Chapter Thirteen: The Fisherman

"Men and fish are alike. They both get into trouble when they open their mouths."
~Author Unknown

Faye slowly walked down the cobble stoned road, her bones creaked and popped with every step. Pale leather-like skin had stretched over her bones, sagging slightly against her high cheek bones and laugh lines wrinkled at her eyes. Her thin peppered black and gray hair was pulled into a messy bun as she walked the streets of this small shoreline town in a pair of old trousers and a blouse that she had made herself before the pain in her joints became too much and no medicine or herbs or hot teas could fix it.

Many waved to her and gave their greetings, for she had been in this small town since it had first became established over twenty years ago. The children stopped what they were going and ran up to her, instantly begging for another story.

"Miss Faye, oh please tell us another one of your stories!"

"Yeah, tell the one about the prince that you met!"

"No, I want to hear the one about the girl who could turn into a fairy!"

"How about the one with the Emperor Fisherman!"

Faye smiled gently at them and pulled her small leather bound journal from her pocket.

"I agree, let us hear the one about Emperor Fisherman Jinbei…"

of memoirs and maps –

"I swear Ace. As soon as you wake up I'm throwing you into the sea. You are not worth any of this!"

I didn't know why I was carrying him. I could have left him passed out in the cave like all of the Red-Haired Pirates were but something told me to go through the trouble of dragging him through another blizzard back to the ship. Everyone else was helping each other not pass out and get back too. Damn, Ace was heavier than I thought.

"So damn heavy…"

I mumbled, readjusting him as he leaned against me, his mouth wide open as he snored and swallowed snowflake after snowflake.

Before I knew it, the ship was already in view to us against the horizon. The two little rowboats were still sitting nestled in the snowy sand on the shore. Steam rose off the ocean as the warm water came in contact with the cold air.

I piled Ace into one of the boats and sat on the wood quickly. My bottom was instantly warmed; a shiver ran up my spine. Sighing with content, I rubbed my hands over my arms under my cloak and waited for everyone else to hurry up and get in the boats so we could get back on the ship.

Hank ad Benji rowed this boat, while another two crew members (Levi and Demin) rowed the second one. Once up to the ship, Hank threw the rope over the rail for the crew to pull us up. It took a few minutes, and a bunch of close calls with Ace falling in the water, before he was on the deck floor and just waking up.

"Hmm? We're back already?" He had asked lazily, rubbing at his eye and yawning. I walked up behind him, my fist curled into a tight ball, and whacked it across the back of his head. The whole crew (that was close enough) winced at the thump it made. Ace had been thrown forward slightly with his head between his legs and covering the obviously throbbing bump with his hands.

"FUCK FAYE! THAT HURT!"

I simply replied with a, "Good, it was supposed to."

A week later, we were still in Glacier Cove. You have no idea how pissed off at Ace I was about this. I would have thought we would be sailing off to one of the bookmarked spots by now, but no. We were still in the freezing cold north with hot sea water and freezing cold air. My lips looked like the Arabasta Desert that had been dyed blue.

After a few days of staying on the ship wrapped in the thick blanket from my (Ace's) bed and a few others that I had made out of some old cloth found in a storage room, I came to find out that the town of Glacier Cove had little cafés that provided warmth and hot coffee. That's where I spent most of my time working on orders, designing new winter clothes and even working on some of the maps.

Of course, Ace demanded I be on the ship most of the time. He didn't want his crew (like I was even here on my own free will – well, I was but…) getting the reputation as free-loaders. But then, I kindly reminded him that I wasn't part of his crew.

"Do you sleep on this ship?"

"Well yeah but—"

"Do you eat on this ship?"

"Not all the time—"

"Do you navigate my ship?"

"Only because that's the only way you'll get me away from Marines and—"

"Then you are part of the Spade Pirate crew."

This was one of those once-in-a-blue-moon moments that I saw Ace's serious side. For a while there, I began to think he didn't have a serious bone in his body.

But if I was on the ship, then I was curled up in a bed under a layer of blankets just as thick as the snow.

And then one day, Ace tells the crew he's looking for a man – a very well known man that most fear and quiver at his name – a man with a name that will be burned into your memory to moment you hear it.

Captain Edward Newgate, other known as Whitebeard.

of memoirs and maps –

The moment I heard this, I thought 'Bull. Shit.'

Ace couldn't survive fighting that… that… I didn't know what to call Whitebeard. He was a man of great stature, from what I have heard. He could be called a beast of a man.

I continue to think that he was bluffing, merely giving an excuse to find some old flame he once had. (No pun intended.)

Of course, when we kept going from island to island getting only information on him, Whitebeard; and soon, it seemed every island we went to instantly kicked the Spade Pirates away.

Whitebeard's flag flew high at every port and harbor we passed.

Soon we stopped at an island of nothing but snow and trees. We had to stop, a large chunk of ice was floating in the way of the ship. Ace wasn't very happy with this. In fact, he jump off the railing of the Fixed Deck to blow a few flames at some innocent trees. Poor trees.

The snow around him melted into puddles, heat was obviously radiating off his body. Remind me not to get on his bad side.

Hank walked up to him, very hesitantly might I add, trying to calm his captain down. A few more bursts of fire were shot at some more trees, but after that Ace came back on the ship and stomped his way to his quarters. I quietly stayed on the deck by the wheel, not wanting to open my mouth and anger him more. Most of the time I went off on him it was just friendly banter, but this time I knew he was not to be messed with. Too bad my big mouth had to go and run itself a marathon.

"What the hell is your problem?"

For some odd reason, I felt like my common sense had died that day. Or it just decided to elope with my conscience.

Ace's shoulders tensed completely (his back was turned to me) as he bent over his desk, gripping at the edge of the wood. His knuckles turned white, and it wasn't' from the cold.

"My problem?"

"Yeah, you're problem. You've been acting like a pregnant woman for the past week. Whitebeard this, Whitebeard that. Who gives a flying fuck about the old fart? I, for one, would rather be in Loguetown in my little shop, sitting at my counter with an apple in my hand as I watch potential customer after customer walk by and—"

"Then why don't you just leave and go back to Loguetown?"

There was silence, both below the deck and above. I knew our argument had been heard. I should have just stayed up there wrapped in a blanket, sitting beside the wheel. But no, I didn't.\

"Because I'm stuck here with you!"

"No one is stopping you from leaving, Faye. You can be on your merry way at anytime! If you want to leave, the leave! There's the door!"

"You have my book!"

"You're free to take it at anytime!"

"We're in the middle of no where!"

"You could have left earlier!"

"There were Marines!"

"We haven't seen any Marines since Hastion City!"

"I—"

I had nothing else to say. I ran out of excuses. I ran out of things to blame on him or someone else. Why did I stay?

"Well? What else do you have to say? I'm listening, Faye!"

There was more silence and then…

"Cap'n! We've got company up here!"

Our eyes met, his full of an emotion I couldn't understand (disappointment maybe?), and mine unable to connect for more than just a few seconds. Ace walked forward to the door. He opened it, stopping before stepping out.

"I liked your accent."

Shit.

"I dun' know what you're talkin' 'bout."

He walked away. And for some reason, my heart felt a little broken.

of memoirs and maps –

Five days passed. I had not left Ace's quarters. I wouldn't dare sit or lay on the bed, the couch was completely off limits, and his desk was just an annoying taunt to me. Hank had come to give me the news of Jinbei. I only nodded and continued to stare off into space as I wait for the battle between Ace and Jinbei to be done with. Those whole five days I had not slept a wink. I only stared at the wooden floor, glancing back and forth and the things in the room as I tried to figure out a few things.

Why did I stay?

Why did I lie to the Marine?

Why did I go after Ace?

Why did I leave Mia there alone?

Why did I continue to stay on this ship?

…why did I not miss home as much as I said I did?

I had known Ace for a complete total of four months at the most. We would always have these never ending squabbles that only ended when it was time for food, he fell asleep, or one (if not both) was pulled away to do our 'duties'.

Hank came back to give me the news.

Ace has been taken by Whitebeard. The crew was getting ready to go get him back. I was welcomed to join or continue sitting in my corner.

I stayed where I was, as silent as ever, and didn't make any type of eye contact with any of the crew.

I'm a coward. That's why I didn't leave. I can't fight for myself. I can't do anything for myself. I put on a tough mask to make it look like I can do anything, when really, I'm a traitor to the one person who protected me no matter what. I don't deserve to even be alive.

The ship was silent for a long time, but I could hear the battle cries from the crew fighting Whitebeard's men.

It was either now or never. I could get up and go fight those bastards that took Ace, no matter how much my shoulder hurt, or I could just stay in this corner until they came and found me or I starved to death.

Where did I put my coat?

A/N: Hmm… so. How was this chapter? I updated sooner than I thought I would. Guess what? I'm going to Hawaii in Dec. of 2011! Yay for the BDB in GA getting invited to march in the Pearl Harbor parade! I feel so honored to be in the band that was asked to march out of all the other bands in Georgia! I CAN'T WAIT.

Review please? I know this chapter isn't as great as the others but – blah. I wanted to write something so here you go. :P