A/N: 2nd of 3 chapter apology update.

Leaving It All Behind Chapter 9

Ace lifted his head from the table and wiped the scrambled eggs off his cheek before looking around. The kitchen was silent, signifying that his little brother had already escaped for work thus leaving him to do dishes. He finished off the last of his food which had somehow survived Luffy's wrath and picked up his plate to deposit it in the sink. As he waited for the water to run hot he pulled out his phone and checked for missed calls. There was one from Luffy and three from Marco as well as a text from his blonde friend. Thinking that it was just a message griping at him for not showing up early like promised, Ace almost dropped his phone in the rising water when he read the news. Dishes now forgotten, Ace turned off the water and ran from the room. This was bad; very bad.

-/-/-/-/-/-

Sanji groaned in pain as he sat up from his uncomfortable position on the couch and looked around. Daylight was already pouring in through the large windows, revealing a beautiful blue sky without a cloud in sight. Sanji smiled as he took in the welcome view, wondering how long it would be before he could go out and truly enjoy the fresh air again. A worn blanket fell to the ground as he stood and Sanji bent to pick it up. His brow wrinkled slightly as he realized who had put it there, giving the blonde proof that his watcher wasn't completely cold hearted. After folding the blanket, he neatly hung it over the back of the couch and went to the bedroom to collect his toiletries so he could clean up and properly start the day.

Walking back into the kitchen, he noticed the pile of broken wood that had once been a dining chair up against the wall by the front door. He did feel a little guilty for constantly breaking the man's furniture, but it wasn't as if he did it all on his own; Zoro had been a participant in the fights as well. For some reason though, Sanji couldn't help but rise to the occasion every time the green-haired man baited him, and visa versa. They just couldn't do anything but antagonize each other. For Sanji, that first fight was such a release for him. It was the first time he had felt like himself since entering this godforsaken protection program. He thought back to the three men that had been killed, and several others wounded for his sake. Sanji squared his shoulders and vowed that their sacrifices would not go in vain. He would bring these men to justice and see that they paid for each and every life that had been ruined.

With renewed determination, Sanji decided it was time to get breakfast started and debated going to wake up the sleeping Marimo first. Seeing no need to start something with him on such a beautiful day, Sanji began looking through the cabinets to make out a plan for meals. Breakfast would be light, since there wasn't much to choose from, but lunch and dinner looked promising. Grabbing the notepad off the top of the fridge, Sanji began to make out a grocery list as he worked; annoyed, though not surprised when he found half the spices to be old and useless.

Zoro sleepily stumbled out of his room, bumping into the cook as Sanji was coming to tell him the food was ready. He gave Sanji a grunt and a nod before pushing past and walking into the bathroom. When he sat down at the table, Zoro was a might bit more coherent and almost sociable. He thanked the cook when Sanji presented him with a full plate, and even offered to refill both of their cups when the first of the coffee was gone. There wasn't any conversation, but yet a comfortable silence settled over them as they enjoyed the morning meal. Sanji jumped, and almost knocked his plate off the table, when there was a loud BANG outside the window on the fire escape.

"Hey, go let Ace in, will ya?" Zoro asked as he grabbed another biscuit.

Sure enough, the freckled raven was standing up from the crouched position in which he had landed. An innocent smile spread across his face as he waved to the men inside. Sanji picked up a piece of bacon and walked to the window, looking out at his ex as he dramatically took a bite of the crisp meat. He could almost hear the whimpering and decided he'd tortured the man long enough.

Ace climbed through the now open window and shrugged out of his jacket as he gave Sanji an exaggerated pout. "Tease."

Sanji grinned and gave him a wink before heading to the kitchen to get another place setting. As soon as his back was turned, Zoro glanced up and confirmed his suspicions. There was a deadened look in Ace's eyes and a slight frown that creased his usually happy face. Sanji returned before he could ask any questions, but Zoro knew whatever had happened would not be good. Ace dug in and helped polish off the remaining food, all the while being watched intently by the blonde. When he was done, he pushed his plate away and took a deep breath to prepare him for the battle ahead.

"The Baratie was hit two nights ago."

The cigarette that Sanji had just pulled out was crushed between his fingers as rage flooded through him at the news. He managed to keep from exploding, but his voice was strained as he slowly placed the destroyed tobacco on his plate. "Is everyone OK?"

Ace looked to Zoro for support and was glad to see that his friend had already pushed his chair back from the table a bit in case physical restraint was needed. "The dining room was left untouched, but…" Ace closed his eyes and braced himself for the outburst. "The kitchen and offices were destroyed. They had even poured gasoline all over everything and were about to burn it when the cops happened to show up."

"Damn it! I should have been there! This shit is all my fault. Fuck!" Sanji shoved away from the table and began pacing. "I'm just so sick of this! Why the hell am I fucking hiding? Maybe I should just give them the shit and be done with it. All I want is to go back and-"

"Zeff's in the hospital," Ace said quietly, effectively stopping Sanji's rant cold in its tracks. "He had stayed late by himself so no one else was hurt, but…"

"Is he…" Sanji swallowed hard, trying to rid himself of the lump that had formed in his throat.

"I haven't seen him yet. I just got the word this morning." Ace stood up and walked over to stand in front of Sanji.

"Is this what you were checking into yesterday?" Sanji managed to look up, pain and anger filling his eyes as he searched Ace's face for some glimmer of hope.

Ace nodded and reached out to cup Sanji's face in his hand. "I'm sorry. I just thought they trashed the place. If I had known that the old man was hurt I would have told you sooner."

Sanji shook him off and grabbed the pack of cigarettes off the table as he went to stand in front of the window overlooking the park.

"Get away from the window, shit-cook. If they're watching the place, you don't need them seeing you in my apartment." Zoro frowned when the blonde ignored him and continued smoking. Zoro could sense that this Zeff person must be someone important, so he let the cook be for the moment; praying that Lady Luck might give him this one break.

Keys jangled in the lock, followed by deep grumbling and heavy pounding on the door. Ace was the first to react and was at the door in an instant, a large knife in hand as he cautiously reached out to unfasten the safety latch. He turned the lock and pulled the door open swiftly, his eyes widening and the knife dropping to the floor when he came face to face with an angry detective.

Brown eyes widened slightly before hardening and Smoker glared down at the shocked man. "I guess this explains what happened to the lock."

Zoro laced his fingers together and placed his hands behind his head, giving off a nonchalant look though his attention was still focused on the ruffled blonde. "Actually that sorry-assed super was the one responsible for my visitor getting in the other night so I had Franky change it out."

"Hn." Smoker tore his eyes away from the slowly recovering raven and pushed past him into the apartment. He noticed the lack of a dining chair and glanced around curiously. The couch and side chair were still a bit askew and the big open spot in the middle of the room stood out like a sore thumb to him. The slightest turn at the corner of his lips was the only outward indication of his amusement. "I see the two of you haven't killed each other yet."

"Yet is the operative word," Zoro griped.

"The thought has crossed my mind as well," Sanji retorted. He gave the detective a heated look and crushed out his cigarette in the ashtray on the counter. "I'm guessing you've come to tell me about my father."

Zoro had rocked back slightly, but at the revelation his chair hit the floor hard. "Father? Shit…"

"I see. News travels fast in certain circles." Smoker scoffed as Ace walked past him and into the kitchen. "We didn't know he was injured until this morning when one of the other employees brought him in to the ER. He's in stable condition, no immediate threat and his prognosis is good."

Smoker's fingers twitched as he spoke and he finally broke down to pull out a cigar from his inner pocket. The second it touched his lips, there was a light at the tip, held by a tentative yet hopeful young man. Such a simple action, yet to the broken couple it signified so much more. For a brief moment, Smoker had almost pulled Ace in for a kiss; his normal "thank you" for the brat's help. A wet tongue swept across a thin upper lip, wavering Smoker's iron will just slightly. Then, just as suddenly as he appeared, Ace was gone again. The low growl that escaped his own chest startled him as Smoker watched the freckled young man walk over and wrap his arms around Sanji to comfort him.

Zoro rolled his eyes and debated going over and smacking both of them upside the head; Ace and Smoker that was. They were clearly still harboring feeling for each other, no matter how much they tried to deny it. True there were some touchy issues between them, but he'd never seen his godfather as happy as when he had been dating Ace. One of these days, maybe, they'd get a clue. Having enough with their stupidity, Zoro stood and began clearing the dishes off the table. Their situation wasn't the important one here. Sanji was standing at the window again with a glazed look in his eyes and for once, Zoro was able to sympathize with the blonde. An unwarranted attack on a parent was all too familiar to him. Zoro put the last plate in the sink and wondered if the attack on Sanji's father was the only reason for the detective's visit.

"Has Saga been to see you yet?"

The question was enough to break the spell and bring everyone back to the issue at hand.

"He has." Smoker followed Zoro into the living room and took a seat in the side chair, not wanting to give the chance for anyone to sit next to him. He didn't bother waiting for the others to join them before he continued. "Unfortunately, there are still no leads on that mark, and the name Hilton is connected to more factions than we had imagined; one of them being Geko Moria."

"Fuck," Ace mumbled as he flopped down on the floor by Zoro's feet.

"Who's Moria?" Sanji came in with a tray of coffee and began handing out cups to everyone.

"I want you off this case, Zoro." Smoker glared at the green-haired man, hoping that he understood the severity of the situation.

"No. I'm finishing this. Besides, I'm already in, or didn't Saga tell you?" Zoro stood and walked over to the bookcase to pull out the folder with the request for Sanji's head. "That damn cat has been following me around and finally came out of the shadows yesterday to give me this."

Smoker took the folder and pulled out the information within. The furrow of his brow only deepened as he sifted through the pages. The sharp scent of cloves assaulted his nose and he turned to see Ace leaning over the back of the chair studying the printouts with an intense look on his face.

"Mr. Black, I'm assuming by your interactions that you and Portgas are at least friends. Keep in mind that any interaction on his part will jeopardize the case."

"Ace," Sanji's voice was laced with a hint of warning. "Stay out of this. I already told you I didn't want you involved."

"I know, I know, but I also told you I'm not going to sit idly by and watch some deranged lunatic ruin your life." Ace looked up at the blonde and gave him a charming smile. "I already took the liberty of placing a few men to keep an eye on your old man just in case they try to come back."

"Portgas." There was a threatening edge to tone Smoker had taken, but it didn't seem to faze the raven at all.

"Don't worry, taisa," the nickname flowed off Ace's tongue with almost a purr, "I made sure that they blended in and won't cause any trouble for the men you have stationed there."

"That's beside the point." Smoker placed a large hand in Ace's face and shoved the younger man back. "Keep your vagrants out of my jurisdiction or I'll arrest you for obstruction of justice."

"I thought you said that you were tired of playing cops and robbers," Ace laughed as he stood up straight and joined Sanji off to the side, keeping his back to the annoyed older man. LOL

"Brat." The word was barely audible, but Smoker knew somehow it had been heard and wished like hell that he could have taken it back. Ace looked over his shoulder and gave the detective a sly grin, clearly pleased that he'd had an effect on the older man. It almost felt like things were back to the way they used to be. However, Zoro's voice snapped him out of the illusion and Smoker shook his head to clear the memories.

"Seriously, Ace, stay out of it this time. We appreciate the help keeping shit-cook's pop safe and all, but this time I need you to watch from the sidelines," Zoro tried to reason with his friend. Knowing that he'd be doing the same exact thing if he were in Ace's place, Zoro gave in to compromise. "Just stay close on the side so you can come running if we need you."

Pleased with the little bit of leeway he'd been given, Ace nodded and began gathering up his jacket and hat that were by the window from which he had entered. "You know, if you had a computer this would be easier. I would have thought with all the ones we took from your mom's office you'd have at least put one of them to use."

"I dug a couple out of the boxes when I cleaned, but I have no idea how they go together or if I even have all the parts." Zoro rubbed the back of his head as he thought about all the hardware in the corner of the spare bedroom. "Hey, Smoker, you have anyone who could come help set this stuff up?"

Smoker chewed on the end of his cigar as he tried to think of anyone in the precinct that he could trust with the location of the witness, and also his connection to Zoro. An unforgettable face popped into mind and he nodded. "I know someone. I'll send him over tomorrow."

"Good. I'll check back with you then." Ace gave Zoro a half wave before walking over to Sanji and wrapping his arms tightly around the blonde. "Trust us, and this will all be over soon."

"Thank you." Sanji sighed and tried to relax in Ace's arms but knew it would be quite some time before he could let his guard down again. He pulled back and almost leaned in for a kiss when he caught sight of jealous rage on Smoker's face. He was sure he was missing something important, but with both of them in the room, Sanji figured it would be a bad idea to ask any questions. He thought about how long Ace had pined for the man, and decided that if his friend were to have any chance at all he'd better put a little distance between he and Ace. Suddenly it hit him and Sanji finally realized why that keychain he found in Smoker's car seemed so familiar. He pushed away and took a step back, signaling for Ace to wait for him a moment. Sanji hurried back to the bedroom and dug out the metal tag, slipping it unobtrusively into Ace's front pocket when he returned. Sanji leaned in and kissed his old friend on the cheek, almost chastely. "Say hi to Marco from me."

A little disappointed, Ace nodded and slipped his hand into his pocket. His eyes widened and the smile that spread across his face was priceless. He stole a sidelong look over to where Smoker was still sitting, head turned in an obvious attempt to ignore the raven. Giddy as a child, Ace grabbed Sanji up in a crushing hug, whispering "thank you" over and over again, before releasing him and quickly darting through the window, not bothering to close it behind him.

"I have to get back to work. I'm sure Tashigi is about to call Search and Rescue because I didn't show up and haven't returned her calls." Smoker stood, stubbornly keeping his back to the fire escape as he headed for the door. "Stay away from the hospital. I know you want to see him, but the risk is too great. I'll keep you informed."

Sanji spun around toward the detective and stormed over to all but scream in the man's face. "You're saying I can't even go see my own father?"

"He's right, idiot. They're sure to have the place watched. Ace can keep people from getting to your dad, but he can't keep people from seeing you," Zoro pointed out, knowing good and well that if it were his father in the hospital, Hell nor high water could keep him away.

Understanding the logic, but not liking it one bit, Sanji backed down and turned away. He'd go along with it for now, but they couldn't keep him locked away forever. At some point, one of them would turn their back. "At least give me his room number so I can call and talk to him."

Nodding his consensus, Smoker pulled out his notepad from his jacket pocket. "He's in room 507. Give me a few hours to make sure the line is secured before you call. I don't want them to be able to trace you back here."

Sanji agreed and shook hands with the detective before the older man took his leave, a devious glint in the bright blue eyes as soon as the door closed. A loud pop echoed in the room and Sanji turned to see Zoro rotating his shoulders, grimacing slightly. The green haired man had taken a seat back on the floor again and was looking at the piece of paper with the strange batwing and skull logo. Knowing that they both had apparently been under a great amount of stress lately, Sanji wondered what Zoro usually did to relieve the tension. Seeing the way the man had been acting the last few days, Sanji was pretty sure that the only thing the brutish moron did was train, fight and sleep. The thought of him doing anything pleasurable only served to bring forth images of men sliced in half and blood soaked clothes. Sanji threw out the gruesome scene from his mind and walked back over by the couch to look down at Zoro. All the idiot needed was a good massage, and Sanji contemplating if he should even offer help the guy out. Another pop of the swordsman's joint made the decision for him.

"You sound like an old man with your bones creaking like that."

Zoro rubbed the back of his neck and shifted uncomfortably.

"Sit forward; I'll help get some of that tension out of your shoulders." Sanji circled around to the front of the couch and waited for Zoro to move.

"Keep your hands to yourself, dartboard brow. I'm fine. I don't need any help."

Sanji glared down at Zoro, ready to send him across the room with a well placed kick when he noticed the stubborn man try to covertly roll his shoulder again. Dinner still needed to be cooked, but if Zoro kept fidgeting like that, he'd never be able to concentrate. Sanji sat down on the couch and tried to push Zoro forward so he could position himself behind the larger man and have access to his back.

"What are you doing?" The green-haired man glared over his shoulder at the unwanted intruder.

"I'm baking bread," Sanji snapped. With a frustrated grunt he swung a leg up over Zoro's head so he could center himself behind the man and quickly grabbed a hold of Zoro's shoulders as he tried to get up. "Sit down and shut up."

Zoro bristled at the gruff command, but already a low moan had escaped his lips as strong fingers were working their magic; loosening knots that he didn't even know existed. Caught between the rational screaming in his head and the pleading of his body for the bliss to continue, Zoro was having a hard time trying to decide whether to go or stay. The sure hands on his shoulders began to travel up his neck, urging Zoro's head forward as they loosened the thick corded muscles. Slowly, he stopped struggling and hesitantly eased back into a more comfortable sitting position, unaware that he was now settled between the blonde's legs.

Confident hands worked their way back down, urging his body to move in order to gain access to more of his back. Zoro found himself moving before he realized it, scooting forward enough that the cook could slip down to the floor behind him. He felt the inside of Sanji's thighs brushing against his hips as the blonde situated himself. Heat emanated from the cook and Zoro could feel the puff of breath hitting the back of his neck every so often. Agile hands began working out the stiffness between his shoulder blades, pushing him a little further forward as they traveled down. Zoro closed his eyes and sighed contentedly as the pleasurable torture continued down the spine to the lower back.

Sanji's hands slid under the hem of his shirt and the contact of cool hands on his skin felt much better than they should; probably because it had been a very long time since Zoro had taken any time to give his body anything resembling gentle treatment. It had always been a strict regimen of heavy weights, balanced with endurance training and cardio, and followed up with intense sparring or actual fights. The layer of dust in the whirlpool showed how often he took the time to recuperate and repair his abused body. Zoro groaned as Sanji worked at a particularly tight knot, letting his body go slightly limp and slump forward. A nap was really sounding good right then, but unfortunately his stomach had other ideas.

Hands froze in mid-motion at the loud grumble that escaped, and Zoro fought the urge to growl back. A light flutter of fingertips down his side made him twitch, the sensation almost a tickle against his skin. He looked over his shoulder to see Sanji watching him closely, a hint of calm curiosity in the bright blue eye. A calloused thumb slowly rubbed small circles over his lower ribs and he watched intently as Sanji began leaning forward.

Mesmerized by the surreal feeling, Zoro didn't move as one of Sanji's hands circled around him and began tracing up the gnarled scar on his chest as it pulled Zoro towards the blonde. Quickly realizing what was going on, Zoro jerked away and shot to his feet, putting as much distance as he could between him and the crazy cook. He headed into the kitchen to get a drink and tried to ignore the hammering of his heart in his chest as he opened his beer.

Sanji sat on the floor, a little shocked at his own boldness with the green-haired man. He looked over to see Zoro quickly downing his first bottle before reaching in and taking out a second. It was actually surprising that Zoro had let him get as far as he did before stopping it. Sanji closed his eyes and tried to think of what it was that had caused him to make a move. Maybe it was the hopeless feeling that had been brewing within his chest since the moment he had heard about Zeff. Had Smoker not shown up, Sanji was sure that he would currently be in the bedroom screaming out Ace's name as the raven helped him forget everything that had happened; if only for a few minutes. Sanji sighed and ran a hand through his hair before getting off the floor and heading for the kitchen.

Dinner still needed to be prepared for that night, and wallowing in self pity was never an excuse to shirk out of duty. Sanji lost himself in his work, ignoring all around him as he readied the ingredients needed for the meal. It was only due to years of training and repetition that he was able to continue working in a half daze and come out unscathed. No matter how much trust he had in either Ace or Smoker, their simple words weren't enough to ease the worry that had begun to build. There was only one thing that would set his mind at ease. He needed to see his father… tonight.

-/-/-/-/-/-

Zoro continued to keep up his guard even after dinner, constantly squirming in his seat as he swore he could still feel the cook's hands all over him. The massage had felt wonderful, but it wasn't some erotic bathhouse type scenario either. It had just been two men who had nothing in common and were sitting intimately close on the floor; one with his hands on the other. OK, that sounded even worse when he thought of it that way. With an angry grunt, Zoro strode over to his home gym and decided to burn off the extra frustration with an intense workout. Through the corner of his eye, he watched as Sanji sat at the table smoking cigarette after cigarette. None of the dishes had been done and the leftover food was still sitting out. Zoro began to worry that the blonde was falling apart.

Two hours later, Zoro picked up his discarded shirt off the floor and wiped the majority of the sweat from his face. The sound of soft humming could be heard over the running water and Zoro was relieved to see that Sanji had finally gotten up from the table and was working on dishes. He tossed the shirt back down on the bench and walked into the kitchen to take his place at the blonde's side only to be kicked harshly before he could get close.

"Go take a fucking shower, Marimo. You stink."

Pissed at being kicked, though happy to get out of the chore, Zoro simply grunted and headed for the bathroom instead. Hot water rolled down his body, easing the burn in his muscles slightly as he rinsed the shampoo from his hair. A full massage would be ideal right now. Zoro's hands paused in washing as he realized he'd been just contemplating asking the blonde if he would be willing to give him one. Thinking about having another man's hand on your body while completely naked should have little or no effect on one's state of arousal, but for some reason Zoro found his body responding anyway. Caught between feeling embarrassed and horrified, he began to quickly wash; completely unsuccessful in ignoring the heavy appendage standing proud from his body.

Lack of routine sex was the only explanation Zoro could come up with for the reaction. Only in dreams had he ever found sexual pleasure with a guy, and even then it had just been manual release. In real life, Zoro's bed partners had all been women, and never once had he gone for a blonde. His taste tended to fall to the other end of the color spectrum; black, brown or even dark red. There was no way in the world that he could possibly be attracted to the nuisance currently taking up space in his apartment. His cock twitched and Zoro swore heatedly. Of all men in real life for him to react to, it had to be the one that he couldn't touch. When the case was over, the blonde would be relocated to a different life in another part of the country, just like all of the others in witness protection.

Zoro let out a humorless bark of laughter as he thought of the irony in the situation. He finally found someone who piqued his interest, only to have them unavailable to him. Guess he could only get so much luck at a time. Swinging the temperature knob to the right, Zoro's teeth chattered as the cold water hit him full force, effectively shrinking his arousal and souring his mood further. He could hear the phone ringing and hurried to turn off the water and grab a towel from the rack, wrapping it around his still dripping body as he opened the bathroom door.

"No, Franky, that's fine. I don't mind. I'll let him know as soon-"

"I'm here, shit-cook." Zoro grabbed the phone out of Sanji's hand and shook his head to rid himself of as much water as possible before putting the receiver to his ear.

"Fucker," Sanji muttered as he wiped the droplets from his face.

"What is it, Franky?" Zoro smirked at the blonde who stood there scowling at him, clearly not amused. The smile fell quickly as Zoro listened and nodded. "I'm on my way."

Sanji held his tongue, biting back the flood of insults he was about to throw, and followed Zoro down the hall to the master bedroom. He watched with building concern as Zoro pulled on clean clothes over his wet body and shoved his bare feet into an old pair of sneakers. If Sanji had known the man any better, he might have been able to recognize the expression on the larger man's face as something akin to panic, but instead Sanji was left in the dark as to what was going on.

"What happened?" Sanji finally managed to ask. He stepped in front of the doorway, blocking Zoro's exit so he could have the man's full attention. Zoro blinked a few times, as if he just realized the blonde was in the room with him, so Sanji repeated his question. "Did something happen?"

Zoro shoved Sanji out of the way. "I have to find Chimney."

"Wait, she's missing? I'll come with you." Sanji began slipping on his shoes before he was roughly grabbed by the front of the shirt and shoved against the wall, an angry swordsman nose to nose with him.

"You'll keep your sorry ass here. I've lost enough as it is." The last part was whispered as Zoro released him and headed out the front door.

-/-/-/-/-/-

It took Sanji about ten minutes to realize that he was wasting time. Digging around in Zoro's clothing, he found a pair of acceptable jeans and an old college sweatshirt along with a knit cap that would hopefully cover his blonde hair. He almost fell over when he pulled open the drawer on the nightstand and found if full of large bills, totaling several thousands of dollars. Taking a few for himself, Sanji slipped on his shoes and grabbed the black pea coat that Zoro had left on the hook by the door since his own seemed to be missing. Franky had left him with a key to the place the other day when he came by to change the locks, so Sanji locked the door behind him and walked down to the elevator. When the doors opened, he was met with the same old woman he'd seen the night he arrived at the apartment.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Roronoa's guest." Kureha uncrossed her arms and pushed off of the wall where she had been leaning.

"Good evening." Sanji nodded to her politely and waited for her to exit before stepping into the lift. Kureha studied him intently until the doors closed, and Sanji let out a heavy sigh of relief. The woman was quite scary for some reason.

The cold wind nipped at him as he exited the building, the feel of a storm carried along with the chill. Ornate street lamps decorated the sidewalk next to the park, further adding to the charm of this part of the city. He could see a cab coming down the road and quickly hurried to hail it, thankful for his good fortune in timing. Not knowing the exact address, Sanji asked him to take him to the hospital nearest the Baratie, assuming that his old coworkers would have enough sense to get him help as soon as possible. The cabby told him it would have to be Drum Hospital and they would be there in roughly twenty minutes. Sanji held up the hundred dollar bill and told him he'd leave whole thing if the driver could get him there in ten.

He stepped out of the cab, a little green and slightly unsteady on his feet. Never would he try to ask that again. The hospital looked cold and uninviting, but he supposed that they all looked that way. It felt odd walking into a public place with his entire face showing, but if he wanted to try and remain in hiding, he needed to look as little like himself as possible. His blonde hair remained tucked under the black cap and Sanji left the oversized jacket on as he hurried over to the elevators. Visiting hours would be over soon, so he needed to get to the old man's room quickly.

Nurses paid him no mind as he casually walked down the halls on the fifth floor, looking for the wing containing the room his father was in. Sanji had just noticed the sign for the correct hall when he was roughly grabbed and yanked into a dark room. He struggled futilely, the attacker obviously knowing that his strength came from his legs as they were immediately pinned. The hand across his mouth smelled of sulfer and smoke, and the harsh whispering voice was one he would never forget.

"You idiot! You complete moron! What are you thinking? Do you want to get killed?"

Sanji stopped fighting and blinked rapidly to adjust his eyes to the dimly lit storeroom. His eyes widened in surprise when he finally recognized his abductor and the hand was slowly taken from his mouth.

"Ace?"

"You're really a dumb shit, you know that?" The raven nuzzled into Sanji's neck and sighed heavily. "It's a good thing I happened to be here. I doubt that any of the others would have recognized you."

"Well, that was the whole idea." Sanji said sardonically and gently pulled out of Ace's embrace.

Ace cocked his head to the side and studied the blonde for a moment. "I thought I told you to stay put?"

"And if Whitebeard was in here, would you?" Sanji pointed out. A heavy pause hung in the air and the cook watched as Ace nodded in understanding. "Exactly. Now are you going to walk with me to the old geezer's room or are you gonna stay here and hide?"

"I'm not hiding," Ace argued petulantly as he straightened out his clothes and opened the door.

A couple nurses watched them emerge from the closet and giggled behind their hand as they tried in vain to keep from blushing. Otherwise, the two men were able to continue down to Zeff's room without gaining any unnecessary attention. When Sanji paused at the door, almost afraid to open it and see what lie beyond, Ace put a hand on his shoulder and nodded; giving him the small amount of confidence he needed to finally enter his father's room.

-/-/-/-/-

A broken leg, arm, several ribs, not to mention the bruising over ninety percent of his body; the damage done was extreme. As soon as he could get out of here, he'd make sure to repay the insolent brats their due. The creak of the door opening alerted him to the visitors that were entering, and the smell of cigarettes gave him hope of whom it might be. Zeff turned his head and opened his good eye to see the sight of his only son standing in the light of the open doorway. The relief of seeing him outweighed the annoyance he felt for the concern that filled Sanji's face, knowing that if their roles were reversed he'd probably be looking about the same.

"I was wondering when you'd show up, String-bean." Zeff closed his eyes and turned his head to face the ceiling once more to hide the emotions that threatened to show on his face. Too many nights he wondered if the boy was even alive. "If I weren't practically tied to this bed I'd get up and kick your ass for what they've done to my restaurant…TWICE. I'd dock your pay, but you're not even working for me anymore. So what are you gonna do about it?"

Zeff opened his eyes when he heard Sanji chuckle and finally took note of Ace standing behind him. "I thought I told you to stay away from my little eggplant. Don't tell me you're the one that brainless detective has protection him."

"No, I'm afraid not. I'm actually here on unrelated business," Ace said apologetically, remembering to be as respectful as possible in the presence of Sanji's father. His body hurt just remembering the last time he'd smarted off to the old man. "I only met up with Sanji in the halls and offered to walk with him."

"That'd better be all you're doing with him," Zeff warned, sitting up slightly.

"Mind your own business, you old geezer." Sanji took off his jacket and tossed it into the chair by the bed, followed by the cap. Shaking out his hair so that it fell in its normal style, he gave Ace a warning look before the raven could open his mouth. "We haven't been together for a couple years now, and you know it. In fact, you're the reason he took off in the first place."

The old cook let out a triumphant bark of laughter and smiled as he settled back into the bed, pleased that he had gotten his message across to the spitfire rogue.

"That's right. He's got a new guy now," Ace chimed in, eyes lighting up with amusement as Sanji stood there, wide eyed with surprise and his mouth hanging open in disbelief. "He's living with a guy over on the east side of town in a pretty nice apartment. I've got pictures here if you want to see them."

Zeff perked up, his disdain for the young man put aside due to curiosity, and beckoned Ace over to his side. Ace dodged Sanji's lunge and hurried over to Zeff with his phone, showing the very interested man the snapshots he had taken of the two. Never having seen the pictures before, Sanji wasn't too concerned, so he hadn't put much effort into keeping his father from seeing them, but the raised brow and then the stern look from Zeff made him wonder just what Ace had taken pictures of.

"So… This is your new friend huh? How long has this been going on?" Zeff turned the phone to show his confused son what he had been looking at.

Sanji began stammering, trying to come up with an explanation for why it looked like he was engaged in a heated, private moment with a tall, green-haired man. "It's not what it looks like, I swear, Dad. He's just an idiot swordsman who's supposed to be keeping an eye on me. I only met him a few days ago."

"Really? Hmmm." Zeff turned the phone back around and studied the picture intently before scowling. "You mean you're fucking around with the guy who's supposed to be protecting you, right?"

"Right… Wait, Hell no! I mean yah, he's assigned to me but we're not fucking around or doing any of that shit with each other."

Zeff looked at him skeptically as he closed the phone to hand it back to the grinning raven. "You plan on introducing me to this one, or wait until I walk in on you like last time?"

Both Ace and Sanji blushed deeply as they avoided looking at each other. That had been an embarrassing morning indeed. In fact, it wasn't long after that that he and Ace stopped seeing each other. Sanji looked up to see Ace walking back over to him and welcomed the comforting embrace, even if it didn't hold the same spark as it once used to.

"Whitebeard should be ready to leave now, so I should probably get going. I'll call you if I hear anything else." Ace reached out and ran thumb over Sanji's jaw tenderly, giving the blonde a bright smile and a wink before stepping back.

Sanji watched Ace walk out and silently thanked his ex for being there, even if he did have a habit of getting him into more trouble than he could handle. He turned around to look back at his father just in time to see the casted leg as it came into contact with his chest, at an alarmingly softer force than he was used to. Sanji watched in despair as Zeff tried to hide how much pain the action had caused him. It took everything he had to not assist the old man in situating himself back into his bed. Pride was about all that Zeff had left, and be damned if Sanji was going to take that from him.

"We've got a small lead now with the case. There's a chance that it's tied into another murder from four years ago." Sanji slipped his hand into his pocket and played with the lighter within, wishing that there wasn't an ordinance against smoking in hospitals. He leaned up against the wall across from the bed and waited for his father to get settled, concern getting harder and harder to mask. "What do you know about someone named Roronoa?"

Zeff leaned his head back and stroked his braided moustache with his only free hand, brow creased in thought. "They were in tight with the Monkey family, as well as with Smoker. Not to mention, their boy wasn't hard to recognize in that picture."

Sanji made a note to strangle Ace the next time he saw the bastard. "Not everyone believes that their death was an accident; Zoro for one."

"You've got yourself in one hell of a mess, string bean." Zeff cocked his head to the side and studied his son. "How do you plan on getting out of it?"

"I'm still working on that part." Sanji ran a hand through his hair and let out a ragged breath. "I should probably get back there before that shitty swordsman finds out I'm missing."

"Sneaking out on your guard? Didn't I teach you better than that?" Another solid hit sent Sanji tumbling across the room and into the door with a loud thud.

A muffled voice came through the door as someone on the other side tried to push it open, though with Sanji's weight against it, the door wouldn't budge. "Mr. Redleg, are you alright in there?"

"Yah, I'm fine. Just tell this sorry excuse of a man here that visiting hours are over and he needs to get his ass home," Zeff yelled back.

"Sir? Sir, I believe he's right. You need to leave now." The woman was finally able to get the door open now that Sanji had righted himself and stood there looking at both men worriedly.

Sanji rubbed the back of his head tenderly and looked up, immediately forgetting the rising bump. "Oh, forgive us my beautiful flower. It was completely wrong of me to have inconvenienced you in such a way. Allow me to take you to dinner to make up for such an atrocity."

The nurse looked at him disbelievingly, then over to Zeff who just rolled his eyes and shooed them both away. In the end, Sanji was able to convince her to give him her name and number, though he knew that he'd never call her. Still, it felt good to be somewhat back in the game again even if it was with the fairer sex. With his hair tucked back under the black cap, Sanji left Zeff's room without a backwards glance, happy to know that the report from Ace and Smoker had been correct. His father might have gotten his ass handed to him, but he was alive. A shiver went down Sanji's spine as he tried to imagine what kind of person could have been able to deal that much damage to the seasoned fighting cook. He had almost reached the elevators when a red bundle ran into him and attached to his leg, refusing to let go and almost knocking them both to the ground.

"Zo-zoro," it wailed.

The messy blonde pigtails finally registered and Sanji wrapped his arms around the child the best he could. She had probably seen the coat and assumed it was Zoro wearing it. "Shhh, Chimney, tell me what happened."

Chimney pulled back to look at him, confused at first and then broke down into tears again. "I want Zoro!"

Not knowing what was going on, but glad that the little girl was no longer lost, Sanji picked her up and headed for the nurse's station. The old woman behind the desk immediately stood up and tried to take Chimney, knowing her from the frequent visits as of late. Unfortunately, it caused the girl to cling tighter onto the cook, surprising them both.

"If you'll just show me where her uncle or aunts are, I'd be happy to drop her off there." Sanji looked around for any familiar faces and found only strangers staring back at him.

"Are you a friend of the family?" The elder nurse asked as she escorted him down another hall.

"I'm…" Sanji fought to explain how he knew them.

"He's Zoro's boyfriend," Chimney sniffled as she snuggled further into the wool jacket that was so familiar to her.

"Oh," was the only response and Sanji wished like hell that he knew where his boyfriend was so he could help deal with this.

"Sanji, I'm glad you're here," Chimney whispered.

He was about to reply when the nurse opened the door to a large room and the sounds of more crying escaped. The saddened look in the nurse's eyes finally clicked and Sanji realized what was going on. Phone calls, hospital, crying; it all added up. Chimney's grandmother, Zoro's aunt, had taken a turn for the worse.

"Chimney!"

Sanji turned to see a beautiful, refined woman approach with her arms held out. Chimney immediately went to her and the crying started again. The dark haired woman mouthed her thanks to Sanji and returned to the corner of the room with Mizu and Kiwi. They motioned him over, their saddened faces winning over the logic in his head that he should get out of there before Zoro returned. Not thinking about the need to stay incognito, Sanji removed Zoro's hat and jacket, hanging them on the back of an empty chair as he joined the women on one of the couches.

"Thank you so much for looking after Chimney for us. I'm Robin, Franky's wife." The elegant woman held out her hand to Sanji, a small smile gracing her gentle features when he placed a kiss on her knuckles. "You're not what I expected."

"I would not have expected such a glorious creature such as you to be married to Franky either," he replied.

"I guess it takes opposites to attract. That could be the only explanation as to why you've taken an interest in our swordsman."

"Well, once you get past his uncouth exterior he's actually quite something." Sanji was proud at how he managed to word his opinion of the barbarian into something that could be considered a compliment without lying.

"Indeed he is. Kokoro's death will be hard for him, maybe more so than the others. She was the first person he opened up to after his parents passed. Losing her will be like losing them all over again." Robin continued to hold Chimney close as the little girl's crying dwindled down to meager sniffles.

Sanji nodded in understanding, knowing the pain he had felt in his own chest when he first heard the news about Zeff from Ace. He wondered if all of Baratie's cooks were sitting around like this, crying and worried for their boss. Throughout the room he could hear grown men sniffling like small children, as they tried to prepare for the tragedy that was soon to come. A few were sitting at small tables telling stories about younger days when they could remember Kokoro smiling, bright and happy. All of them kept an eye on the door, waiting for some sign of hope that the doctors had been wrong.

At that moment, the doors opened and two very different men walked into the room. The first was Franky, who despite the season, had on a ridiculously bright Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts. He was crying his eyes out, and Robin handed her niece over to Mizu so she could go to his side. The second was a well know figure in the community, since after all he was the city mayor. Iceburg had on a finely tailored white pinstriped suit, looking as if he had just come from a very important meeting instead of a hospital room. Immediately he was surrounded by several workers from the shipping yards he still managed. The mayor shook his head and the news was passed on quickly.

Sanji felt his heart plummet. Fate had been cruel and taken the life of someone who meant the world to these people. Sanji watched as their world seemed to crumble around them, some falling to their knees in tears as others tried to comfort those close to them. He looked to where Franky stood, supported by his wife as he cried his heart out and wished that there was something he could do to ease his new friend's suffering. Robin opened her eyes and looked sorrowfully at him, a weak smile forced behind the trail of tears on her face. Chimney sat screaming between Mizu and Kiwi who did their best to comfort the child, but to no avail.

The cook stood there silently, feeling empty and lost. Though he didn't know the woman personally, he felt the pain of the friends he had recently made and wiped away the tear that had managed to escape onto his own cheek. He looked around again, trying to figure out why it seemed like something still missing.

"ZORO!" Chimney screamed as she kicked and fought, searching the room for her hero and savior.

Sanji looked to the twins to see if they knew where the elusive man might be, but knew from the worried looks on their faces that they didn't. Concerned about what the unstable swordsman might get himself into, Sanji grabbed his jacket and hurried to the door. He paused as he passed by Franky and Robin, patting the large man on the back gently and placing a soft kiss on his wife's cheek. Robin whispered her thanks to him and Sanji rushed out the door. If Zoro made it back to the apartment before him, it would only compound things further.

The cab ride back to the apartments was took almost the full twenty minutes as first suggested due to the heavy downpour that had started sometime while he was in the hospital. Sanji thanked the man and ran inside, wiping back his damp hair only then realizing he'd left his hat somewhere. A door down the hall opened and out stepped a rough looking man with ashen skin and black hair. His eyes met with Sanji's for a moment before the lift doors opened and the blonde hurried inside.

The apartment was empty, no sign of anyone being there since Sanji had left a few hours ago, so the blonde quickly hung up the jacket and changed into a pair of comfortable sweats. Knowing that Zoro would be distraught when he came home Sanji decided to sit on the couch reading while he waited for the man to finally show up. He might not be able to do much, but at least he could be here. Mourning alone only brought more pain and suffering.

-/-/-/-/-/-

There was a heavy pounding on the door that woke Sanji from his sleep and sent the book he was reading to the floor, effectively losing his place. The pounding came again, accompanied by a muffled voice asking if anyone was home. Tentatively, Sanji looked through the peephole and sighed in relief when he saw the uniformed officer. Not wanting to get overconfident, he opened the door with the safety chain still attached.

"Can I help you, officer?"

"Does this belong to you?" The annoyed policeman asked and kicked something down on the floor.

Sanji looked the best he could through the small opening and gasped in surprise at the disheveled figure covered in dirt and blood. He shut the door quickly and finished unlocking it so it could be opened fully. "Holy shit, what happened?"

"We're not sure, but Detective Smoker told us to bring him here."

Sanji nodded, not bothering to say thank you, and bent down to pick Zoro up off the floor. The stench of alcohol and something akin to a dumpster wafted off of him and curdled Sanji's stomach, making it difficult to get the unconscious man inside. Once the door was secured again, Sanji grabbed a hold of Zoro by the ankles and dragged him down the hall to the bathroom, making a mental note to scrub the floors with bleach water the next day.

What little Sanji knew of Zoro was enough to piece together a rough guess on the events that had brought the man to this end. It seemed like every time Zoro got upset, he went to fight or train, so the cuts and bruises weren't of too much concern. However, what worried Sanji the most was just how much alcohol it had taken to get the idiot this fucked up.

Sanji pulled off the soggy shoes and tossed them into the sink so he could take them to the trash when they were done. The rain had soaked through all of Zoro's clothes, making it difficult to get them off though Sanji had a feeling it had helped wash away at least a little of the muck the swordsman had been rolling in. Sanji wrinkled his nose as he looked down at his own clothes, streaked with grime and soaked in spots. Knowing that Zoro couldn't stand on his own, he went ahead and removed his own clothes, and was about to turn on the shower when Zoro began to groan as he rolled over to his side. Quickly, Sanji helped him to his knees and leaned him over the toilet, barely getting the sick man in a decent position in time. When he was finished vomiting, Zoro turned his head to look at the blonde.

"W're you n'ked?"

"Because I had to help you get out of your clothes and ended up getting all that shit all over me."

Zoro nodded, but the motion caused him to grab his stomach and begin throwing up again. Sanji helped to balance him and gently ran a hand over his back in comfort. He reached back and turned on the water in the shower when he was fairly sure that the vomiting stopped, and helped Zoro to his feet.

"Y're goin' wi' me?" Zoro asked in disbelief as he looked at both of their naked bodies.

"Someone needs to make sure you don't fall down and kill yourself," Sanji answered as if he were talking to a small child who just didn't understand the situation.

Together they stepped into the tepid water and Zoro leaned against the wall as he allowed the blonde to wash the gritty substance from his hair. When he was done, Sanji guided him back into the spray, taking care to keep the soap from getting into the man's mouth. Dark, almost black eyes watched him as he continued to soap up Zoro's body; checking each cut and scrape to see if anything was worth concern. A hand reached up and cupped Sanji's jaw, using just enough pressure to get the blonde to look up and meet his eyes.

"You're leavin too. E'ryone's leavin me."

The desperate look in Zoro's face tore through Sanji's demeanor and he pulled the larger man into his arms and held him tight. "They only truly leave if we forget them."

Thick arms returned the embrace and Sanji ignored the feeling of slightly warmer beads of moisture that hit his shoulder where the green-haired man's head lay. Memories of a time long ago surfaced and Sanji continued to gently caress Zoro's back as he silently offered his condolences for Zoro's loss. They stood there entwined beneath twin sprays of water as Zoro cried in the shelter of Sanji's embrace. When his hands started to prune, Sanji turned off the water and grabbed a towel, drying them both as much as possible. Tomorrow would be a new day, and the words and actions of tonight would be lost in the inevitable hangover he was sure Zoro would suffer.

After getting Zoro into bed, Sanji stood at the window looking up at the few visible stars in the city and sent up his prayers of thanks to any god who would listen that he had not lost his father this time. He ran a hand over the family picture on the wall and made a promise to the man and woman looking back at him that he would do everything in his power to help find the persons responsible for their death so that all of them could rest in peace. Sleep didn't come easy for him that night, haunting laughs and strange shadows chasing him each time his eyes closed.