. No one were alive, only mauled corpses. The family, some blue blooded patricians, had taken everyone they found prisoners, for then to abused and torture them. He fond corpses to young people, some he guessed to be around as young as 14. Their bodies where mauled and tortured beyond recognition. But what was even worse, was that the family had kids, kids who were 8, 10 and 11.

And the parents had forced them to watch as they tortured the prisoners. Forced them to choose how they should kill and torture them. If they didn't answer, they would get punished themselves. The oldest, who had been forced to kill his own uncle he had been told, had begged Ace to kill him. To kill his parents and then him, so he wouldn't live with the memories. To make him forget everything he had done and then make sure his siblings were safe. Ace couldn't do it. There was no way he could kill a kid, an innocent kid who had been forced to kill, no matter how much he begged. Ace had taken them with him and placed them with some people he knew how to handle people who had gone through hell. Ace had killed the parents, being quite gruesome, making them as unrecognizable as their own victims.

But no matter how much he tried, he could not get the image of the young kid begging to be killed. Saying he couldn't live with the memories, saying how he couldn't close his eyes without seeing the things he had done. Seeing an eleven year old begging to die, after telling of the horrors he and his siblings had seen, had gotten to Ace. Those things, which was by no means human in Ace's eyes, had ruined the lived of the three kids.

Ace took an another swig of the bottle, enjoying how the strong, stronger than usual, whiskey burned as he swallowed. When Dust landed beside him, trying to drag his hand away so he couldn't drink more, he swatted the bird away. Making it give a caw in concern. Ace shook his head, ¨I'm fine.¨ He somewhat slurred to the bird. Dust stared at him, not liking the fact he was drunk, long past just tipsy. Dust didn't try to stop him again, knowing Ace wouldn't, and if he did, Ace could just sent the bird away.

Half an hour later, Ace's hand, the one holding the bottle, fell limp at his side, Ace succumbing to the welcoming darkness.

-x-

Rayleigh closed the door to the room the two kids had fallen asleep in. It was late, really late. The clock was almost 2 at night. Luffy had not wanted to go to sleep, wanting to wait for Ace, who should have come back during the evening, but hadn't. Rayleigh knew Luffy and Sabo was a bit worried, but Ace was sometimes late. They were missing him, not having seen him in 8 days. The brothers were really close. Rayleigh was glad Ace trusted him enough to watch the brothers, Ace was a cautious person. Which was no surprise seeing his work. When he had found out a bout it, he had worried for Ace. Being an assassin was not easy. But he had said he was fine, that he would not quit.

Rayleigh didn't like it, but he recognized the look in his eyes, the same his father had had when he set in on becoming the pirate king. Ace wouldn't quit. Ace was strong, much more than he could imagine, he did a lot of good. But it couldn't be easy, he saw a lot of the worst of the world. And Ace was only 16. No matter if he had started early, there was no way it didn't have an impact on him. Rayleigh shook his head as he headed back towards the kitchen, knowing it was a gigantic mess after having Luffy rummaging through everything.

As he walked down the stairs, he saw Dust sitting in a window next to the door out. As the bird saw him, he cawed, flapping its wings. Looking at him directly and did some motion with his head.

Rayleigh frowned. Dust had never acted like that before. He walked over to the window, feeling that was what Dust wanted him to do. When he was close, the bird turned around, facing the outside. Dust sent a look over his shoulder, giving a caw as he lifted his wings, as if he was taking off, but didn't. Rayleigh frowned more, before a thought hit him. ¨Do you want me to follow?¨ He asked, thinking that might be it. Dust gave a nod and a caw. Rayleigh nodded to himself as he put on a jacket, it was a cold night, before he went out the door, closing it carefully so the two kids didn't wake up. When he was outside, Dust flew off from the window and flew at a slow pace, cawing at Rayleigh, who followed. He followed Dust for a few minutes, before the bird landed in a tree. As Rayleigh walked around it, the trunk being quite big. When he saw the other side, he stopped for a second, shocked at what he saw.

Ace was leaning on the tree, asleep. Wearing nothing more than his assassin outfit. The cape did give some warmth, but it couldn't give to much, especially seeing as it was open.

Rayleigh crouched next to Ace, reaching out a hand and shaking his shoulder, trying to stir him. When nothing happened, the man got worried. ¨Ace. Ace, wake up.¨ Tried the man, shaking a bit harder. As he did, he heard something falling from the kid's hand and looked over to see a bottle. Rayleigh frowned, Ace was too young to drink. He reached over to the bottle, it being half empty it looked like. When he held the bottle, he smelled it and quickly looked back at Ace shocked. That whiskey was really strong. Rayleigh sent a look at Dust, ¨Was the bottle full?¨ He asked, hoping for a negative. Dust gave a nod and a caw. Rayleigh looked back at the bottle, seeing how much Ace had drink of the concentrated alcohol, before looking at the kid with sad eyes.

Ace, young kid of 16, was passed out drunk. Drinking whiskey, even drinking more than a usual person could hold.

This was why Rayleigh didn't want Ace to be an assassin. It was a terrible job which only brought pain.

Rayleigh shrugged of his jacket, placing it around the kid's shoulder before he lifted Ace. The kid made no movement, no sign of stirring. Which was no surprise, seeing the amount he had consumed. Rayleigh walked slowly back to the house, Dust flying in front of them. When he got back to the house, he walked inside and too his room. He didn't want to place the kid in the empty bed in the spare room, knowing Sabo and Luffy was there. He wouldn't let them see Ace like this.

As he placed Ace in his bed, he quickly took off his jacket, cape, gauntlets and shoes, before dragging the blanked over him. He gave one last dolent look at Ace before he left the room. Before he closed the door, Dust flew in and landed beside Ace, looking at him and giving a small caw, clearly worried about his master. Dust then walked close to Ace before he settled down, leaning against Ace. Rayleigh gave a small smile, Dust was an amazing bird who cared a lot about Ace.

Rayleigh went to his couch and sat down, closing his eyes. He could only imagine what Ace must have seen to be like this. He knew Ace had no issues killing people, at least not the ones he hunted. As he gave a sigh, he reached for a book, deciding to read. He wasn't going to sleep, in case something got worse with Ace, knowing Dust would alert him if it did. Why Ace choose to be an assassin, was beyond him. He did probably have a reason, a reason he did not tell, but was it really worth it? Was it worth it to see the absolute worst of the world everyday? Rayleigh couldn't answer for Ace, but he himself, was sure it wasn't worth it.

-x-

The next morning, around 7, the two brothers woke up, running down the stairs. As soon as they were down, Luffy asked for food, which the man was prepared for and told him to take from the fridge. The kid had ran and taken the food out, coming back to the living room and sitting down, almost breathing in the food. The man had to chuckle, seeing Sabo wrestle to get some himself before it was all gone. As they ate, Sabo talked with him, wanting to know how being a pirate was, Luffy listening in as he told. The two kids was really interested in listening to his adventures, wanting to be pirates themselves.

After a couple of hours, a door opened and Ace came walking in, looking like his usual self.

¨Ace!¨ Luffy screamed, launching at his brother, glad to see him. Ace had smiled as he hugged him back, before going over to a chair and sitting down. ¨How's everything been here?¨ Asked Ace, looking at Luffy. Luffy had smiled, telling how fun he and Sabo had had with him. Telling how his stories was amazing and that Luffy wanted to visit more often. Ace had smiled and given a maybe. Luffy smiled at that, before continuing to tell what they had done.

As Luffy did this, Rayleigh was looking at Ace, assessing him. Amazed on how well he looked. He did not look like someone who had drunk as much as he had. He didn't seem to be hungover or anything. Which made him realize, with a sinking heart, that this wasn't the first time. Just how long had the kid been drowning himself in whiskey? There wasn't even bags under his eyes, no tiredness or any indication on what he had been doing last night.

When Luffy was done telling Ace about what they had done, he looked at the young kid. ¨Luffy,¨ He started, getting the attention. ¨Why don't you and Sabo go and pack. You probably want to go home soon.¨ The kid looked at him, tilting his head with a small frown, before he smiled and nodded, dragging Sabo with him. Why did he always have a feeling Luffy knew everything? Rayleigh put the thought away as he looked at Ace, who gave a sigh. ¨Ace, wh-,¨ Ace cut him off. ¨I don't want to talk about it. Thank you for taking me inside, Rayleigh.¨ Rayleigh frowned. Keeping it inside, not facing the problem, was not smart. Before he could talk again, Ace shook his head. ¨I am fine. Yesterday was a small miscalculation, I had no idea the liquor was as strong.¨

He's lying. There was no way Ace didn't know how strong it was. Especially seeing as one needed to specifically ask and search to find anything that strong. Rayleigh sent a sharp look at Ace. ¨Drinking your problems away will solve nothing, Ace. You can't and shouldn't do it. You are only 16. Don't avoid this, it will not get better if you do.¨ Ace gave a sigh, ¨I know what I am doing, Rayleigh. There is no need to bring it up, I am fine.¨ Rayleigh was on his way to continue to push, when Luffy came running back in. Ace looked over, smiling. ¨You ready to leave? I think Lindsey have something planned for today.¨ Luffy smiled, nodding and seeming excited to be with Lindsey, the barmaid at Boreumdo if he remembered correctly. Luffy went over to the door, heading outside with Sabo.

As Ace stood up to leave, Rayleigh grabbed his arm, stopping him. ¨Don't avoid it. You know, you've seen what this does to some people.¨

Ace looked at him, shaking his head as he shrugged the arm off and walked after his brothers. Rayleigh gave a sigh as he followed them outside, at least wanting to see them off. When he got outside, he was met with a smiling Luffy who was excited to go back home. Also mentioning again he wanted to come back soon. Ace had nodded, saying they would see. They had then said goodbye to him, Luffy waving and having a blinding smile as he held around Ace. Both Ace and Luffy had given a goodbye nod, which he returned.

As they disappeared, Rayleigh gave a sigh to himself again. Ace had way to many burdens for a 16 year old. He only wished he wouldn't be as stoic and distrusting as he were. Rayleigh only wanted to help, Ace was a good kid. But he tried with all his might to not lean on anyone, being the strong one alone. Which he didn't need to be. Rayleigh went inside his house, shaking his head. He would try to help Ace, hoping he could get through.

For the next year, Rayleigh always brought it up when they were alone, hoping Ace would open up. But he never did. After a whole year, he didn't push as much. He still watched him extra carefully, trying to just be there for him, hoping he would come to him.

Ace never did.

That's the chapter, hope you enjoyed

If you have any scenes you want to see or event you would like to go different, leave a review/comment.