Here ya go mina! Another one-shot for you lovely people! I just want to update everyone on the stories. If you put in a request whether through PM or review it WILL be done. But don't expect it right away because with so many to write it takes a bit. But I promise it will get written and get done. It's like being in a queue!

Well this story was a request by both Anne and Fabia77! I hope you two like this story and read it to your hearts content! I'll try to get the next one out as soon as I can! It might take a bit since today is my birthday! SO please be patient and I'll start typing hopefully Tuesday!

Vivi stared at the man with the wavy black hair and dark eyes who smiled and laughed with everyone as if he's known them for years. I guess she kind of expected that though with him being Luffy's brother. Luffy got along with everyone, and his brother was exactly the same socially; though he was much more polite and mature compared to Luffy. Watching the two brother's goof off like they were made her miss home where she could freely play with the other kids like they were her own family.

"You okay?"

Vivi looked over slightly and nearly jumped out of her skin. Ace's and her nose were nearly touching one another with how close he was to her. He squatted next to her, with his arms on his knees while he looked at her in the eye with a quirked eyebrow.

"Oi!" He said, waving a hand in front of her face. "You zoning out?"

Vivi blinked and her cheeks quickly enflamed in embarrassment . She couldn't believe he caught her zoning out so easily. Not only that but with how close they were she could hear her heart pounding in her ears and her mind only thought about how she wanted to lean in more.

"Yeah, I'm good." She said, calming her voice so it didn't shake with her anxiousness.

He smiled at her, his eyes smiling right with him mouth. She couldn't help but smile right back at him. It felt good to smile so heartily, and he seemed to be able to bring it out of her so easily.

"So, are you a part of my brother's crew or something?" Ace asked, feeling exceptionally curious over her and why she seemed to be the only who didn't quite fit in there.

Vivi froze for a moment, not sure whether or not to tell him who she was and what his brother was helping her with. The way he looked at her though showed pure curiosity and not some hidden agenda compared to some of the men she had worked with like at Baroque Works.

She shook her head, looking away from him and at the floor. "They're just helping me with my goal."

"Your goal huh?" Ace asked, seeing her hesitation and understanding she didn't want to talk about it with him. He smiled and patted her on the head. "I understand. Everyone has a goal they're after. Luffy's good about helping people achieve them."

Though it was a simple pat on the head and him telling her Luffy's help, it sent her hope that she'd be able to save her country and her father successfully. She felt her shoulders shake as the tears slowly burned her eyes. She gritted her teeth and tried to push them back. Ace's eyes softened as he felt her body shake with her. He reached out and pulled her head over into his shoulder, patting her own shoulder to help ease her a bit.

"If there's anything I can help with just say so." Ace said with a smile.

"Oh! Look who it is!" Ace shouted as he returned to Alabasta.

His search for Teach led him around everywhere in the desert and finally his clues led him to Alabasta. He knew there was a chance of seeing his brother again, but he found out that the Straw Hats had already left; leaving their mark on the country with a bang. What he didn't expect was to see Vivi standing there with many of the towns people.

Vivi turned in confusion to the voice and smiled as she spotted him. "Ace!"

Ace felt his heart thump harshly in his chest as he watched that smile grow and give off a bright aura. He put a hand to his chest and blinked his eyes, confused on what this feeling was that he was feeling spread through his body like a wild fire. It wasn't a painful feeling, but a nice, comfortable feeling that he kind of wanted to stay for awhile.

"Ace!" Vivi repeated as she was suddenly in front of him. She had quickly ran over to him, glad to see the man once more since Luffy was last with her. "How are you doing?"

"I'm…."

"Princess Vivi!" Igaram shouted as he ran over to her, worried she was being conned into something horrible. "Do you know this man?"

"Hai!" She nodded with a smile. "He's Luffy-kun's brother, Ace."

Igaram stared at him intensely, looking him over with his own eyes of judgment. Slowly his eyes softened and he gave Ace a smile who stood still the whole time so they didn't think there was something he was up to. He was used to people thinking he was up to no good due to him being a pirate. It's how the world was.

"Are you here long?" Vivi asked.

He shook his head, watching as the smile dropped from her face instantly. A pang went through his chest at the sad and disappointed look on her face. He scratched the back of his head and let out a sigh. "I'm staying for a few nights."

The smile came back to her face once more and she reached out, clasping his hand between her as she was all but jumping up and down. "You have to come and stay with us then!"

"Princess Vivi!" Igaram shouted in defiance.

Vivi furrowed her brows and turned a serious glare on Igaram who took a step back in surprise. "He is staying with us. Are you saying we make him sleep outside?"

"No, that's not….I was just saying…." Igaram fumbled for some kind of argument he could give her for his defiance. "I guess he must stay with us then."

"It's okay. I can just stay in a hotel." Ace said, waving his other hand to make the tension go away with the problem. "I have money on me."

"No!" Vivi said, turning her eyes on him, but instead they were pouting and not angry. "Our place will be much more comfortable and its free!" She tempted him, taking a step closer to try and persuade him with her begging eyes.

Ace felt her begging puppy dog eyes on him, but he also felt the intense dagger filled stare Igaram was giving him. He felt like he was about to make a decision on whether to kill someone or not. It was the most stress induced situation he's ever felt before. But the more he looked at Vivi the more his resolve was disappearing.

He sighed once more and patted her head in surrender. "I guess I have no chance of turning it down with that kind of offer."

Vivi's smile returned to her face as she did a small jump and took off walking, dragging him behind her with her hand still linked with his. Her excitement was beaming off of her greatly. Ace squeezed her hand gently, feeling the softness of her hand compared to his and feeling increasingly self-conscious.

Why would he need to feel self-conscious? He shook his head, trying to knock the feeling out of him.

Ace felt like he was being pulled around by everyone in the palace. It was rare for Vivi to bring a boy to the palace…and with such a big smile on her face. They were taking him everywhere to show him around, showing him clothes to wear, asking what foods he wanted to eat, and showing him the lavish room he would be staying in for the time being.

"What's your name?"

"Where did you come from?"

"How do you know Princess Vivi?"

One after another questions were asked from the help and family members of Vivi. He felt like he was slowly suffocating with all the people. He sighed and scratched the back of his head again, hoping for some kind of miracle to happen and get him out of this mess. Of all things to make him feel weak and trapped it's a whole bunch of people from a rich family.

"Let him breath."

Ace looked up thankfully at the sound of Vivi's voice. His face stared in frozen awe for a few seconds before erupting into a cloud of red. Vivi stood there in a short diagonal skirt with a long see through skirt that hit the floor. Her stomach was showing with jewels around her navel, and her top was barely covering her chest with no straps and very loose sleeves hitting just below her shoulders and stopping at her elbow. He could see gold bracelets on her wrists and a small dangling jewel on a gold chain on her ankle, along with a small gold line crown with one single jewel hanging onto her forehead.

"Sorry, I had to get ready for tonight." Vivi said, shooing her people away and standing in front of Ace.

"Tonight?" He asked, blinking in confusion. He couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from her.

"We have a few people coming over to talk business. They wanted to see our Alabasta dance and so my father decided I should be the one to do it." Vivi said with a nonchalant shrug, as if this was a normal thing to happen.

Ace knocked himself out of his staring and coughed into his hand, giving her a smile and nodding his head. "Well, okay then. Are you sure it's alright if I'm here then?"

Vivi nodded, her hand reaching towards him automatically so he didn't walk away and decide to leave. "I'm sure my father wouldn't mind more company in the midst of all his business comrades."

Vivi decided to show him around the palace herself the rest of the way so Ace wouldn't be bothered by the workers in the palace again. She didn't let go of his hand for the fear he would take off for some reason….that and he didn't seem to want to pull away from her so she was taking advantage of the situation. Ace didn't seem to find the tour boring this time around, though he could still feel the stares of the people around the palace everywhere they went. It was pretty obvious they were being followed and watched from afar.

"I am really sorry about them," Vivi apologized once more in a whisper as they sat in the room with the guests. Luckily he was placed next to her and didn't really have to talk with the men that were in there.

"It's not problem. No more stares than when I'm walking around town." He joked, trying to set her at ease with her guilt for her workers being so obvious in their curiosity.

"Now, my daughter here will give you a show of one of our dances here in Alabasta!" The king said, waving his hand over to Vivi to get her up.

Vivi patted Ace's hand and got up with a smile. She gave a small wave to the men and floated up to the front where everyone could see her. A light music ran through the room that was exotic and slowly sped up. As she moved her feet and her hands around in the air, and as her hips rotated and bobbed, Ace just couldn't seem to look from her for anything. His heart nearly jumped out of his mouth at the looks she had in her eyes full of excitement and heat.

It was as if she were telling all of them a story about Alabasta and its people. She didn't need to say anything for the story to get across to any one of them. She spun and dipped across the floor, her body moving like waves; it absolutely captivated him in more ways than one.

Suddenly loud clapping interrupted Ace's sight only on her. The business guests were clapping for Vivi as she gave a small bow in thanks. The smile on her face was completely directed at Ace as she made complete eye contact with him. He felt his cheeks flame up with red as he turned to look the other way and scratched his cheek with his pointer finger.

"How was it?" She asked, her own cheeks pink. Whether it was from the exertion of the dance she just did or from her embarrassment of Ace watching so hard was a mystery.

"It was great," He said, still looking away from her with his red cheeks. You couldn't hardly see the freckles on his face his skin was so red with embarrassment. What was this hammering of his heart? Why did it feel like he was being dragged under by a wave? It was such an odd feeling that he had never experienced before.

"Vivi," Her father said, catching her attention from the pirate. "You and your friend can go now. Leave the rest to me."

Vivi nodded and reached out her hand to Ace, smiling at him happily. Ace reached out his hand slowly and touched her fingertips. He felt like the light was gathering behind Vivi in a mystical way. Vivi smiled and grabbed his hand quickly, pulling him towards her so he was standing next to her. She ran through the hall way quickly with him in tow, trying to get away from the guests who were there and from the workers who were trying to follow them quietly in vain.

Finally they stopped and Ace stood there watching Vivi breath heavily, trying to catch her breath. Her hand was so small in his, and he felt like he'd crush her at any moment. He'd never seen a woman in this kind of way before; it was honestly baffling him. For so long in his life he wondered if he should be allowed to live. He thought it would be better for everyone if he just died and left this world who thought of his father as a monster. But now with Vivi's hand in his, he didn't want to even think of leaving Alabasta. It was as if he were meant to be right here next to her, holding her close, and keeping her from the harms of this world.

"Ace?" Vivi asked, standing closely in front of him and looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "Are you okay? You've been zoning out quite a bit here."

He gave her a small smile and scratched his cheek. "I'm just not used to things here."

Vivi looked at him, noticing he wasn't looking her in the eyes at all. "Ace?"

She forced herself in front of his view, putting her face mere inches from his again so he couldn't look away from her easily. His eyes looked straight into her brown ones, looking like she was looking deep inside of him for the true answer.

He felt like she was a force pulling him in; like a magnet. Before he even realized it himself he was leaning forwards, closer towards Vivi. Their lips pressed together slowly and softly as Ace pushed forward a little more. His other hand that wasn't linked with hers came up and cupped her cheek, holding her face gently in his hand.

It felt like eternity that they were standing there kissing. He expected her to push him away instantly, but instead she had tightened her hold on his hand and her other hand came up over his hand on her cheek, cupping it in return. Her eyes were closed and her body pushed against him with both of them walking a step closer to one another. Finally he pulled away so both of them could breath.

"That…?" Vivi whispered, looking at him with blurred eyes and flushed cheeks.

He put his forehead against hers, his own eyes closed as his thoughts raced across his mind like lightning. "Sorry. I couldn't stop myself."

She shook her head, gripping his hand tighter. "I don't mind. I actually liked it."

Ace let out a small chuckle at her innocence, finding it almost refreshing compared to the pirates he's always around. "I'm a pirate. A princess like you shouldn't be with someone like me." He tried to reason with her; trying to get her to understand how he saw it.

Vivi furrowed her brows in irritation, hating that he made sense. "I should be able to decide this for myself."

Ace rubbed his thumb over her cheek, pulling her closer as he placed a kiss on her nose and cheeks. "I wish it were that simple." He said with a sad smile.

Vivi let out a sigh, knowing he was right and that just like the Straw Hats, he would need to keep their relationship quiet. "Well, then we'll spend the few days you have here in fun!" She wasn't going to give up that easily with this pull they had towards one another.

Ace smiled and gave a small nod to her, making the smile on her face beam once more with light and her cheeks flush pink in joy. Her heart felt like it was in her ears it was so loud, but she welcomed the feeling because it meant that Ace was someone special to her and she'd never forget him.

"Besides, you act like you can't ever come back here!" She laughed, patting him on the shoulder. "Alabasta and my family will welcome you any time you decide to come back! Just make sure you bring Luffy once! I'd like to thank him face-to-face for his help."

"My stupid brother has a way of helping people in ways that nobody would have thought of." Ace chuckled, remembering that stupid brother of his and the odd crew he formed because of how he was with people. "That's just how Luffy is."

"Sure is," Vivi said with a smile. She clapped her hands and put her finger tips to her bottom lip. "Well, let's get started then! Since your only here for a few nights we have to make the most of it!"

Vivi made sure that the last of his time there before he continued after Teach were filled with fun and excitement. She showed him the sand boats and how to operate them, taking him on a ride much like his own glider that took him around the ocean.

From fields of flowers that grew around, to the shopping districts in her country that held lavish goods and knock off's alike that only a few people could tell the difference with. She took him to the best restaurants and laughed at the times he would randomly fall asleep in the most inopportune times. She'd have to reassure people he wasn't dead and that he was just sleeping, but still he scared them when he would suddenly sit up and look at them in slight confusion from sleep.

Even through the nights they stayed with one another and watched the night sky. She told him about the stars that were up there and stories that her father used to tell her as a child about the legends of her country.

The workers stayed clear of their little adventure. They were there in the mornings when they were fast asleep laying on one another and would give them covers to keep them warm from the cold nights of Alabasta. They enjoyed seeing Princess Vivi so happy and full of life; even if he was a pirate, he made her smile bigger than she did with anyone else they knew.

"Princess Vivi!" One of them whispered quickly, motioning for her to come over to them. She looked at them sleepily, just waking up from her slumber with Ace. "Here, we packed you two a lunch. I think you should take him out by the flower fields. The one with the small pond by it." They handed her a basket full of homemade food such as sandwiches, omelet rolls, and simple hand foods that would light and easy to eat while walking through this heat.

"Eh?" She asked, surprised they were being so helpful with their date.

"We figured since it was his last day here, you'd like to have a nice little outing by yourself." The worker said with a small blush on her face. "We like to see you this happy."

Vivi smiled softly at them and gently took the basket from their hold, holding it close to her body. "Thank you mina." She was close to the point of crying she was so happy they were helping her.

Vivi took no time that day to get Ace up and usher him towards the small place they were talking about. It was a small flower field by one of the few rare ponds they have in the desert, but it was a place she had been going to since she was a child and her father first took her with Igaram and Pell.

"What is this place?" Ace asked, looking around. "It's beautiful." He never thought he'd see something so flourished in a desert place, and it took his breath away.

Vivi giggled and grabbed his hand, pulling him closer to the pond before she laid the blanket down and laid out the food on top of it. She sat down and motioned for him to join her. It was their last day together, but it was relaxing and easy.

Ace had his head on her lap as their plates were cleaned and put away in the basket once more. She played with his hair as the two enjoyed the light shade they had from the few trees around them.

"I wish you didn't have to go." She sighed, looking down at him with sad eyes.

Ace reached up and cupped her cheek, rubbing his thumb over her skin to calm her down. Slowly Vivi leaned forward as Ace directed her over to him. Their lips touched once more as they made a lasting kiss, letting it stay sweet and simple.

"You'll come visit, right?" Vivi asked him as they pulled away slightly. She didn't want to think that he'd never be back again. She wanted to hear from him personally that he'd be back to see her and they'd continue what they have.

"I promise you. If I have to cross the world and fight everybody in my way, I'll come back to you." Ace said, smiling sweetly at her. "Until I can get revenge for my crewmate I can't stop looking for Teach."

Vivi nodded, water building in her eyes. "I believe you. I just had to hear you say it."

"Here," Ace said, pinching off a bead from his necklace and a piece of metal from his pocket. He turned it into an earring and handed it over to her. "Wear this when you want to feel me near."

When Vivi gave him a last kiss before he left, and waved him away so he could continue his journey across the desert sand. She left her goodbyes for another time, because he promised to come back to her. She never would have thought she'd never be able to say those words to him or even be able to kiss him again.

Before she had the chance to give him another kiss, he was taken from her at Marine Ford. It was all over the news so everyone would see what happened. She felt bad for Luffy for losing his brother, but it felt like a piece of her had died with Ace that day.

She wore that earring he made for her everyday as a reminder that he was here with her for that short time. It was as if she could feel his warmth all over her again. She looked up at the sky with a smile, feeling the heat from the sun and going back to that day.

"A day I'll never forget." She said with a sigh, wrapping her arms around herself. She couldn't let it bring her down too much; she was a princess after all. She had to keep herself together for her country.