Sabo rose up onto his unsteady feet. The trick with the military soldiers had taken it out of him. More so than he had been expecting. He hadn't used his control since… well that incident with Koala.
Gritting his teeth he leaned down to pick up the unresponsive wolf, trying his best to remain on his feet as he did so. He wished Ace would wake up already, but judging by the drugs he could smell pumping through the wolves system that wasn't going to happen for some time now. Leaving him alone with the old man… Luffy's grandfather apparently.
Lu had mentioned him from time to time when they were growing up. Not too much detail. Luffy tried to avoid talking about the family he had left behind. He hadn't wanted Garp to know that he was still alive as he had been worried that his grandfather would tell Dragon, which would end in disaster for all of them. While Luffy could have sought Garp out he always chose not to, avoiding all connections with the man like the plague.
That was until the invasion. Luffy had mentioned he had run into him- although not with a lot of specifics aside from the fact that Garp would most likely keep his secret. But they could never be sure. Humans were unpredictable.
"Coming?" Came the gruff voice from the hallway, and Sabo bit back a growl. Easier said than done. Adjusting his grip on Ace, he followed the man, trying his best to focus on keeping one foot in front of the other. Now would have been a great time for Ace to be human rather than a big fluffy monster- at least in terms of carrying the other's ass out of here.
"Please wake up," Sabo muttered to the sleeping wolf. "Cause we either need to kill this guy or try to befriend him." And both options seemed fatal to him.
The base itself was partially devastated from their attack and the ensuing chaos Sabo had caused. The hunter he had sent on a rampage through the halls had taken a sizable divot out of the walls and ceiling with his weapon. Good to know he was at least competent in one aspect of his life.
Careful to step over the shattered light fixture that covered the floor, Sabo pushed past the remaining hunters, trying to avoid looking at them too long. They still looked rather flabbergasted themselves. One look from Garp had them slam their mouths shut, quickly looking down at the floor. As anxious as he was about the situation Sabo had to admit that the old man was effective.
Although it also made him wonder just what he was about to get himself into. Someone who could reign in the most troublesome of the hunters with a single look and a growl was not someone he wanted to follow through enemy territory. He would have been long gone by now, Ace in tow, if the man wasn't currently holding their littlest brother hostage.
"This way," the man's voice reigned him in, veering him left at the fork in the halls, passing by his temporary prison.
Putting aside his exhaustion and unsure footing Sabo picked up the pace. "Why are you helping me?"
"Hm?" Garp cast a glance over his shoulder, "I'm not helping you; I'm helping me."
Sabo frowned as he followed the other through the doors, outside the cabin. It was either very early in the morning or very late as the sky above was dark with only a hint of grey on the horizon. He had completely lost track of how long he had been here. There was no way of telling time from the hunter's prison cell, but from the looks of it- some time had passed. At least long enough for the men to dig a very deep grave.
He could see it just over the crest of the hill. Near the tree line was a pile of earth, partially concealing the rectangular hole. Large enough for a human male. They needn't have bothered, Luffy wasn't big or broad enough for a full-size grave yet. Honestly, some humans made Sabo sick.
"Yeah, I see it," the old man said, much closer to Sabo than the vampire had realized. He jumped at the voice, taking a couple of steps back.
Weary dark eyes followed his movements, before turning back to the dirt pile. "I have some questions, but I sure as hell ain't gonna get answers standing in the middle of nowhere. Move your feet boy."
On principal Sabo actively avoided doing anything a human ordered him to do. He lingered a moment, wondering if it was worth it to make a run for it. Would the old man chase him? Would he be able to outrun him right now? He doubted it, especially with Ace's dead weight. Plus- Luffy? He could hardly leave him. Even if it meant getting them into even more trouble.
Sabo cursed softly under his breath. Fine. His way then. Forcing his tired feet onwards he pushed beyond the hill with the disturbing grave, over to the next plateau where the old man had parked his truck. That made sense, humans had to get around somehow- considering how slow they were.
Still, Sabo hesitated once more, watching him lift Luffy into the front bench. Garp looked up at Sabo as he climbed into the driver's seat.
"You coming?"
"Shit!" he swore once more, resigning himself to the fate of going to a secondary location with a human. It would be a miracle if they survived today.
He laid Ace across the back of the truck, the wolf's limp tail falling from the truck bench onto the ground, unusually still. Sabo was used to the tail twitching, wagging, or twack-ing anxiously from side to side. He's fine. He told himself as he slammed the back door, heading back to the front to side into the shotgun seat beside Luffy.
He rested his littlest brother's head against his shoulder, putting his arm around him as he turned to Garp. "Where are you taking us?"
The old man snorted, starting the engine.
It was like a road trip. A really messed up road trip, with a family made out of monsters and a possibly evil grandfather who may or may not be taking them to their deaths. Sabo's arm tightened around Luffy, wondering if there was a way he could bail out of the car.
As if reading his thoughts Garp clicked the locks, trapping them inside.
"What do you want with us?"
The man snorted again, turning onto a dirt road that meandered through the woods. He pressed his foot into the gas pedal and the truck shot forward, shuttering in a way that had Sabo gripping the door. He wondered if all humans were such terrible drivers. Perhaps, he had nothing prior to compare it to.
"We can't tell you anything if that's what you think," Sabo told him. "I don't have any secrets for you. And we don't have a pack or anything that you can antagonize by killing us."
The old man fully laughed this time, as if he thought that was a funny thing to say. "Is that what you think this is about?"
"What is this about?" Sabo prodded.
Silence filled the car, in an uncomfortable sort of way. He watched trees race by the window, waiting for the old man to answer, if he was going to at all. Garp wasn't particularly chatty.
After a long- long moment he said, "What makes you think I care about that?"
"So, this is about Luffy?"
"My long-dead grandson reappeared right before a town invasion. Yes! I have a question or two."
"You let him go?" Sabo said and the man barked out a dry laugh.
"Like I had much of a choice. I was going to lose him one way or the other. I figured this was the less permanent solution."
Sabo looked down at his lap. Was that good or bad for them? He honestly didn't know. "If you just want Luffy, why did you bring us? You could get in real trouble."
He laughed again, amused by the idea of being in 'trouble'. "I want answers, something tells me you have them."
Well… if his fate was already sealed there was no need to hold his tongue so- "I'm glad," Sabo told him. "-That you lost him when he was a kid."
Garp shot him a look. "Oh?"
Sabo shrugged, unapologetic. "You deserved it. You could have helped him, but you didn't."
The old man had no reply for that as he turned his gaze back to the road. This was bound to be a very long and awkward car trip.
XXX
It took almost an hour for them to cross town, using only the backroads to cut across to the opposite end of the outskirts of town where Garp lived. Almost all of it was passed in tense silence as the man drove, like a maniac, through the backcountry. Every now and then he looked like he wanted to say something and his eyes – which were so much like older… more withered versions of Luffy's - would flit to Sabo, but each time he seemed to think better of it and turned back to the windshield.
Neither Luffy nor Ace stirred the entire way. Their heartbeats sounded okay for now, if not a little slow.
About twenty minutes away from the last city house Garp pulled up to his home, concealed in trees but not nearly as decrepit as Sabo had expected, (think murder cabin). It was a quaint and modest country house with most of its paint still on it, and all of its windows intact.
The man pulled into a path of tire-trodden grass and killed the engine. He glanced over at Sabo, gesturing for him to move. When he did the man leaned over and in one swift movement, he worked one arm under Luffy's legs, the other around his shoulders as he pulled him up, managing to open the truck door with his elbow.
Sabo pushed out as well, stumbling as he hopped down onto the grass, torn between following Garp and staying with Ace. Ignorant of his conflict Garp continued towards the house, unlocking the door and disappearing inside.
Sabo paused halfway to the open door, as unsure of what to do as ever. He should probably grab Ace and run, regroup and think of a plan. But before he could do anything Garp reappeared heading back to the truck.
"You look like a baby deer," the man snorted, opening the backdoor and reaching for Ace.
Sabo came over then, unsure of it he wanted to help or fight the man. "What are you doing?"
"Well, we can't leave him in the car all night, can we? You going to help?"
Sabo hesitated a moment longer and the man moved, slinging the large pile of boneless fur over his shoulder like an oversized fluffy rug. "Come on. Or are you pretending that dumb rumor is real about being invited in?" he called over his shoulder as he once more headed towards the house, and Sabo had no choice this time but to follow.
It was plain but roomy enough and clean. Military precision. As if Sabo could possibly forget where he was right now.
He followed the man down the twisting hallways towards the back of the house. The irony of being in a military leader's house was not lost on him as Garp led him to what was most likely a guest bedroom, to deposit the bloodied wolf on the clean white bedsheets, instantly ruining them.
Garp sighed, rubbing his now red-streaked hands together as he glanced up. "What your name boy?"
Sabo considered lying but decided there was no point. "Sabo," he said, and the man nodded.
"Well Sabo, ever clean a wound before."
Garp busied himself collecting supplies from around the house, as Sabo did his best to try and locate the injuries in Ace's sleek black fur.
When Garp returned he had a sewing needle and thread along with a first aid kit. He ran the needle under a flame for a couple of moments before threading it and beginning to work on Ace's various injuries.
"Why are you helping him?"
Garp didn't answer and the silence was awkward.
"How do you know Ace," the man finally asked.
"He's, my friend."
"A vampire and a werewolf?"
Everyone always said that. Sabo just shrugged. "The species feud doesn't matter as much when you hate both species an even amount. It seemed pointless to fight, and it was easier to survive if we worked together."
The man laughed, a great bellowing sound and Sabo jumped.
"You're a strange one. And I've met a lot of vampires."
He was an unusual human as well. Sabo figured Luffy took after this man far more than he did Dragon. Which was probably why they were still alive, and currently sewing up Ace. Although Garp clearly had his own agenda.
"Why are you helping Ace," Sabo tried again. "Isn't it better for you if he stays out?" They were easier to manage that way.
Garp scoffed at the idea. "Like I need that to take ya' kid. Give it another decade and then maybe I'll fear you and fluffy here. You might be strong but you're just kids and I've gone up against the best of them."
That did not make Sabo feel better.
Garp finished up with Ace, and they left him sleeping, with some water, locked in the bedroom.
Garp washed his supplies before heading to his own bedroom next, Sabo trailing behind him unsure of what he should be trying to do. Luffy hadn't moved, still lying, motionless like Ace on the now blood-stained bedsheets.
Garp's weathered face tugged down as he looked at Luffy, probably admiring the handy work of the hunters. He tapped on Luffy's temple where there was a bloody gash. "Have ta' deal with this first." His gaze flickered over to Sabo for a second before turning back to the bed. He handed the needle over a second later. "You do it."
Sabo took it somewhat hesitantly. "Why me?"
"You know how don't you?"
Sabo frowned as he crawled onto the bed, tilting Luffy's head against his knee to get a better look at the injury. It wasn't life-threatening, but he did probably have a concussion. Probably worse than the one he got from falling out of that tree when he was trying to chase a squirrel (Ace was a bad influence).
He cleaned the cut with the supplies the old man handed him before lightly adding a couple of stitches.
"You're a strange one," Garp said again, mirroring Sabo's exact thoughts.
"Yeah?"
He gestured at Sabo's now bloodied hands and clothing. "That doesn't bother you?"
Honestly, when the blood was outside of his brothers in large quantities it was more disturbing than anything else. Although yes, the smell was really annoying to him. Like spilling tomato soup all over everything.
He held up his hand. "I mean it's kind of dark." But you get used to seeing blood in the woods.
The man didn't respond, instead, busying himself with bandaging up the worst of Luffy's scrapes and bruises. When he was satisfied, he stood up, motioning for Sabo to do the same. They put the supplies away and Garp threw the blanket over his grandson and turned off the lights.
"Come on!" When Sabo didn't move, he gestured again, clearly not going to take no for an answer. When Sabo reluctantly followed him, he shut the door, locking it as he had done to Ace.
"Are you going to kill me?"
Garp snorted, leading him down the hall to the room on the end. "It's not a giant house. I just have my office, but you'll make do," he explained, ignoring the question altogether. There was something about his blunt stubbornness that reminded Sabo of Luffy. It would be kind of endearing if this man wasn't also responsible for whatever the hell happened with Dragon.
"Why am I here?" He said annoyed.
Garp glanced over at him, his wrinkled eyes, giving away none of the thoughts that were in his head. Just like Luffy when he would stare, his thoughts a complete mystery.
"You brought yourself here," Garp told him. "Why don't you tell me why, and while you are at it, why hunters kidnapped and tried to kill my grandson."
He could. Sabo could try to explain it. Shanks had apparently listened to them, but that had taken a while, and that was Shanks, as in Luffy's hero. He honestly didn't know if it was worth the effort trying with this old man- or that they could trust him not to spill to Dragon.
He did just save their lives, that meant something. But not if he was going to kill them later and turn Luffy back over to his father.
"Fine," he said after a moment. "I'll tell you whatever you want- but only if you answer me first."
"Hm?"
"Did you know, about the hunter test?"
"What?"
"Did you know," Sabo repeated. "That Dragon was taking Luffy out into the woods to do the hunter test? You told Luffy that you didn't know. But I don't believe you."
The stare was black. Mysterious brown eyes pierced through him. Sabo shuttered.
"How did you know about that?"
"Answer the question!"
"How did you know?"
"Because Luffy told me!" Sabo snapped.
"Dragon told him that I knew, and was okay with it," Garp said.
"So, you did know?"
"I confronted Dragon," Garp told him. "After Luffy came to see me. He says he told Luffy I allowed it."
"So, he lied then?"
Garp didn't reply.
"Would you have stopped him?" Sabo asked.
Once again Garp was faced with this question. "It doesn't matter," he said. "The past is the past now. No answer will change it."
Sabo's eyes darkened. It mattered to Luffy, and Luffy mattered to him. "Then no. I can't help you."
"That's hardly fair," Garp told him. "I answered your first question, return the favor."
Sabo didn't reply and naturally, being related to Luffy, Garp took that as permission. "How did you meet my grandson?"
Sabo thought about not answering. Like he owed this man anything. But he supposed it might keep them alive a little longer if he played along. "You have no reason to believe me," he warned.
"Same here," the man shot back, with those same chocolate puppy dog eyes, only the older, more world-weary version.
"Fine, you want to know what Luffy is doing in the woods with a wolf and a vampire? Well, look no further than your stupid hunter test. Your son kidnapped him in the middle of the night and tied him to a tree in the woods when he was seven. I have no idea what you people expected but a wolf got him. He nearly died. That's what happens when you do that to a human kid- they are not coming back."
Garp looked down, and Sabo considered whatever guilt he may feel, for whatever the hell his part in this had been, a victory. Luffy wouldn't approve of the blame card, but then again that kid needed to learn a little something about holding grudges and revenge.
"He was dying alone in the forest when we found him. That's how we met. You guys brought him into our home and abandoned him."
"Why did he never come back?"
This he would answer for free.
"Go back to what? You betrayed him."
There was that look again- guilt.
"Did he really stay…" Garp asked, his voice softer. "-Away from humans for his whole life…. Why?"
"You'll have to ask him that."
Garp let Sabo take a shower, and wash the blood off, before he lent him some spare clothes, and showed him to his office, laying some blankets out on the bed.
"Tomorrow," he decided. "You three are going to tell me everything."
Sabo doubted that.
XXX
"Damn," Shanks swore, as he came up to the grave site.
Dragon turned, equally unhappy to see him. "It's you."
"Don't worry," Shanks promised. "I'm not staying. I've got a job the next town over, I'm heading out now." He waived the flower in his hand. "Just coming to drop this off. I wouldn't have bothered if I knew you were going to be here.
Dragon snorted, "for Makino?"
Shanks shrugged, stepping up to the gravestone and laying the rose down, beside the bundle of forget-me-nots.
"You didn't even know her," Dragon told him. "What business do you possibly have at my wife's tomb this late?"
"Paying my respects to Anchor, I always do before I leave."
Dragon huffed again and nodded to the grave beside Makino's. "Yet you only brought flowers for her this time.
Shank's stare was hard. "Same to you. Not for your son?"
Dragon met his gaze, both of them guessing what neither wanted to outright say.
"You know," Dragon said, after a long moment. "Her favorite was always forget-me-nots. I think I'm the only person who knew that about her. Yet, every so often I would come to visit her, and find a bundle of them already on her tombstone.
Shanks shrugged, "and?"
"They were wild," Dragon recalled. "Hastily pulled, sometimes with the roots still attached. I always thought it was so strange."
Luffy. Shanks imagined him, coming to see his mom, year after year. Scavenging the forest for her favorite flowers.
"You wouldn't happen to know anything about that?"
Shanks frowned. "You got me beat. Who would be so bold as to put flowers on a tomb?"
Dragons' eyes darkened. "You are useless as always."
"You know," Shanks began. "Luffy used to say that it was you that killed Makino. Of course, no one believed him. I mean that would be insane."
"He used to say a lot of things."
"Yes he did," Shanks said. Including the fact that he was friends with a werewolf who came and played with him in the backyard. He was seven with an uncontrollable imagination, not the most reliable source. But... "I can't help but wonder where we would all be if we had listened to him from the start." He gestured to the tomb. "Who knows. Maybe he would still be with us."
XXX
Sabo waited a couple of hours before he got fed up with the mock imprisonment and picked the lock to Garp's office door.
He poked his head out, not seeing any movement in the dark house. More confident he slipped into the hallway, careful not to make a sound.
He was halfway to the room where Ace was when he heard quiet shuffling. He paused at the corner of the hall, peeking out into the living room beyond.
Garp was on the couch, having migrated his workload here. He seemed to be in the middle of something important with a pen in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other.
Sabo was a creature of the night, naturally stealthy, and good at remaining undetected by humans. Garp however seemed to have some supernatural ability to sense him as he seemed to have looked up the same second Sabo dared to peek out. Scratch that, the old man probably had him pinned the second he stepped foot in the hall.
Their eyes locked and although neither said anything, Garp's confused face clearly spelled out 'what the hell is this crazy kid doing peeking around corners like they were playing hide and seek?'
Sabo's pride as a vampire was badly bruised. Not just to be caught so quickly by a human, but to be caught on maximum effort, mid sneek. He probably looked like an idiot. Trying to hide his embarrassed blush he gave up pretenses, crossing the room to get to Ace's door.
Garp didn't stop him as he picked the lock, although he didn't offer to help either, only watched as Sabo broke in.
Trying to ignore how annoying this was he sat down on the bed where Ace was still sleeping. His wolf form sprawled out on his stomach, with his snout buried in the blanket.
Sabo shook his shoulder, and Ace whined in response, muttering something about the pine tree squirrel. Sabo tried again but Ace just huffed, still too drugged to fully wake up as he clumsily moved, pushing his nose into Sabo's hand.
The vampire sighed, petting the oversized puppy's head. "It's okay," he promised. "I'll figure this out.
He left Ace to sleep it off, crossing the hall again to pick the door to Garp's bedroom, all while the man watched him.
Like with Ace Sabo sat down on the corner of the bed, crossing his legs underneath him as he shook Luffy. Although this time he was able to wake his brother up after a minute or two of insistent shakes.
Luffy whined as he shifted, doing his best to sit up as Sabo helped him, putting his arm around the other one in comfort.
"S'bo? What hap'en?" He yawned widely.
"Hunters," Sabo reminded him.
Luffy looked up at him, his eyes were still full of sleep and glassy. "Are we dead?"
"Worse," Sabo told him. "We're at your grandfather's."
There was a shuffling sound at the door and Sabo looked up to see Garp lean against the frame. He thought he was going to interject but the man didn't try to break them up, so Sabo figured they were fine for a few more minutes.
"Oh," Luffy said, his eyes blinking closed as he started to fall back asleep. "Thats s'not good."
"I know," Sabo said. "Your grandfather is like- super weird." He added that just for Garp.
"Yeah…" Luffy said, unaware of the spectator as he fought the pull of sleep. "He's like that. Is Ace okay?"
"We're all okay… for now."
"Kay," Luffy said, deciding to check back out.
"Think he's gonna kill us?"
"Only if you fight 'im." Was Luffy's sleepy response. "He's really strong."
"Think he'll turn us in?"
"…"
When Sabo moved his arm from around his shoulders Luffy fell back, exhausted. Sabo poked his cheek. "Lu?"
"Mhh… no," he said. "I d'nt thing-k he 'ants to hurt'us." His reply was quickly becoming non-sensical.
Sabo patted his brother's shoulder. "Ok, Lu. Try to sleep it off."
"Wait," Luffy's fingers wrapped around Sabo's wrist before he could get up. "Can 'u stay?" He was still scared from the hunters.
Sabo looked up at Garp. The man shrugged, stepping away from the doorframe as he turned around, leaving them alone as he headed back to the living room.
He really was a weird dude. But Luffy seemed to trust him- for now. And he had saved them…
Sabo moved a bit, settling onto his side so Luffy could lay beside him, his breathing slowly evening out.
"No hunters are going to get you here," Sabo promised him, and Luffy smiled sleepily. "Hm' thank's for 'aving us…. A'gain."
"You're a pain in the ass," Sabo told him. "And if we survive your grounded."
"Kay," Luffy muttered.
Their brother was troublesome as hell, and a huge liability. But he didn't need to thank him. It's just what family did for each other.
Luffy fell asleep a couple of minutes later, and Sabo slipped back into the hallway. Garp was still working on the papers in the living room when Sabo came up to him.
"Your pretty laid back for a human."
Garp grunted in response not looking up from his work. "Go to bed kid. You look dead on your feet."
"Vampires don't need sleep like you guys," Sabo told him.
Garp glanced up, unimpressed. "Ya' look like a brat to me, and an exhausted one at that. Being some mythological monster won't save you from that."
He was right. Sabo was exhausted. Vampire or not.
Garp went straight back to the papers. "Luffy trusts you."
Sabo wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to that. Luffy was a very trusting person. In fact, the bar was ridiculously low on that one, yet somehow his family kept messing it up.
"Look," Sabo said. "If you want, I'll tell you what you want to know. I don't like you guys, but Luffy still cares about you." That was just who he was. In fact, there was probably part of him that even still cared about Dragon. "It would be nice if at least someone in his family deserved it."
If Luffy was willing to believe Garp then Sabo would too. For now.
The man snorted again; his face unreadable.
"Ok kid, tomorrow."
XXX
Please tell me what you thought. I have been waiting to write this for forever! I am so excited I finally got the chance!
XXX
coffe01: Of course! I'm so glad you like it. I would love that if you ever drew anything please share. Will do my best to post again soon.
: Thank you! Sorry for the wait. That was so nice to hear.
FCRDCYV: Why thank you.
Zahadacem: I'm really glad you liked the chapter. Good luck in collage, it can be rough.
Yes, Garp will be helpful, he is trying to be protective of Luffy, but he's not very good at it! Once they talk and clear things up the four of them will get along much better!
Mil saludos
Guest: Lots of talking and eventually family bonding. They do all deserve a break, and Garp can finally help out more.
