CHAPTER 3

*falls down on pile of math, english, history, french and chemistry homework. Weakly raises a crooked thumb up and laughs somewhat hysterically. *

Enjoy the chapter yo's.

DISCLAIMER I DON'T OWN ONE PIECE

Sabo's hands are tied.

He still finds himself questioning if what he experienced was real, or just a figment of his over-stressed mind. Logic tells him that it was impossible, that it was only a trick of the dark. After all, Luffy didn't see it, or hear it.

But it felt so real. He can't ignore it, it's always wriggling at the back of his mind, pushing him to remember and experience the overwhelming terror all over again.

He doesn't know if his paranoia has just grown, but he thinks he's been seeing things around the house at night. Too quick to follow, and too hard to find, whatever it is constantly escapes his ever-seeking eyes.

Since that night a few days ago, he's brought Luffy to come sleep in their room. He doesn't know what that will do in terms of protection, but Sabo knows it's better than leaving Luffy alone at night.

Of course Luffy was all in for the idea, practically jumping into the bed ever since, all smiles. Ace was a different manner.

He didn't mind sleeping in the same bed as the youngest, but he also didn't think they should get Luffy in the habit of sharing their bed. The hardest part of the whole ordeal was dealing an explanation.

Ace is a born sceptic. Unless he can see something for himself, he won't believe anything. If Sabo justified that Luffy should sleep with them over a 'feeling' he had and a damn ghost almost slaying him in half, he could guess where that would lead to. So he told a small, but reasonable lie; Luffy hadn't been sleeping well lately due to his loneliness, so he would sleep with them until school starts.

Ace hadn't minded the proposal, and had believed the blonde, unaware of the dangerous secret that was harboured.

But now Sabo has a problem.

Luffy's been so restless at night, it's almost impossible to get him to settle down. If it's not being uncomfortable while awake, it's a nightmare while he's asleep.

Luckily he and Ace have experience with afflictive sleeping conditions, so it doesn't affect them much at all. It's the youngest that worries Sabo. Ace already suggested Luffy go back to his own bed if it made him feel better, but Sabo fervently denied the request.

And he feels guilty about it.

The boy hasn't said one thing about returning to his room, nor voiced his discomfort, even when Sabo catches him grimacing from time to time when he walks. The temptation to bring Luffy back is strong, and sometimes Sabo thinks he'll be alright with it.

Now is the perfect example. Luffy is in his pajamas, watching The Muppets movie on television and snacking on a huge bowl of chips. But every now and then he shifts forward, trying to find a better position for his hurting back.

Sabo glances at the clock and notes that it's time for Luffy to go to bed. But he's left conflicted of what to do. Is it really okay to let Luffy suffer just because of something he might have seen?

Luffy moves then, and this time Sabo notices the way his eye brows pinch together in discomfort.

Sabo knows he's being ridiculous now. He's officially crazy and stupid and totally paranoid for no reason at all.

'PTSD maybe?' He never considered himself having any sort of illness after the shock of their guardian leaving. 'I guess it was just naive thinking that I would get through this unscathed.'

Head heavy and mind exhausted, Sabo walks over to Luffy and kneels down in front of him. The raven pouts and tries to shove Sabo's gigantic head aside.

"Sabo! You're in the way!" He complains. Sabo remains where he is with an amused smirk. Luffy's hands try fruitlessly to budge the head, but he only succeeds in messing up his brother's hair.

Giving up, Luffy pouts and crosses his arms. He makes a sound of contempt through his closed lips and plops backward, only to flinch at the movement.

Sabo frowns and takes the remote, turning the volume down on the television. When the sound is barely a whisper to their ears, Sabo turns back to Luffy and grips both of his tiny arms.

"Luffy." Sabo says seriously, gaze locked on the youngest. Luffy blinks owlishly, and tilts his head in confusion.

"Yeah Sabo?" Sabo swallows and relaxes his grip a little.

"Are you alright with going back to sleep in your own room?" He asks tentatively. Luffy stares blankly at Sabo for a moment, the characters on the screen dancing across his dark eyes.

"My own room?" He questions finally. Sabo can detect a hint of disappointment in his words.

"Lu, I know you're having a hard time sleeping in our bed. You sleep so much better in your room, so I think it's time you go back." He pats Luffy's head when the boy nods, looking down and away from Sabo. "Are you sure it's okay?"

Luffy nods again, this time looking at Sabo with a small reassuring smile. The blonde smiles back and ruffles Luffy's hair.

"Come on then, it's time for bed." He stands up and stretches his arms over his head.

"But the movie isn't done yet!" Luffy protests, standing up nonetheless. The wool blanket that was once resting on his lap falls, pooling on the ground.

"How much time is left?" Sabo asks, taking Luffy's tiny hand in his own.

"..."

"Thought so."

There's muffled thud and a fist punching Sabo's leg.

"Meanie!" Luffy shouts, letting go of Sabo's hand and running down to his room. The blonde chuckles loudly and follows quickly behind.

Not even a few paces away, a shadow smooths across the walls. Sabo passes by, and the irregular shadow goes unnoticed in the lamp light.

"Okay Lu, hop into bed..." Sabo says. He turns the corner only to see that the raven is already in bed. In Luffy's hands is The Pirate King book, and he hides behind it with a mischievous grin. "Ha ha ha. Nice try, I already read this to you before the movie."

"But Saboooo!" Luffy whines. "Just one more time! Please!"

"Three times is enough Lu. If I read it to you anymore you'll be reciting the words in your sleep." Sabo plucks the book out of Luffy's hands and places it on the dresser.

"What's a reciting?" Luffy asks, easing under the covers. Sabo sighs and tucks his little brother in tight.

"Never mind. Just focus on having a good sleep this time." Secretly, Sabo is happy to hear Luffy asking for more stories. The boy seems to be a bit more at ease, and less distant compared to before. Sabo can even tell from the way he's sagging against the mattress how relaxed he is.

"Doesn't your back hurt right now Lu? Maybe you should sleep on your stomach instead." But Luffy shakes his head and releases a massive yawn.

"My back doesn't hurt anymore! I don't know why, but it feels fine!" Sabo frowns in confusion. The boy could barely walk two seconds ago. "Um, Sabo?"

The blonde focuses back on Luffy, who is wringing the blanket nervously.

"Is-um..." Luffy trails off, fluttering his eyes downwards. "Did you not want me to sleep with you because I'm annoying?"

"Idiot." Sabo clonks Luffy's head lightly. "That was revenge for before. As for being annoying, we would never think of you as a nuisance. The simple reason is that you were uncomfortable in our bed. Do you agree?" Luffy nods, and Sabo places a hand over Luffy's eyes. "So just go to sleep Lu, I'll see you in the morning."

Sabo stands up, and moves to turn the light off.

"Sabo?"

The blonde looks back to Luffy with a raised eyebrow.

"What's a nuisance?"

"Goodnight Luffy."

Line here

BANG!

Sabo jolts awake on the couch. His elbow knocks the metal bowl beside him and the chips inside fall into the cushions. The blonde blinks groggily, eyes irritated from the glaring light of the television. A song rings from whatever program is on and Sabo hastily turns it down before it wakes up the entire house.

'Oh right, I fell asleep here.' The clock on the wall reads 12:33am, and Sabo groans tiredly. He didn't mean to fall asleep, he just wanted to finish watching The Muppets. Kermit is just so cool...

BANG!

Another loud bang echoes through the house. Sabo springs up, fully alert. He stares at the front door, heart hammering in his chest.

BANG!

It's not coming from the front door, Sabo realizes, but somewhere in the house.

BANG!

Cold dread builds up in Sabo's chest.

'It's coming from Luffy's direction!' Stumbling out of the living room and into the dark hallway, Sabo makes for his brother's room. As he hurries, he can just scarcely make out Luffy standing in front of his bedroom door.

"Luffy!" He calls out.

BANG!

Sabo is close enough now to hear a series of smaller slams accompanying the occasional louder one. Panic rises in his chest, but Luffy doesn't appear to be hurt, or startled for that matter.

"Lu-Luffy?" Worry quickly turns to confusion as Sabo stops, panting lightly.

Luffy is just standing there, door in hand, opening and shutting it at a constant pace. His gaze is blank, and it is fixated on the movements of the squeaking door.

BANG!

One of the slams is loud this time, but Luffy doesn't even flinch at the sound. He just keeps going on with his task as if he was a robot made to do it.

"Luffy? What are you doing so late at night?! You're going to wake Ace up! Not to mention you should be in bed!" Sabo scolds, hands on his hips. The initial panic has not yet subsided, and he feels a little antsy.

The raven stares dully forward, and slams the door no less abruptly than the last time.

BANG!

"Luffy? Are you listening to me?" Sabo demands. He reaches forward and grasps Luffy's arm. Immediately, a jolt of heat and terror scorches him and he recoils.

'Just like...last time.' Struggling to keep ahold of himself, Sabo blinks his wide eyes.

"Lu-" Sabo swallows. His throat feels thick and constricted, like he's cried for a long time. "Luffy? I-I'm not angry Lu. I'm just asking if you can hear me. Okay?"

The blonde says it with much more care than before, but he doesn't dare touch the boy. Luffy moves to slam the door again, but suddenly stops midway. Slowly, frame by frame, Luffy turns his head to actually look at Sabo.

The blonde sags a little in relief, but the sight makes him quickly hold his hands to his mouth.

Luffy's eyes are black.

Luffy's eyes are black.

Before Sabo's heart has time to stop in his chest, Luffy skitters into his room and slams the door behind him. The abrupt bang sounds oddly final, and Sabo just knows something bad will happen if he follows.

Finger nails dig into his sides and his legs feel like mere sticks- barely keeping him upright, but one movement and he'll topple over.

'I've got to...I've got to...' His mind struggles to finish the thought. 'Ace! I've got to get Ace!'

With a renewed sense of panic, Sabo spins hastily and books it for their shared room. His socks skid a bit as he turns into the bedroom and practically pounces at Ace.

"Ace! Ace! Wake up! It's Luffy!" The blonde yells, shaking his brother with great urgency. Ace groans a little, his sleep-logged mind confused at the sudden burst of action.

"Whas wrong?" He slurs, pushing himself into a sitting position. Sabo grasps the closest freckled arm and pulls at it insistently.

"I-it's Luffy! He...he-"

"Luffy? What's wrong? What happened?!" Ace demands, suddenly awake and aware.

"His eyes! Th-th-they were black! And he just kept opening and closing the door! But when I touched him it was like I got burned! That's when I saw them! His eyes. They weren't human Ace! I think-"

"Hold on Sabo. Is this some sort of dream you had or something?" Ace asks, looking annoyed.

"No!" The blonde growls in frustration. "It's one hundred percent real. So get up!" He yanks harder on Ace's arm, but the raven snatches it back with a scowl.

"This isn't something to joke about 'Bo! What if it was actually an emergency again? You have no idea how much you scared me when you said Lu was in trouble!"

"He is. That wasn't a dream Ace! Why won't you believe me?!"

Ace snorts and crawls back under the covers, turning his back to Sabo. "'Cause it's fucking nonsense! Go check up on him now, and I guarantee he'll be snoring away as always. Go."

"Ace!" Sabo tries to get his attention back, but he's done talking. An invisible wall is put up between them, and Ace blocks out anything Sabo does or says.

The blonde sighs heavily in the quiet, closing his eyes. He remains sitting on the bed, uneasiness churning in his stomach.

'I wasn't dreaming.' He seethes. 'This time I know what I saw.'

But the creature wasn't there this time. That...thing might have just been a hallucination. But still...

'Too many but's.' Despite Ace's denial, he does have a point in regards to going to see Luffy. Either to ease his mind or to confirm his little brother's safety, he doesn't know.

So Sabo silently makes his way back to Luffy's door, and can't help but feel a bit relieved to see no little brothers' near it.

He tentatively reaches forward and grasps the doorknob. No negative feelings this time. Slowly, Sabo turns the knob and opens the door a crack.

He sees Luffy's form under the lump of blankets, and thankfully it's moving up and down with each soft breath.

'Thank goodness.' Though he's relieved on many levels, he's not too happy that Ace is right. Especially if it proves Sabo is bat-shit crazy. 'I should check his eyes.'

Nose just a centimetre away, the door shuts harshly in his face.

Line here

The days till by, and Sabo hates leaving Luffy alone now.

The boy insists he's fine, but that house is not normal. Those encounters have left Sabo with no doubt that something weird is happening.

So when Luffy is taking a nap, and Ace is gone working, Sabo fires up his laptop for some research.

'First I'll start with the previous owner, Nami.'

He tries calling the ginger, but a robot voice comes on telling him the number no longer exists. Finding it a little sketchy, he punches in their address and Nami's name online.

Nothing appears for her their house, but her last name -Mikan- pulls up an article posted by the World Economic Newspaper. Pushing his glasses further up on his nose, Sabo scrolls through the article with disbelieving eyes.

About 10 years ago, her whole family committed suicide by jumping off of Goa Cliff. She had a sister, Nojiko -a few years older at the time of death, a rather young mother named Bellemere, and a step father named Arlong.

'Jeez, what a tough break...and she was Luffy's age when it happened too.' That would make her about seventeen now.

Interest nabbed, Sabo reads on.

'People who knew Bellemere spoke of how she would never do something like this.

"Her home life wasn't easy by all means." says Genzo, Mrs. Mikan's co-worker. "But she still had the little ones to think of. To think she would drag her oldest into this is something unthinkable to me."

Most blame the tragedy on the new family member, Arlong. Reports of abuse to all members of the family have started to pile in. Apparently,Bellemere had kicked Arlong out of the house when she had enough. He hadn't shown up in town for months until the day of the incident. The sudden appearance has authorities questioning if he had a major role in their deaths, and why he left Nami Mikan alone.'

The article was posted 10 years ago, so Sabo tries to find something more updated. Turns out, the whole scheme was blamed on Arlong and it was case closed in a matter of months. Nami was raised by a family friend and moved out when she was 14.

'Damn.' Sabo sags back in the chair and runs a hand through his hair. 'What a nightmare.'

But he's no closer to finding out what's up with this house. The event was a tragic one, but the deaths didn't occur here, nor did anyone live here for the longest time.

'I don't get it, what am I missing?!'

Line here

"Meanie Ace! Just leave and never come back!"

"Go to your room. Now!"

Luffy flinches. Tears build up in his eyes and he storms off, growling in frustration the entire time. Then there is a slam, and the only ones left are Ace and Sabo.

Ace huffs and sinks down in his seat. His finger tips push a silver fork side to side in a useless gesture.

"Ace." Ace just rolls his eyes, already knowing what's coming at him.

"Yeah yeah I know. Just give him time to cool down." Ace grumbles. Sabo glares daggers at his brother's head.

"You better hope he cools down. This argument was nonsensical."

"Whatever. You're probably right, but he deserves to go to his room for mouthing off to me."

Sabo crosses his arms, but doesn't say anything else.

Line here

Until late hours of the night, the two brothers stay up watching television. They keep waiting for Luffy to come back out, but he stubbornly remains locked in his room.

"I've had enough!" Sabo shouts, shooting up. Ace jumps a little, startled at the sudden burst of movement. "I'm going to get him. This is ridiculous."

Before Ace can say anything, Sabo strides down the hall to Luffy's room. Totally focused on seeing his little brother, he reaches for the door, about to knock.

However, before his knuckle even lands on the wood the door is yanked open.

"Luffy! You shou..." Sabo trails off, breath leaving him. Luffy's head is angled down to the ground, but his eyes are up, almost completely white, staring at Sabo. His mouth is fixed as a pointed frown, and he isn't blinking.

"Luffy?" Sabo asks softly, trying to push away the uneasiness creeping into his head. "Are you alright?"

Luffy doesn't respond, but starts swinging the door again, just like that one night. His blank eyes are still fixed on Sabo, as if challenging him.

"No! LUFFY STOP!" Sabo tries to slam his foot in the way, but when the door touches it it feels as though his foot is set on fire.

Sabo reels back, gripping his foot. But by that time it's already cooled down.

"ACE!" Sabo yells, scrambling to the living room. He shoots one more look over his shoulder before turning out of the hallway.

"What is it?" Ace asks, entranced by whatever is showing on the television. Sabo turns the TV off, much to Ace's displeasure, and yanks his raven-haired brother off the couch. "Hey! What the hell Sabo?!"

"You may not fucking believe me now, but you damn will when you see this!" Against Ace's protests, Sabo drags his brother back into the hallway and down to Luffy's room.

"Sabo! Let me go! I knew you were still going on about that!" Ace yells, trying to pry his arm away. But Sabo holds tight, not giving Ace an inch.

"Shut up and look!" The blonde snaps, nodding forward. Ace growls, but follows his line of sight.

Luffy is still up, no longer toying with the squeaky door, but patting the wood paneled walls with strange delicacy with the tips of his fingers.

"What the fuck." Ace mumbles. The sight looks downright odd, and they are both left staring, dumbfounded with the boy.

"Luffy?" Sabo asks carefully. He's not at all surprised that's there's no response.

"Geez 'Bo." Ace runs a hand through his hair, watching with concerned eyes. "He's been doing this before?"

Sabo nods. "Not this directly, but yeah. I don't know what it is, or how to fix it."

Slowly, Ace creeps forward, extending a hand to Luffy. "Heyy buddy. Can you hear me?"

Luffy ignores him, but suddenly tears are dripping down his face. A sob wracks his body and the sound is heartbreaking.

"STOP! WHY WON'T YOU STOP?! WAGHHH! PLEASE!" He screams.

"Luffy!" Ace yells in alarm. He runs for Luffy, arms outstretched.

"Ace! Wait!"

Ignoring Sabo's protests, Ace scoops Luffy up bridal style. The boy flops in his arms, crying hysterically. Luffy's eyes dart around the dim hallway, like he's looking for something. Sabo walks up next to them and watches Luffy worriedly.

"I think it's a night terror." Ace mutters, eyebrows furrowing.

"Night terror? Like what you had as a kid?"

Ace nods. "I got them when I was sick though. So it's a little different." Luffy lets loose another sob and coughs, choking on his tears.

"I forget, how did we make them stop?"

"Gramps would. He'd talk to me and tell me where I was. Just try and calm me down all in all." Ace strokes Luffy's tear soaked cheek and looks at him tenderly. "Luffy? It's me, your big brother."

Luffy shakes his head and cries out again. "NO! NO YOU'RE NOT! HELP STOP PLEASEEEEEE!"

"Luffy, you're home. You're with Ace and I. You're safe." Sabo reassures him, speaking softly.

"You're safe."

"We're here for you Luffy."

"Don't be scared."

"We love you bud."

Eventually, Luffy calms down with a pained whine. His eyes finally close and he falls back asleep in Ace's arms. Both brothers stare down at the littlest for a bit, then sigh in relief.

"Let's take him to our bed tonight." Ace says. Sabo nods in agreement and they both head to their room, falling on their bed. Exhaustion pulls at their bodies and their limbs feel like led.

"Hey Sabo?" The blonde lulls his head over to look at Ace.

"Yeah?"

"...We've been gone for awhile now."

"Ace we're here everyday-"

"Not to Lu Sabo. Not to Lu."

Ace meets Sabo's eyes, and they share one last troubled look before sleeping.

I didn't specify which Sunday I would post on, did I? Heh heh...

Sorry dudes, school work got a lot harder and more plentiful. I'm gonna try and sum up this story in the next chapter, so I'm sorry if it doesn't come out on time this coming Sunday.

Replies to reviews:

Tide4Time: No, actually I find it quite finny as well lolz. Thanks for the awesome review, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

SEllen23: Thank you!

Livetheluffy: Thank you so much! The one you should have been concerned about was Luffy yeesh

Lufna: Merçi beaucoup! (J'ai trouvé drole quand tu a annoncé que tu etait français en premier en anglais lol) Et je m'excuse pour mon grammaire terrible! Il va jamais améliorer!

Chappy(guest): Thanks !

Zoewinter1: HA HA YES THANK YOU SM DON'T KNOW WHY THAT MADE ME RLZ HAPPPY HA HA

Guest (one that said mysterious): Thank you so much for enjoying them!

Next time; This Ace, or that Ace?