Chapter 8

Luffy blinked when the Shadow Lady appeared in their bedroom. Ace was fast asleep, snoring away, and Luffy hadn't been able to wake him up. He was so bored, but Dadan's bandits had refused to let him leave the hut by himself. It was annoying.

The screaming was kinda scary, sure, but it was just the Shadow Lady playing around with people.

"Luffy, grab your stuff," Shadow Lady said, already stuffing Ace's things into Ace's bag.

"Why?" He blinked, but copied her, piling his own things into his bag.

"Remember how people can't know about Ace's witch secret?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"So people know about it, and apparently I shouldn't kill them all, so we're leaving."

Luffy froze. "Sabo-"

"He's coming too."

Luffy grinned. "Then we're all leaving together? Yes! Our pirate adventure!"

"Bit early for that," Shadow Lady grunted. "We're just going somewhere for Ace's safety."

Luffy groaned.

"Do you want someone to take Ace away?"

Luffy deflated. "No."

"Good. Then finish up and let's go," Shadow Lady said, zipping Ace's bag shut and slinging it over her shoulder. Her other arm scooped up Ace, who went limp against her, still fast asleep.

"So why can't we just beat everyone who comes after Ace up?" Luffy asked, stuffing the last of his things into his bag and followed after Shadow Lady.

"That would be too difficult since they'd just keep coming back," Shadow Lady sighed. "I was just going to go kill all of them, but apparently that's not a great idea."

Luffy tilted his head. "It's not?"

"Sadly no."

"That sucks," Luffy huffed, following her downstairs, but he froze on the ladders when he saw Sabo standing in Dadan's hut, and screamed. "SABO!" He flung himself from the ladders, tackling him into a hug, and he wound his arms around him tight, and burst into tears. "SABO, I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!"

Sabo laughed, but he sounded tired, which made Luffy frown, because he didn't get any sleep and no sleep sucked and made Sabo cranky sometimes. It always pissed off Ace before he had that narlo whatever thing happen.

"Nice to see you too, Luffy," Sabo said softly, patting his head. Then Sabo peered up at the shadow lady and frowned. "Ace's is out cold, huh?"

"Yeah, I've used up nearly everything too, so he's gonna be out for a while," Shadow Lady said softly, her brow furrowing. "I'll disappear soon too I think."

"You're back home now, right?" Luffy shifted nervously. "We're all back together right?"

"Sort of," Sabo said weakly.

Luffy tilted his head. He didn't understand what that meant.

"Luffy, we're leaving," Shadow Lady said.

"But nobody else has packed." Luffy eyed their bandits, because no, they haven't packed anything, they looked sad actually.

"Just you, Sabo and Ace with me, because all of you are in danger." Shadow Lady's eyes darkened. "And I'm not in a position to protect all of you."

"Oh, okay, bye then, Dadan!" Luffy grinned, waving his hand.

"THAT'S ALL I GET OUT OF YOU?!" Dadan wailed.

"Yeah, bye." Sabo nodded.

"I hate those three so much," Dadan growled, shaking her fist.

"We'll be out of your hair now," Shadow Lady said. "Be quick, you two, we gotta go now." She stopped and eyed Dadan. "Be careful."

Dadan's face went oddly blank, her eyes on Ace, but she nodded. "We'll be fine. Go, Rouge."

.::.

"You're completely covered in bandages, Lu!" Sabo scowled. "How dare Bluejam touch either of you."

"Yeah, he wanted to make Ace do magic and went to shoot him, but the Shadow Lady murdered him," Luffy said cheerfully.

"I am good at murdering people," Rouge said. Ace was still fast asleep on her shoulder, even as Dragon's ship sailed off into the distance, Dawn Island grew smaller and smaller. "Oi, Dragon, are you sure I shouldn't go kill some more people?"

"No," Dragon sighed.

"Is that the dragon that tried to kill you?" Luffy whispered to him.

Sabo threw him a bemused look. "No. Otherwise we wouldn't be on the ship with him. The dragon that tried to kill me was a Celestial Dragon, the guys who are after Ace."

"And we're leaving because the one who tried to kill you is after Ace right now?"

"Yes."

"We should have just let the Shadow Lady beat him up." Luffy crossed his arms and huffed.

"Exactly!" Rouge agreed.

"You were only going to gain more attention," Dragon said. "Ace wouldn't have been able to keep Rouge's form stable forever."

"I'm flickering now in fact." Rouge grimaced, and handed Ace carefully to Dragon. "Take him before I drop him."

"I'll put him in medical."

A split second later Rouge went see through, and she scowled. "Shit. I overdid it. I won't be back for a while. Dragon, remember, North Blue-"

"I know." Dragon nodded, his face tense. "You'll get there safely. I promise."

"Sabo, Luffy, don't leave his side-"

"We won't," Sabo promised.

Rouge smiled warmly. "Thank you."

She flickered again, and in a blink of an eye she was gone. Dragon gestured for them to follow him, and Sabo grabbed Luffy's arm, tugging him along so he didn't get distracted. They went deep into the ship, following Dragon's heels until he arrived in what looked like a doctor's room. He placed Ace on the spare bed and tucked the blanket over him.

"You three will stay here for now. I'll send someone with some food in later."

Sabo nodded. "Thank you."

"Yeah, thanks!" Luffy climbed up on to the bed, grinning down at Ace.

Sabo followed his lead once Dragon left, shutting the door behind him with a quiet 'click'. He sat down beside Ace's feet and leaned his back against the wall. This was his fault. If that damn agent hadn't interrogated him nobody would have went after Ace. Sabo could have been free right now if that Celestial Dragon hadn't attacked him. Sabo shivered. He would have been dead right now if it hadn't been for Rouge. Ace and Luffy wouldn't be on the run, but Sabo would have been dead. He wouldn't have had his brothers, and they wouldn't have had him.

Sabo gagged at the thought.

"Sabo?" Luffy blinked at him, tilting his head.

"I'm fine-" he choked out.

Luffy frowned. "No you're not."

"I will be." He managed a weak grin. "Because we're back together again. I'm not held prisoner by those disgusting bastards who call themselves my parents, and we all got out safely."

Luffy looked baffled, but grinned. "Shishishishi, you're so weird, Sabo."

Sabo smiled weakly. "I'm going to owe some apologies when he wakes up."

"Why?"

"Because I was the one who got caught and the CP-0 agents found out he was a head witch."

Luffy crossed his arms. "But you didn't mean to tell them."

"Of course not!" Sabo scowled. "But they started asking me questions, and one of them kept his fingers on my pulse, so whenever my heart rate started to pick up he'd know."

"That sounds complicated, Sabo." Luffy wrinkled his nose. "The guy cheated. That's how he found out about Ace."

"It's not as simple as that, Luffy-"

"Yes it is. You're just making it complicated."

Sabo sighed. "Fine, fine, I'm making it complicated."

Luffy grinned. "Yeah, silly, Sabo."

.::.

Rouge stared down at the three kids. Sabo slept in the middle, crowded by Ace and Luffy. Luffy who clung to them both as they dreamt. Ace hadn't woken up. Probably wouldn't for another day, especially if Rouge kept forming back. But she had something to take care of, something more important than Ace's comfort. Rouge knelt down beside Sabo and Luffy, and placed her fingers on their foreheads.

"For an emergency," she whispered. "I summon Portgas D. Ace's magic, and ask it to heed to my will for a spell. Place his magic within these two, and if they are close to Ace but are in trouble, I will come to their side and fight for them. If I wish it so."

Spells like these had to be spoken aloud. It's why the Marines usually ended up gagging witches. If they couldn't speak, they could not safely cast spells. It was only different for the Head Witch's specialisations. Rouge could use her elements without speaking a single word. She need only feel for them. The magic seeped into Sabo's and Luffy's foreheads. Ace groaned, turning on his side, burying his head further against Sabo's stomach. Sabo mumbled a protest, but patted Ace's head.

Rouge wouldn't let a situation like Bluejam happen again. Luffy nearly died, and Ace would have been heart broken if it had happened, and she would kill anyone who upset her kid. For now though, she would do what she could to prevent such incidents. Sabo may be going to join Dragon, but the boys would reunite again. Rouge snorted. Like anything could keep them apart forever.

There was a flicker at the edge of her haki. It was only Dragon though. He leaned against the doorway, staring at Luffy with pained but hopeful eyes.

"You could visit when he's awake," Rouge whispered softly. "Tell him everything. I'm sure he'd understand one day."

Dragon frowned. "If I did that, he'd have so many questions. Questions I can't answer, because then he'd be put in so much danger."

Rouge sighed. "Baterilla was horrible. We stopped burying bodies, and instead burned them in groups. Every time a Marine would pass me, I was terrified they'd stop me. I had to remain so calm for so long so I could keep Ace safe. But the anger in me, I wanted to ruin them all, I still do. I want to tear them apart, piece by piece, to make them suffer as my people in Baterilla did."

She smoothed a hand through Ace's hair. Ace sighed softly, leaning into her touch, and Rouge's heart warmed.

"But Ace always comes first," she promised. "Always."

"You did well. I couldn't think of anyone who would will a pregnancy to still for twenty months," Dragon said, sitting down next to her, leaning against her arm. "It should have been impossible."

Rouge grinned happily. "We're D.s, Dragon. We eat impossible for breakfast. Rahahahaha!"

Dragon softened. "I missed you."

Rouge scoffed. "Eh, I help you out, I got treasures from the bastards we preyed on. Worked well in my favour."

Dragon chuckled. "You're the worst."

"No, Celestial Dragons are the worst."

Dragon snorted, but then his eyes landed on Luffy. A pained, but hopeful look brightened his eyes again. "They grow up so quickly."

Dragon's hand reached out, and slowly, ever so hesitantly, he rested it on Luffy's head. Dragon softened, a look rarely seen upon him, and it made Rouge ache for him. He wanted to be here, but for Dragon he could never leave anyone behind. Dragon could not be happy until everyone was free from this world's abuses.

Rouge was selfish, were as Dragon was not. She would choose Ace over everything, and Dragon would choose everything over Luffy.

Rouge rested her head on his shoulder. "Yeah. It feels like yesterday I was cradling Ace in my arms, after Garp handed him the grimoire."

Dragon groaned. "What age?"

"Five."

"I'm not surprised," Dragon sighed. "My father is relentless."

"Yeah, I have told him that I wasn't surprised his wife left him, or that you decided to form a revolution."

"Ouch."

"He needs to hear these things." Rouge frowned. "Look after Sabo."

"I'll do my best."

Rouge closed her eyes. That was as good as a promise then.

Dragon didn't break his promises.