A/N: Kyaaah! Holy cow, this story is getting such a good response, I'm so happy! :3 My plot for this story really has me excited, so seeing people enjoying it as much as they are is really motivating and fantastic for me.

That Random Guy: I'm trying to stay on schedule! I'll do my best :D and thank you! You're a delight.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews, faves, follows, and tumblr messages! Enjoy a much longer chapter than usual xD There were a few formatting issues last chapter, so if anything looks out of place, feel free to let me know so I can fix it!

Dedicated to my fabulous beta, Beyond Kailani, without whom I would wander alone in the depths of despair or something equally ominous xD

Bonds of Sea and Fire

Chapter 7: This Isn't a Dream

"Well, he was right," Izo admitted, looking perplexed as he checked the boy's injuries. Thatch hadn't necessarily done a bad job of patching him up, but there was definitely a lack of finesse. "This boy is a devil fruit user."

Marco nodded, watching through lidded eyes as Izo stretched Luffy's finger again. "Is he made of rubber, yoi?"

"That would be my guess, or maybe he ate some sort of elasticity fruit," Izo shook his head. "His wounds are healing pretty quickly, too. I don't think they're going to scar with the way they're scabbing over."

"Isn't that good news?" Marco questioned.

"Yes, but that doesn't change the part where we're looking at a possible former slave who happens to be an infant," Izo snapped. He took a deep breath to calm himself, closing his eyes. "I don't mean to snap at you, Marco."

"It's fine, yoi," Marco promised, shaking his head. It wasn't like he took offense easily, and in this situation, he was prepared for short tempers and outbursts. "I don't think he's an infant, though."

"May as well be. He's tiny," Izo sighed. "I'm not surprised Thatch lost it. If his healing pattern is any indication, he was probably in much worse shape when Thatch first saw him."

They were both quiet for several moments while Izo fussed over the boy's sleep-tousled hair and tucked the blankets around him securely. He was clearly sizing the boy up, mentally calculating what he'd need to do to one of Thatch's shirts to make it fit him comfortably.

"We're anchored again," Thatch's voice had both men looking up. He was standing in the doorway with a tray in his hands. Neither commented on the fact that his hands were shaking a little, a subtle tremor that barely rattled the tray. "How's Luffy?"

"Unconscious. His fever's going down, and I cleaned some of his wounds a little more thoroughly. You did fine," Izo promised, reaching to the tray and picking up a steamed bun. "Tell me more about the condition you found him in."

"Yeah, okay," Thatch set the tray down so Marco could pick from it as well. He'd made a thick bowl of broth for Luffy, steamed buns, fruit salad, and small finger sandwiches for his brothers. It wasn't a full meal, but he was too anxious to cook anything else and it wasn't dinnertime yet anyway.

He wrung his hands together, eyes on Luffy's prone form while he recounted the details - everything he could remember through his haze of fury, anyway - of the unimpressive little boat and pirate he'd destroyed.

"You said there was water on the deck?" Marco cut him off once he'd started repeating himself.

"Yeah," Thatch nodded. "Why?"

"If the pirate knew he was a devil fruit user, do you think he was keeping him in a barrel of seawater to stop him from using his abilities?" Marco guessed. "It's not like they can get kairoseki around here, yoi."

Thatch went white at the implication. "You mean… son of a bitch, that would explain how he drank seawater. He probably choked on it!" His next words were lost in a string of curses and regrets that he hadn't made the pirate suffer more.

"It might be a blessing in disguise," Izo interrupted, taking another steamed bun because he knew that Thatch seeing his food being eaten would help calm him a little.

"What makes you say that?" Thatch asked, voice hoarse. His eyes flickered to the bun, then back to Izo.

"Devil fruit users are weaker in the sea," Izo continued. "And I'd hardly expect a child to be able to do much of anything in that situation. His body probably shut down and used little to no energy the entire time. You have no idea how long he was captive, but even if he wasn't being fed, he's far from starved."

"Makes sense, yoi," Marco nodded. "So you probably don't need to be too cautious feeding him."

"That's a relief," Thatch sighed. "I barely got him to drink some water earlier. Marco, aren't you going to eat?"

Marco raised an eyebrow at him, but he reached out to snag one of the buns if only to placate Thatch. The anxious chef smiled in response, then swapped places with Izo, gently trying to rouse Luffy.

It took longer than any of them liked for Luffy to respond, but both of the new arrivals found themselves tensing when unfocused chocolate brown eyes fluttered open. The boy wasn't aware of his surroundings, struggling to bring his hands up as if to lash out at an abuser. With his eyes open, he somehow looked even younger, which made his condition even more heartbreaking.

"Hey, hey little guy," Thatch's voice was tinged with distress and panic, and the sound, along with the inherent fear in Luffy's eyes, had Izo clenching his fists. "It's me, Thatch. Remember?

Luffy shifted towards Thatch, eyes finally focusing and trying to read Thatch's face. "Thatch," he echoed in a small voice.

Marco turned and headed for the door, though he didn't leave. Izo understood immediately that for Marco, whose position in the crew had always been more of a caretaker and responsible big brother, it was especially painful to watch. Both from Luffy's vulnerability and Thatch's response to it.

"That's right, Luffy," Thatch smiled wide, carefully shifting Luffy into a sitting position. "I made some broth for you. Are you hungry?"

Luffy blinked several times, clearly confused, but he eventually nodded and allowed Thatch to help him drink from the bowl. He alternated between broth and water, slowing down if Luffy seemed to have any difficulty. Amazingly enough, the boy drank the entire bowl of broth, all the water, and before Thatch could even think to stop him, his arm stretched so he could snag one of the buns.

It disappeared whole into his mouth, followed closely by a second and then a third. He'd just grabbed and devoured the fourth when Thatch finally snapped out of his astonishment and stopped him. "Whoa, be careful! You shouldn't be eating so much so quickly!"

Luffy whimpered, peering up at Thatch with full cheeks and tears in his eyes.

"Impressive puppy eyes," Izo commented, watching Luffy swallow the steamed buns and look at the rest of the food longingly. "He is a devil fruit user, Thatch. And he's no longer in seawater, so his body is using energy again."

"I guess, yeah," Thatch was still hesitant, and Izo couldn't blame him. Any normal child in this situation wouldn't be able to keep food down so easily, and if he had been starved for any long period of time, there was always a worry of refeeding syndrome. Luckily, Luffy's devil fruit ability seemed to be circumventing the usual precautions, and with one last look of concern, Thatch backed off.

Luffy continued to stretch and devour everything on the tray, and after drinking another glass of water, he leaned against Thatch with a sated yawn.

"Tired?" Thatch asked.

Luffy nodded, struggling to keep his eyes open. Without warning, he sucked his lower lip in and whimpered, clearly struggling to hold back tears.

"You can cry, Luffy," Izo spoke up, his voice startling the boy. All at once, Izo found himself being studied by wide, innocent eyes, and his stomach clenched again. If they hadn't been sure Thatch had already taken care of the one who'd put Luffy in his current condition, Izo would have already taken off with his pistols drawn. "I'm Izo, and behind me is Marco. We're Thatch's brothers."

Luffy relaxed at those words, though his eyes were still glossy. He hiccupped. "I won't cry," he whispered, shaking his head. "I won't…"

"Why?" Izo pressed gently.

"My brother… he's not here," Luffy's voice trembled, and the sheer ache he portrayed with just those words had tears filling Thatch's eyes again. No one knew exactly what to say to him, but luckily Luffy's eyelids were drooping and his focus was wavering.

Thatch helped him lie back down, watching with a heavy heart as the little boy curled up on the bed and hugged the pillow, mumbling what was likely his brother's name, but was too soft for them to hear. "Get some more sleep, Luffy," Thatch murmured, brushing tangled black hair from the boy's face. "We're not leaving East Blue yet. If you have a family, we'll take you back to them."

"Do you think he has a family, yoi?" Marco asked once they heard the soft buzz of a snore coming from their young guest.

"I don't know," Thatch answered, pushing a hand into his hair and destroying what remained of his pompadour. "He might be all alone, or maybe he was kidnapped from a loving family? At least it doesn't seem like he's a former slave, I mean, I knew it was a slim possibility since this is East Blue, and I didn't see a mark on him when I was cleaning him, and-"

Izo stood, the motion causing Thatch to stop talking as the raven-haired man made his way to the bed and stood behind Thatch. "Stay still," Izo said.

Thatch didn't argue, remaining in place while Izo expertly coiffed his hair and managed to make him look presentable again. No one spoke while Izo worked, and the feel of those expert fingers threading through his hair and brushing against his scalp had Thatch's shoulders sagging from relaxation.

"Now you look like yourself. Think you can handle acting like yourself?"

A wry grin touched Thatch's lips at Izo's tone, and a throaty chuckle escaped. "Thanks, Izo. Have I mentioned yet how glad I am you guys are here?" Even Marco grinned at the response from where he stood sentry near the door.

"Once or twice," Izo quipped. "Now, let's give him some space. You need to cook something for when he wakes up. That was definitely some elastic power we saw, and I shudder to think of how fast someone with that kind of ability burns calories."

Thatch was hesitant, but he eventually nodded and pushed himself up to go back to the galley. "Are you sure we should leave him alone? He didn't seem to want to be alone."

"I'll stay nearby, yoi," Marco told him. "If anything happens, I'll shout for you."

"Thanks," Thatch smiled, casting one last concerned glance at Luffy before he let Izo usher him out of the room.

...

Sabo wanted to say something. More than that, he wanted Ace to hear it. Since leaving the island, Ace had only spoken to him to ask about the course or to bark an order about how to guide them. While he'd become quite adept at steering and handling the waves of the open sea - although no matter how good he'd gotten, their little fishing boat was on its last legs and they'd never make it to the Grand Line before it gave out - there were still nuances he didn't understand about navigation that Sabo needed to handle.

Something in Ace had broken. He continued forward with vengeance in his head and grief in his heart, and there simply wasn't room for anything else. It didn't matter what Sabo tried to say to him. Ace wouldn't hear it, not truly.

Despite how lonely it felt, Sabo could never blame his brother for closing off and shutting him out. He couldn't be angry that he was left to grieve alone, practically cast aside without a second thought. It was painful, and a part of him wanted to scream in protest - to do something, anything - to get Ace's attention, but that urge was easily swallowed by sorrow and held back by empathy. He understood Ace's pain more than anyone else ever could.

He stole another glance at Ace through blurry eyes, the salty sting of the sea feeling like sandpaper against the his healing scars. The freckled youth wasn't looking back at him, and for the first time since leaving Dawn Island, Luffy's hat was clutched tightly in his hands rather than being worn on his back or kept close for safekeeping while he slept. The straw was fraying at the edges - nothing a little stitching couldn't easily fix - and Ace's knuckles were white from the strain.

Sabo had to tear his gaze away, looking to his own hands. They were still shaking, something he'd noticed when he'd first taken the wheel to put them on course.

It would have been easier to blame Ace, especially because he knew Ace blamed himself more than anyone. Ace had been the one watching over Luffy, and Ace had been the one to talk Luffy into helping Bluejam. Ace was the reason they'd been in the fire. Ace was the one who'd stayed behind to fight, leading to his separation from Luffy. If Ace had just stayed in the forest with Luffy, if he hadn't stopped to fight, if Luffy hadn't felt like he needed to find him, both of Sabo's brothers would have been safe with Dadan.

Sabo would have died, but that was a trade he would have gladly taken in exchange for Luffy. Ace would have mourned him, but he would have moved on for Luffy's sake. It hurt - and he struggled to keep himself from focusing on it - that Ace would not be able to move on for his sake. Guilt ate away at him as he wondered if it meant he didn't care enough about Luffy; if considering the idea that he could move on for Ace's sake if given the opportunity somehow cheapened his love for his little brother.

He had to push that thought back and remind himself that Luffy would never want them to sink into despair. Luffy would want them to keep smiling and keep reaching for their dreams, but dreaming in itself seemed like an impossible feat knowing Luffy would never have the chance to chase his own.

Sabo wanted to believe in time he would have been strong enough to move forward with the loss of Luffy, to be the one to remind Ace that they still had each other, but his heart recognized it as a pretty lie meant to alleviate the pain; pain he wasn't sure would ever go away.

Did that mean he was just like Ace, and simply fooling himself into thinking it was somehow unfair?

Would he trade Ace's life for Luffy's, if given the choice?

Tears stung his eyes at the realization that he would, but not for the same reason. He loved both of his brothers, and even if Luffy was the younger brother - the priority, and the one they both wanted to protect - simply choosing between them was not an option. He couldn't weigh one brother's life against the other.

No, the reason he would have chosen Luffy's life over Ace's was because in that moment, Sabo realized Ace could not survive Luffy's death. In losing Luffy, Sabo had lost both of them, and trying to tell himself otherwise was a cruel lie born of false hope.

The tears came faster with that admittance, even in its silence, and he made no move to wipe them away even as it stung and burned his healing skin. He hadn't let himself break down and cry, stumbling in a haze of shock and denial in the aftermath of hearing Luffy's fate, but he could no longer hold himself back.

It might have only been a brief moment, and Sabo had barely been aware of his surroundings, but he'd seen and heard Ace crying back at the village. Ace might have spoken to him then, even acted like a part of him was still there, but looking at him now, he couldn't even see his brother anymore. He was finally realizing that the moment he'd seen in that stifling room had been Ace completely breaking.

One hand came up to cover his mouth, muffling a sob that wracked his entire body. The sea swallowed any sounds that escaped - even knowing Ace wouldn't pay attention to him, he still felt the need to hide his pain - and it wasn't long before the ache in his chest overwhelmed him to his very core. His chest heaved with each breath he managed to take, only to release in a choked sob on every exhale.

He didn't know how long it took before he ran out of tears, his shoulders shaking and his aching body screaming in exhaustion. The realization, while filling him with despair, changed nothing. Even if Ace was out of his reach forever, he had no one left. He'd follow Ace, even if it killed them both in the end, because families and freedom and the very idea of dreaming ever again were things Sabo would never be able to find alone.

...

"How are you holding up, yoi?"

Thatch nearly sliced his finger off at Marco's question. It was only quick thinking that had him using haki at the last second so the knife didn't break the skin. When he raised his head to look up, Marco's expression seemed stoic, but his light blue eyes held deep concern in them. That was natural of course, as Thatch couldn't recall the last time he'd been distracted enough to almost cut himself in the kitchen. If there was one domain that set him at ease, anywhere food-related was usually it.

"Been better?" he tried, seeing if Marco would accept the answer. It earned him a slight nod.

"Izo's with Luffy," Marco explained. "He said you didn't hear him talking to you and I should come make sure you were still alive."

"Izo worries too much," Thatch said with a note of fondness in his voice. He vaguely recalled Izo telling him he planned to take one of his shirts for Luffy, but he couldn't remember if he'd responded out loud. He didn't mind, of course. Luffy's clothes had been ruined beyond repair and they couldn't just leave him in bandages forever.

He set the knife down next to the carrots he was dicing at that thought, leaning back against the counter as he turned to Marco. "What are we going to do if he has no family here, Marco?"

Marco raised an eyebrow at him, causing him to sigh.

"I can't just abandon him somewhere to fend for himself," Thatch continued. "If he has nowhere to go… do you think Oyaji would take him in? I mean, Luffy's a lot younger than Haruta…"

"Haruta isn't exactly having the easiest time in the New World," Marco commented with a frown. "I don't know if it'd be a good idea, yoi."

"I just don't want to rescue him from one hell and wind up dropping him in another," Thatch murmured, shaking his head. "He's a strong kid to survive what that bastard put him through, but that doesn't mean he needs to be put through anything else."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, then," Marco decided. "We still don't know if the kid has a family. He hasn't woken up again."

Thatch nodded absently, lifting the cutting board and carrying it to the stove, where a large pot of stew was boiling. He dumped the carrots in with less flourish than usual, unable to banish the sadness from his eyes. "How has everyone been, anyway?"

"The same. Haruta roped Rakuyo into helping with some pranks," Marco actually smiled a little. "Rakuyo isn't very good at turning Haruta down, or helping with pranks. It's when Haruta gets Jozu on his side that things actually get interesting, yoi."

"I'm appalled," Thatch chuckled. "Fear not, dear brother. Soon, we'll be back home and I'll be in charge of the pranks again."

"Uh-huh."

Thatch's lips curved into a grin at the bland response, and he set to stirring the stew with renewed energy. "I still can't believe Izo came with you. He never tags along on your 'recovery missions', even when someone's been gone over a month."

Marco's face gave almost nothing away, but he did smile a little more openly. "He was hoping to scold you a little more, yoi."

"I wish I could have seen him having to ride the phoenix," Thatch snickered. "Wasn't it uncomfortable?"

"Not a clue what you're talking about, yoi."

"Well I mean, either he rode sidesaddle, or-"

"He can probably hear us, you know. Unless you want to be target practice as soon as you're done cooking, you should probably quit, yoi."

"Sage advice, brother. Sage advice," Thatch agreed, glancing nervously over his shoulder. He sagged a little from relief when he didn't see a pistol pointed at him - Izo would still punish him in some way later if he'd been annoyed by the conversation, though - only to tense at the sound of something striking the wall. It sounded like his boat had hit something, but they were anchored…

"I'll go check it out," Marco offered, turning and heading from the room before Thatch could answer.

...

His fist lashed out before he could stop himself, the tightly coiling tension in his body snapping the moment he felt a presence near him. He had just enough time to realize who he was lashing out at before his fist caught them in the shoulder. Luckily, Sabo's injuries had healed enough to give him back some of his prior reaction time and reflexes, or the punch would have likely hit him in the throat.

Ace's steely eyes betrayed nothing as Sabo staggered backwards - he was already worthless, so what did it matter if he added another horrible action and regret to the pile - but his jaw clenched hard enough that his teeth made an audible grinding sound. "What?"

Sabo barely winced, even though the punch had caught him in the left side and practically knocked the wind out of him from how much it had hurt. His eyes were red-rimmed and defeated, and all Ace could think was that his blond brother wouldn't look that way if he hadn't let him down. If he'd saved Luffy.

"You're going to hit the ship if you don't adjust," Sabo rasped out finally, regaining his footing and looking ahead to the ship - the one flying Whitebeard's mark - just up ahead.

"I don't want them getting away," Ace snapped, turning back to the helm. He'd placed Luffy's hat back on his neck by the cord, and the weight of the flimsy straw felt heavier than before. "It's fine."

"They're anchored, Ace. They aren't going anywhere."

"I don't care if we hit them."

Sabo made a frustrated sound in the back of his throat. "Ace, do you even have a plan? If this pirate killed Bluejam easily, what makes you think-"

"Stay on the boat, Sabo," Ace interrupted, gripping the wheel tightly enough that his fingers throbbed with a dull ache. "If I'm losing, I'll distract him while you get away."

"I'm not running away either," Sabo responded hotly. "Don't try to dismiss me while you throw your life away! Luffy's my brother too!"

"Do what you want," Ace muttered, narrowing his eyes at the reminder and not bothering to correct Sabo on the fact that Luffy was gone. "I don't care."

He saw the flinch out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't outwardly react to it. Sabo was the one making the choice to be stubborn, and Ace wasn't going to babysit him. He couldn't worry about Sabo making stupid choices when Luffy's murderer was right there.

As Sabo predicted, they hit the ship. It wasn't very hard, but it was enough to splinter the side of their pathetic boat. It didn't seem like any serious damage had been done, but Ace didn't bother checking before he grabbed the grappling hook he'd readied. If the ship had been much larger, he would have struggled getting it over the side. As soon as he heard it catch, he was strapping his pipe onto his back and checking to make sure the dagger he'd secured on his belt was still there.

"Ace-"

"I don't know how many there are, and if I don't hurry, they'll come investigate before I even get up there. Leave me alone," Ace snapped, reaching out and tugging the rope a few times to make sure it was steady. He felt Sabo's hand brush his sleeve right before he hauled himself up. His feet hit the side of the ship as he angled himself to climb without having to use too unnecessary upper body strength, and within moments he was hauling himself up over the side and onto the deck. He'd only barely touched down when the door leading below opened and a pirate stepped into view.

Cursing inwardly, he sprang to his feet and grabbed his pipe, brandishing it in a defensive stance.

"What do you think you're gonna do with that, yoi?"

Ace narrowed his eyes at the man who'd spoken, a feral snarl ripping from his throat at the nonchalant way the other regarded him. He met ice blue eyes without flinching, shifting his stance to a more aggressive one. "Don't underestimate me, you bastard!"

"Marco? What the hell is going on up there?"

The pirate - Marco, according to the new voice - turned in the doorway, shoving one hand in his pocket and lazily tilting to one side as he exposed his back. "There's a kid with a weapon up here, Izo. I think that sound was a boat hitting us, yoi."

Fury clouded Ace's judgment at how easily this 'Marco' dismissed him, and with a cry of rage, he launched himself in attack, bringing the pipe down with enough force to shatter a human spine easily.

He was seconds from landing the hit when Marco angled his body, not even fully turning to look at him, and caught the pipe. His grip was firm and the impact jolted Ace, but Marco didn't seem fazed at all. Ace felt as though time had frozen and he was left suspended there in disbelief, staring at the unimpressed gaze of a man whose strength hopelessly outclassed his own.

In the next moment he was hurtling across the deck, barely managing to land on his feet where Marco had thrown him. The pipe clattered from his hands, rolling a ways away, but he didn't dare go after it when Marco turned and started approaching him. He was angry, but he wasn't an idiot. The blond pirate had proven he wasn't just dismissing Ace; he had the speed and strength to act as nonchalant as he wanted without actually risking himself.

Marco stopped halfway, giving Ace plenty of space while still making it obvious the freckled boy had nowhere to run. Another pirate appeared in the doorway - Izo, if Ace had heard correctly - and despite the overall appearance of a woman, Ace was positive the voice had been too deep.

"He looks angry," Izo commented, walking up to Marco without a shred of hesitation. "Did he attack or something?"

"Yeah, with that pipe, yoi. He's stronger than he looks."

"Don't fucking joke with me," Ace snapped, his words nearly lost in the growl that built in his chest and tore through him. His fury was so strong it was almost tangible to him, and he wanted nothing more than to beat the unimpressed expressions right off their faces.

"Uncouth," Izo commented. "Oi, brat, what brings you here? We're not babysitters."

"What's going on up there?!"

Ace hissed at the third voice. Just how many pirates were there? He darted a glance to his pipe, but the moment he shifted his foot, Marco's attention was back on him. The third voice sounded much less composed - it would have been nice to have been able to take that one by surprise, if anything - but neither pirate was being distracted by it.

Before he had a chance to think of a new plan, the third pirate appeared in the doorway, letting the door swing wide open rather than shutting it behind him. He looked like a cook, and despite a larger build than either of others, he gave off the aura of being far less dangerous. Ace reasoned that it was probably his ridiculous hairstyle.

"Another kid?" the newcomer sounded distressed, and Ace's eyes flashed. Another kid. Another kid. This man had been there; he had to be the one who had killed Luffy.

"Thatch, did you turn off the stove before you came up here? The last thing we need is a fire, yoi," Marco commented, turning to the newcomer.

Ace didn't care of Marco was capable of stopping him or not. He lunged for his pipe, scooping it up and darting forward. He made it seem like he was charging Marco, feinting at the last second to take aim at the man with the pompadour. Thatch, as Marco had called him.

Marco started to move, but Thatch held his hand up to stop him, backtracking out of the way. Ace didn't care why neither pirate moved to stop him, or why Thatch was only avoiding him. He just wanted to make this man suffer.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Thatch asked, carefully avoiding each angry swing. It irritated Ace to no end that the older pirate didn't seem to have the slightest difficulty dodging his swings.

"Shut up!" Ace snarled in response, swinging a little harder. Thatch at least blocked that one, though it didn't seem to hurt, and instead of breaking his forearm like it should have, it simply connected and sent a jolting vibration through Ace's hands and up to his shoulders.

"Ah, sorry," Thatch apologized. "You should be more careful. Why don't we stop and talk-"

"I don't want to talk!" Ace shouted. "I want you to die!"

"Look," Thatch moved faster than Ace could follow, snagging the pipe and yanking it from his hands. It propelled Ace forward a little, but he could only watch helplessly as Thatch tossed the pipe over the side of the ship and knelt to catch him by the arm with one hand. "Why don't you calm down before you hurt-"

Ace hadn't even heard his words. As the pipe had gone over the side, he'd glared murderously and reached for the dagger on his hip, bringing it out of the sheath quickly enough that no one saw what he was doing until the dagger was slicing into Thatch's arm. Ace saw it break the skin, saw crimson staining the glinting metal, but he didn't get a chance to see how much damage he'd done. The wind was knocked out of him and everything felt like it was spinning before he realized he'd been kicked in the side.

A sandaled foot had him pinned with his chest to the deck, and just enough pressure was being applied to his back to make it hard for him to breathe. He couldn't budge an inch.

"Thatch, you moron!" Izo was scolding, striding over and grabbing the stunned pirate's wrist. The dagger was buried deep in his forearm, but he hadn't shouted in pain or tried to pull it out himself.

"Hey, Marco, what are you doing? He's just a kid!" Thatch protested, and Ace felt his gut wrench at the note in Thatch's voice that sounded like concern.

He hated their pity almost as much as he hated their arrogance.

"You let your guard down because he's just a kid, yoi," Marco answered, digging his heel in a little more and earning a hiss of pain from the freckled boy. "You actually let him stab you."

"I'm fine," Thatch said, although his pride was clearly wounded.

There was a slight movement out of the corner of Ace's eye, but he brushed it off, focusing instead on Thatch and Izo.

"Think about this, kid," Marco's voice was low as Izo took the dagger out and began scolding Thatch, muttering about taking him below deck to treat his wound. "Is this really worth throwing your life away?"

"I have nothing left to lose!" Ace cried, enraged by Marco's words. He tried in vain to get free, struggling even as he felt the pressure on his back increase.

"Ace!"

Ace went still, the blood draining from his face as Sabo's voice registered. He twisted just in time to see Sabo struggling to make it onto the deck, having followed up the rope. With his burns and exhaustion, it was obvious it had taken all of his strength just to climb, and as soon as he tried to get down, he was slipping and barely catching himself on his hands and knees on the deck. He was unarmed and completely helpless.

"Oi!" Thatch advanced on Sabo at an alarming speed, and Ace's instincts screamed at him as he saw a threat approaching his only brother.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Ace didn't see Marco jerk back in shock, or Izo and Thatch's gazes snapping to him immediately. All he noticed was the pressure vanishing from his back and Sabo looking at him with wide blue eyes. He moved faster than he'd ever moved in his life, struggling to Sabo's side and yanking him to his feet. He shoved Sabo behind him immediately, extending his left arm and holding Sabo against the railing so that his body was angled in front of Sabo's. He would not let anyone hurt his brother, not again!

"A-Ace," Sabo whispered, and Ace barely even heard it over the sound of his heart pounding in his chest or the blood rushing to in his ears.

"I thought you said you had nothing left to lose, yoi," Marco commented, sounding more curious than taunting.

"He's all I have left!" Ace shouted in protest, his voice cracking and eyes stinging. He cursed himself inwardly for showing any signs of weakness, but the adrenaline had him shaking and struggling to hold anything back as the dam of his emotions finally broke. He didn't care what it took; he would do anything to protect Sabo. "Don't touch my brother!"

Thatch tactfully backed off, hands up to show he wouldn't be attacking, even as blood dripped from the wound on his arm down to his elbow.

Izo sighed, shooting an irritated glance at Thatch before looking to Ace and Sabo again. "If you'd just calm down and listen-"

"Ace…?"

Everyone froze. Ace was positive Marco must have moved too quickly for them to see and killed him, because he couldn't be hearing that voice, he couldn't, and yet…

Ace was vaguely aware of Sabo gripping his arm, but he felt little more than slight pressure, as if his entire body had gone numb. The three pirates had turned to the doorway, where Ace and Sabo were both staring, uncomprehending, at the boy who stood there.

He was covered in bandages, wearing what looked like an oversized shirt that had been sewn to fit better at the neck and shoulder area, though it still brushed the ground, and there was a blanket trailing alongside him, gripped in one small, bandaged hand.

Wide eyes, too dark for even the most discerning gaze to see without better lighting, yet easily visible as a warm brown to the brothers, were focused on Ace. Every detail was just as they'd remembered it, down to the messy black hair and the sloping scar under his left eye. For one agonizing moment, Ace wondered if he was simply experiencing a cruel dream.

"I-I didn't cry," Luffy blurted out, letting go of the blankets and stumbling just a little. His cheeks were also flushed, but despite his difficulty balancing, he remained standing. "I-I didn't cry at all!"

As he spoke, fat tears began to well up in his eyes and slide down his cheeks some catching on the corner of a thick white bandage on his right cheek. "I didn't let Bluejam see me cry, because, because you weren't there to tell m-me to stop being a crybaby, so I d-didn't cry!"

None of the pirates spoke, though Thatch looked utterly heartbroken. Marco had moved closer to him discreetly, and at the look on his face, he reached out to put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from interfering.

Ace couldn't find his voice, still rooted to the spot as he watched Luffy cry, saw him struggling to wipe at his eyes without having to look away. The words were sinking in, and it was making Ace's throat tighten to the point of physical pain.

"I can cry n-now though, r-right?" Luffy stammered, hiccupping and sobbing and dripping snot like he always did when he cried. "B-because y-you're here, and I kn-knew you'd find me!"

Something inside of Ace shattered at those words. It could have been his composure, his restraint, maybe even his heart, but he didn't care. Luffy's name escaped his lips, and it sounded closer to a strangled sob. He wasn't even aware that his body had started moving until he'd crossed the distance between them and pulled Luffy against his chest in a crushing grip, falling to his knees and taking the younger boy with him.

He didn't have to turn to look for Sabo; barely seconds after his knees hit the deck, he felt the blond at his side, pulling Luffy into his arms as well so they were both clutching him and shielding him from the world.

"Sabo!" Luffy finally noticed him, looking at him through a flood of tears, and then he was smiling despite how hurt he was, despite how scared he must have been. As they'd guessed, he'd expected Ace to come after him, but he hadn't known Sabo would have been able to as well. The sheer joy on his face was enough to cause fresh tears to well up in both their eyes. "Y-you're both h-here! I knew you'd c-come!"

"Idiot," Ace swore, his voice desperate and hoarse as he clutched them both - the two most important people in his life - tighter. "Like we could leave our weak little brother out here all alone…!"

"Of course we came, Luffy," Sabo added through tears, sobbing and smiling at the same time. "We're your big brothers!"

Ace buried his face against Luffy's hair, struggling to calm himself down as it finally sank in that this was real; Luffy was alive and crying and clutching at them with rubbery hands and arms that would have extended to wrap around them multiple times if he hadn't been trapped between them. He could feel Luffy's heart racing against his chest, and all three of them were trembling. It wasn't an illusion, and it wasn't a dream. Luffy was right there in their arms, and he was alive.

"I th-thought you were dead, Ace!" Luffy wailed suddenly.

Ace started to laugh, his shoulders shaking as the absurdity of the situation sank in. He was so overwhelmed at finally finding Luffy that he'd forgotten all about the circumstances that had led to them being separated in the first place. Of course Luffy had been worried about him, and maybe it was justified, but after believing Luffy was confirmed dead, the very idea of Luffy being relieved to find him alive was too much.

"It's not funny!" Luffy protested with genuine anger, clutching them both tighter. "B-Bluejam said you and Dadan died!"

The laughter ended there, and then Ace and Sabo were hugging him fiercely again.

"I'm sorry," Ace whispered. "I didn't mean it. I wasn't… damn it Luffy, they told us you were dead!"

"They said you were killed with Bluejam," Sabo added in a small voice, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Dadan's fine," Ace added, his voice thick with emotion as Luffy's angry expression faded and he resumed crying into their shirts. "She's stupid and annoying and back with the rest of the stupid, annoying bandits, and they're all okay."

Luffy sagged in relief, rubbing his face back and forth against Ace's shirt to wipe his eyes. For the first time, Ace didn't protest him doing it, just too relieved that Luffy was alive and capable of doing it in the first place. No one disturbed them as they knelt there, clutching each other like lifelines while crying and saying each other's names to reaffirm that they were all truly together again.

It wasn't until they were finally starting to untangle a little - not completely, as none of them could really bear to let go yet - that Ace remembered something important. He reached up with one hand to carefully remove Luffy's hat, before setting it back on Luffy's head where it belonged. "You forgot this."

Luffy gasped, both hands shooting up to clutch at the hat that was too big for his head, but still looked perfect no matter how he wore it. "You had my hat!"

"He made sure nothing happened to it, the whole time," Sabo said with a warm, tired smile.

Luffy started to cry again, and since he was no longer being squished between them, he reached out to wrap his stretching arms around them both, pulling them close. Neither brother protested as they wrapped Luffy up in their arms in return, content to just hold him while he cried.

Eventually, none of them felt like they had any tears left, and Luffy was a clinging, whimpering mess that would need several bandages changed. It was then that Ace's body tensed again, and he finally diverted his attention from his brothers to look at the three pirates who were still on the deck.

They'd moved a little farther away, although there was nowhere they could have gone to avoid accidental eavesdropping, so Ace was positive they'd heard everything. Sensing Ace's gaze on them, Marco turned to look. His expression was mostly impassive, although when he saw Ace's face, a softness flickered in his eyes. Thatch was hunched over the railing a little, shoulders shaking while Izo rubbed his back in a comforting manner.

"That's Thatchy," Luffy explained, drawing Ace's attention - and the pirates' - back to him. "And his brothers, Margo and Izo."

"Marco," Marco corrected, a smile quirking his lips.

"And Thatch, but you can call me Thatchy, it's fine," Thatch hurried to add, looking over and wiping at his eyes. "Luffy, are you feeling okay? Are you hungry? I made - ah!"

"You didn't turn off the stove. Did you burn the food?" Izo asked dryly.

"No-maybe? I don't think so," Thatch didn't look very sure of himself, but he didn't approach the trio in the doorway either.

Ace's eyes flickered to Thatch's arm, which had been bandaged with a strip of cloth that was tied neatly and stained with blood. He tried not to flinch as guilt crept into his relief. They'd clearly been given the wrong information about what the 'Whitebeard Pirate' had done, and in a blind fit of rage, he'd pushed Sabo away, hurt him, and almost thrown everything away in an attempt to injure the ones who'd rescued Luffy.

The freckled boy looked back to his little brother, taking in the numerous bandages all over his thin, fragile body, and the guilt nearly swallowed him whole. These pirates had found Luffy and saved him from Bluejam when he'd been waiting on Ace to do it, and they were even nursing him back to health. He owed them all a debt of gratitude, and instead, he'd done nothing but cause them trouble.

"I'm hungry," Luffy answered Thatch, unaware of Ace's inner turmoil. "And my head hurts, and I'm thirsty, and I'm dizzy."

"Idiot," Ace admonished, bringing his fist down on Luffy's head with far less force than usual. "We shouldn't inconvenience them any more than we already have. Sabo and I have food on our boat-"

"First of all, it's not an inconvenience, and Thatch would never stop whining if we let you kids go anywhere in your condition," Izo addressed the boys for the first time in a while. "And secondly, your boat sank a while ago. You wouldn't have made it very far."

Ace faltered, but Luffy smiled.

"It's okay! Thatchy and his brothers are nice, Ace!" Luffy smiled wide. "Ah, Thatchy! These are my brothers, Ace and Sabo! We both got our wish, ne? We both got our brothers!"

Thatch's cheeks reddened, and he gave a sheepish smile in response to the raised eyebrow Izo directed at him. "Ahem. Yeah, nice to meet you Ace and Sabo. Hey, don't worry about the boat. We can take you guys wherever you want to go, and there's plenty of room here. You look exhausted and hungry. If you don't mind, I'll go past you to the galley and make sure the food didn't burn, and Marco and Izo will help you guys get into bed. Well, in Luffy's case back to bed, since he looks like he still has a fever, and you guys can share with him."

Ace opened his mouth to protest automatically, but Sabo gripped his arm, cutting him off.

"Thank you," Sabo's voice was utterly exhausted, and it caused another wave of guilt to crash over Ace.

"Thank you," he mumbled, echoing the blond and averting his eyes. He pulled Luffy a little closer, tucking the boy and his straw hat under his chin, his other hand pulling Sabo closer as well. Even if they were supposed to be moving, he wasn't ready to let either one of them go yet.

...

Thatch shut off the stove with a sigh of relief when he saw that nothing had burned and the stew hadn't been ruined. The bread in the oven was perhaps a little darker than he would have liked, and it would soften when combined with the stew anyway.

He'd barely placed the tray on the counter to cool when Izo grabbed his arm, pulling him from his task.

"Hey, what gives? I'm trying to get the food ready for-"

"Shut up for a moment," Izo said, pinning his wrist down to the counter and untying the bloodied cloth that had once been a part of his own sleeve. "The last thing I need is you getting an infection and losing an arm or something."

"Aw, Izo, you worried about me?" Thatch teased, giving a lazy smirk that quickly melted into a shocked pout as Izo cleaned the wound a little more vigorously than necessary.

"Don't start with me. I can't believe you let that boy stab you," Izo scolded, already applying a topical anesthetic so he could stitch the wound shut. "What were you thinking?"

"Honestly?" the joking was gone from Thatch's tone, which caused Izo's expression to soften a little. "I was thinking about how much pain that kid had to be in. I mean, sure, I could tell he wanted to kill me, but it looked to me like he wanted to cry. I wasn't going to fight back against that."

"You're too soft on children. One of these days, that's going to bite you in the ass," Izo muttered.

"Today is not that day," Thatch's teasing tone came back, and he grinned brightly. "Luffy has brothers, and they came after him on that tiny wreck of a boat, all by themselves. I don't know how long they've been after him, but that takes a lot of strength."

"Well, Marco helped them back to the room, but none of them are talking," Izo said. "Luffy is still crying."

"That's good. I mean, it's good that he's able to let his emotions out," Thatch corrected himself. "He worried me."

Izo smoothed a bandage over the stitches, then shot him a stern look. "Don't overdo it, Thatch."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Thatch promised.

...

No one tried to speak as the boys ate the food Thatch and Izo had brought them. Luffy had started crying again shortly after they'd reached the bed, doing his best to keep a grip on both brothers, and he hadn't even stopped when the food had arrived.

Not caring how it looked to the pirates, Ace had finally smacked Luffy on the head, calling him a crybaby and telling him to knock it off. It may have seemed harsh, but Luffy had lifted his head with the biggest smile either of his brothers could ever remember seeing, and it was enough to make their eyes fill with tears all over again. Once they'd finished smothering Luffy in hugs, reassuring themselves that he was still there, still tangible, they'd finally separated enough to accept bowls of piping hot stew and large pieces of soft, freshly baked bread.

Thatch was personally very happy he'd made such a large batch as he refilled Luffy's bowl for the fifth time, glancing over at Marco and Izo to make sure they'd gotten enough. Ace and Sabo were eating slower than their little brother, but they were eating just as much overall.

"Thatchy makes really good food," Luffy commented once he'd polished off another bowl and a large chunk of bread. "I remember having it earlier too."

"Well it looks like your fever may have broken, but I'm still surprised you remember anything from earlier," Izo commented. "You were barely coherent."

"He means you weren't making sense," Sabo told Luffy at his wide, blinking eyes.

"Oh," Luffy smiled sheepishly. "Well, I ate, so I feel better now."

"He's always been like that," Sabo spoke up, shooting a cautious glance at the pirates. It hadn't gone unnoticed by any of the older men that they'd put Luffy farther back on the bed, and Ace had managed to angle himself closest to the edge.

The older brothers were still wary, though Sabo was at least willing to converse with them.

"Ever since I ate my fruit," Luffy agreed, smiling. "I'm made of rubber."

"We guessed that," Thatch said with a grin.

Luffy's face fell suddenly, causing Thatch's grin to vanish, and both Ace and Sabo to turn to Luffy immediately as if attuned to his moods.

"Ace, Sabo, I'm sorry," Luffy whispered.

"For what?" Sabo asked quietly.

"I couldn't stop Bluejam from taking your treasure!" Luffy blurted out, clutching his empty bowl and struggling to hold back tears. "And I couldn't do anything about it when he said mean things about you!"

"You idiot!" Ace bit out harshly, slamming his bowl down on the nearby table and pulling Luffy into his arms. "Who cares about some stupid treasure, or anything that bastard said about us?!"

"The important thing is that you're okay, Luffy," Sabo added, placing a hand on Luffy's back as the younger boy dropped the bowl in his lap and wrapped his arms around Ace.

Luffy tried to tell them more, but it was lost in Ace's shoulder in a muffled jumble of words that made no sense. Ace didn't even bother trying to translate, just clutching Luffy and letting his head rest on his little brother's, knocking his hat askew.

"How long was he away from you?" Thatch asked, looking to Sabo.

Sabo tensed a little at being directly addressed, then let his shoulders relax as he reminded himself that these men had helped Luffy, spared Ace, and were showing them incredible hospitality.

"Almost three weeks, I think," Sabo murmured. "He was kidnapped from our home on Dawn Island."

"Dawn Island?" Thatch asked, eyes widening.

"Is that far from here?" Izo questioned. He didn't know very much about the islands in East Blue.

"That's where the Goa Kingdom is," Thatch answered, frowning. "A lot farther than I expected. And you two have been following ever since?"

"Of course we have," Sabo answered, his expression softening as he looked to Ace and Luffy again. "Luffy's our little brother."

"I'm tired," Luffy whined suddenly, pulling back from Ace to rub at his eyes. "But I don't wanna sleep…"

"If you're tired, sleep," Ace argued. "We'll be here when you wake up."

Luffy's lower lip trembled at those words, fresh tears welling up in his large eyes. "I started to forget what you sounded like…"

"Luffy," Sabo whispered, his heart clenching painfully at the thought.

"I was always so tired in that barrel, and I couldn't move or see the sky, and I kept trying to remember your voices but it never sounded right and I thought I'd never see you again!" Any attempts to hold back his tears were lost, and Luffy's shoulders started to shake from the force of his sobs.

"You don't have to worry about that anymore," Ace said, keeping his tone firm even though the pain was raw in his eyes, and bared for all of them to see. "We're going to be free, Luffy. We're not going back to Dawn Island, and no one's ever going to force us to split up again."

Luffy hiccupped, turning to Sabo. "Sabo's coming with us?"

"Sabo's coming with us," Ace promised.

"Sabo…" Luffy's voice wavered, and it looked like he was about to start sobbing again. "Did you get hurt in the fire? You look like you're hurt!"

Sabo winced at the reminder, drawing in a soft breath. "I'm fine, Luffy. I got hurt, but Ace helped me out, and I'm fine now."

Luffy reached out almost touching the healing burns, but keeping his hand just shy of contact. "Does it still hurt…?" he hiccupped, and Sabo reached up to take his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Not anymore," Sabo told him with a smile. "If freedom with my brothers only costs a couple scars, then that's a price I'll pay any time."

"Sabo!" Those words caused the sobbing to start anew, and then the rubber boy was lunging.

Ace let go of Luffy, watching him burrow into Sabo's arms in worry. Sabo may have convinced Luffy he wasn't hurt, but Ace hadn't forgotten how hard Sabo had pushed himself, or how Sabo had struggled to hide any sign of pain since they'd left Dawn Island. He didn't interrupt though, even when Luffy's hug was clearly causing discomfort. He knew better than anyone how important it was to be able to prove it - to be able to reacquaint yourself with someone you'd been so sure you'd lost for good - and interrupting them without Sabo's permission would have been wrong.

"Where are you going to go, if you don't want to go back, yoi?"

Ace jerked at the voice, twisting to glare at Marco automatically. He'd forgotten about Marco being in the room since the other man hadn't spoken to them since they'd gone below deck.

"Just a question," Marco assured him.

"We don't know yet," Sabo answered, addressing Marco warily.

"You don't have to decide right now, either," said Thatch. "Just eat, relax, and try to get some sleep. We'll stay anchored here. Only a moron would attack a Whitebeard ship… er, no offense… um, anyway, no one's going to attack us, so it's safe, and we'll be here if anyone does attack."

Ace rolled his eyes at Thatch's words, but guilt made his stomach clench again. Out of the three, Thatch was the least threatening, the one Luffy seemed to like the most, and the one showing them the most hospitality. He was also the only one Ace had managed to actually injure. He wanted to say something, perhaps apologize for what he'd done, but he was honestly too ashamed to speak to any of them. Especially when Thatch's smile was so understanding.

"He's falling asleep," Sabo murmured. "Ace, will you take him so I can finish eating?"

"Yeah," Ace answered, carefully extracting the drowsy rubber boy from Sabo's lap and moving to lie beside him on the bed. He purposefully left an open space on Luffy's other side, closer to the wall, so that he would be between his brothers and any danger if it happened to come to them.

Sabo watched him for a few moments as he resumed eating his stew, noting that while it looked like Ace had fallen asleep alongside Luffy, he was still tense. If Sabo called out for him, he'd likely be awake and alert in an instant.

"When was the last time he slept?" Izo asked quietly. "I didn't look him over for injuries, but he looks worse than you do, and you're covered in healing burns."

"Are you a doctor?" Sabo asked curiously.

"No, but I have more medical training than these two," he inclined his head to Marco while jerking a thumb in Thatch's direction.

Sabo nodded to show he understood, then looked to his bowl. "Ace has been pushing himself ever since it happened."

"Do you mind me asking how it happened?" Izo asked.

Sabo tightened his grip on the bowl. "I don't mind," he admitted, and that revelation startled him a little. He'd expected to feel pressured into talking about it, obligated because they'd rescued Luffy, but he found himself willing to open up at the simple, earnest prompt. The only problem was he was far too exhausted to tell the story. "But… I don't want to explain it right now."

"Fair enough," Izo nodded graciously. "What about telling us how you followed us? Thatch said he had no idea how he happened upon that man's boat."

Sabo swallowed at the memory. "We've been going from island to island. We knew Bluejam was using Luffy as a hostage to get supplies and money out of villagers, but we didn't know where he was heading. An unexpected storm led us to the last island."

"Hey, that's how I got there too," Thatch interrupted, tilting his head to the side. "Weird."

"Really?" Sabo gave a small smile. "Maybe it was fate. Anyway… when we got to the village, Bluejam had already been through. But…" he shrugged his shoulders helplessly as the smile fell. "We were told a Whitebeard Pirate killed Bluejam and our brother. We were told there was nothing left."

Thatch winced. "Oh. That's why you thought… I'm sorry."

"Why did they say that?" Sabo asked, giving Thatch his full attention.

Thatch gave a weary sigh, leaning forward and letting his elbows rest on his knees. "To make a long story short, I didn't even bother seeing where the storm had taken me. I slept through it."

"Buffoon," Izo commented.

"Really, yoi."

"Oh shut up," Thatch grumbled. "Anyway, I noticed that guy's ship but I didn't know what to make of it. Then I saw treasure being thrown over the side."

"Treasure being… thrown over the side?" Sabo echoed.

"Yeah. Luffy was doing it, but I couldn't tell at the time. Just that when Bluejam," Thatch's lip curled in disgust as he used the pirate's name, not wanting to curse too heavily in front of a child, "came up from below, he was attacking the source. As soon as I saw he was attacking some defenseless kid, I kind of lost it."

"Bluejam is dead, right?" Sabo questioned, just to be sure.

"Yeah. I killed him and blew up his boat. Sank everything on it. Sorry if the treasure was yours…" Thatch twiddled his thumbs. "I had Luffy in one arm when I did it, and the villagers probably didn't see that if they were watching. I didn't notice."

"Ace…" Sabo trailed off, turning his gaze to his sleeping brothers and noting that Ace stirred automatically at the sound of Sabo calling his name. He swallowed as his throat tightened with emotion, then looked to Thatch. "He blamed himself for Luffy getting kidnapped. He blamed himself for me getting hurt before we managed to leave the island to find Luffy. He's… We've always viewed Luffy as a weakling and a crybaby who needs us to take care of him, but he's our weakling, and our crybaby. He's our little brother. It was killing Ace to know that Luffy was all alone and crying and we weren't there."

"So when you heard the false information," Marco added with a sympathetic voice. "He lost it, didn't he, yoi?"

"Yeah," Sabo closed his eyes for a moment. "We both did. Ace wanted to make someone suffer, and I gave up on Ace. I thought he was gone for good, and that I'd lost both my brothers." He opened his eyes again, struggling not to flinch when he felt tears stinging his skin again. He wondered how many tears he'd have to cry before it became physically impossible to shed more. "When I tried to help him earlier on the deck, and you were trying to come help me, he thought you were attacking me…"

"Yeah," Thatch's expression was soft. "He said you were all he had left."

"I didn't know he could still see me," Sabo whispered, rubbing at his right eye. He gratefully accepted a small pink cloth from Izo to dab at his left. The skin was far too tender for him to rub, and the tears were irritating it. "I felt so happy to know I wasn't alone, but I was also ashamed, because I was the one who'd truly given up."

"That's natural, yoi," Marco spoke up again. "Don't beat yourself up over it. Now you know, and you won't make that mistake again, right?"

Sabo nodded, allowing himself to relax a little at Marco's words. He couldn't completely forgive himself, not yet, but it was a small step in the right direction.

"And the three of you are reunited now," Thatch added with a kind smile. "You can relax, and just focus on each other. Don't worry about a thing, okay?"

It was a strange notion, putting his trust - in any capacity - in pirates after everything they'd been through, but there was something inherently trustworthy about Thatch, and while Marco was more of an anomaly, Izo's presence somehow calmed Sabo. Maybe it was because Izo seemed to be the most practical and level-headed of the group, and that helped Sabo relate to him.

"We'll leave you three to sleep," Izo said, rising gracefully and holding a hand out for Sabo's dishes. The blond hadn't even realized he'd finished, but his belly felt full for the first time in weeks and his body was screaming at him to curl up on the soft, inviting bed.

"Thank you," Sabo told them, knowing that no mere 'thanks' would ever be able to express the gratitude he felt in that moment.

"Don't mention it, kid," Thatch answered with a good-natured smile, collecting the rest of the dishes while Marco handled the remaining stew and tray of bread.

"I'll check all three of your injuries in the morning," Izo said from the doorway.

Sabo could only nod in response, crawling onto Luffy's other side and draping his left arm over the sleeping boy so his hand could rest on Ace's arm. He didn't bother climbing under the blanket; it would likely aggravate his burns during his sleep.

As the door shut, only the dim light of a flickering candle remained on the nearby table. He could see Ace's sleeping face, feel Luffy's chest rising and falling under his arm, and for the first time since leaving the treehouse behind, he felt himself drifting off into a safe, peaceful sleep.

He wasn't even afraid of dreaming - even if he relived the explosion like he had countless other nights, or remembered the heart-wrenching screams of a grieving Ace - he would wake up and his brothers would still be there. He was sure of it.

...

A/N: See? Didn't I say it'd get better soon? *ducks* please accept this reunion as my peace offering for all the torture I put them through before D:

This story is going to be quite long. There will eventually be a timeskip or two, and this -will- continue with the canon continuity timeline down the line, but I'm not revealing how it's happening or what's changing. I already have a giant chunk of this plot planned out, as the whole story stemmed from an idea I had about Impel Down :D

Thanks so much for reading, hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!

~Mithril