Ace of Spades

by himmelblu

Ace of Spades, the most feared name across the ocean, he was the most feared and notorious assassin and informant there ever was. No one knew who or what he was, some say he is the spawn of the devil. And now, the Whitebeards needed his help. And maybe they even get a new son in the process. (Up to chap 52 'The Plight' is main story, the rest are just loose ends and ideas)

67. Chapter 66 The Restoration

Hello everyone, here is the next chapter

There are a lot of different scenes in this chapter, and introduces some things which I will expand on later

Hope you enjoy

Read and relax

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Whitebeard sat in the galley with some of his children, dinner having just ended over an hour ago. The events which occurred yesterday, in particular, the fight between Trevor and Ace, left him feeling shocked. Something must have previously happened, something which was left unresolved. Daisuke had seemed shocked himself, but it seemed it was something he had expected too. There must be some kind of bad blood between Ace and Trevor which caused the fight to occur. Hopefully one day, he will find out what that might be. For now, they were just relaxing in the galley, enjoying small conversation.

"So," He heard Hanzo start, looking at Ace. "Yesterday was fun." Ace gave a breath. "I'm still sorry for kicking you." Hanzo chuckled. "Nah, it's fine. I've had worse. I felt bad when you broke down." Ace shrugged. "I don't really know what happened." Hanzo gave a small chuckle. "It does sound nice though, to just lie down and have a break down." Ace had probably needed it, to relive some emotions or something. The fight had been bad, but it might have been good in the long-term; Ace and Trevor obviously had some issues. Ace gave a small chuckle too. "Yeah, it is. You should try it." Hanzo shook his head. "But, I can guess it's only a temporary solution." Ace gave a nod, a breath leaving him. "Yeah. But it still feels nice." Hanzo gave a nod, leaning back in his chair. "Do you know what I think we need?" said Hanzo with a look at Ace. The captain saw Ace's eyes widen a bit, a look best described as pleasure. "Oh my God, please say yes." What was this about? Hanzo gave a nod, holding some papers up. "This request just came in. An island, 8 names, and at least 300 flunkies. All disposable." Ace closed his eyes and mouthed 'Yes!'.

The two then stood up, Ace looking towards the table next to the captain. "Trevor! Mika! Wanna join a massacre?" Whitebeard blinked. What? The two assassins next to him, instantly got up and ran after the other two, all of them looking thrilled and excited. The captain was going to ask what this was about, but he was shocked for a few seconds, giving the four assassins time to leave. "Did," Started Izou beside him. "Did Ace say a massacre?!" Ace had, but had he meant it? He heard a hum to his left, where Daisuke was sitting and reading a newspaper. "He did. A small massacre of some corrupt nobles, nothing major. Ace is getting restless and needs to find his stride again. He will also start working again, soon." Whitebeard knew Ace would go back to being an assassin again, he just hoped it wouldn't be so quickly. He was worried something bad would happen again.

"Is it not too soon to let Ace go off on his own; to not be concerned for his welfare?" Whitebeard looked at Daisuke, who seemed calm. "Things are fine. Ace is past the worst of it now, both his mind a body have recovered, so you may relax now. Things will return to normal, for everyone." Whitebeard nodded as he let out a breath. He knew things would eventually go back to normal, but he just wasn't sure if it should so soon. This entire situation was complex. He had never dealt with this kind of thing before. He would try and relax and let things go normal. Daisuke and Hanzo weren't concerned, so he shouldn't either. They would still be here to watch out for Ace. He truly hoped that Ace will start opening up to them, as they want to help. He really believes that they can, but only if Ace lets them..

When the assassins returned some hours later, they had all had a shower and Ace handed a folder to Daisuke. "Thank you." The older assassin chuckled. "You're welcome. You needed something in order to burn off your excess energy." Ace chuckled, sitting down. "You're right. And it was fun." Daisuke hummed. "No injuries?" Ace chuckled. "I think Mika broke a nail." The woman in question gave a sigh. "I did. I have used so much time to make them look good! And all for naught." The other chuckled, Daisuke looking at the female assassin. "Speak to Moira; she has a special way to enforce them. And, they can be used as a weapon." Mika looked interested with that. "I would like that. But, my nail would need to regrow first." Ace chuckled. "I'll take you to Amegakure in a week or so then." Mika smiled. "Yes, thank you."

They seemed to be in a good mood, and Whitebeard could understand it. They were used to working and an assassin lifestyle. Even he and his family got restless after not having a fight now and then. This would be normal for them. When Hanzo sat down, he said he would leave tomorrow; Raiden needed some help at Amegakure, and Ace would take Hanzo to him, or more likely Dust would. "I wonder," Started Izou. "Why Dust? Why that name?" Trevor almost spat his drink out. "What?! You don't know?!" Izou shook his head. Was there a reason? Ace chuckled. "I was 11, give me some slack." Trevor laughed. "Never! It's because he is a bird and how he sort of has dust on his wings. But, the main reason, was that in a certain language the word means 'moron'." Whitebeard blinked. What? Ace sighed. "I was 11. It was funny. And I liked it and now it even fits." Trevor chuckled. "I know. I like it too. You called him moron. I still chuckle at times." Ace chuckled himself. "Even I do. But his name fits; it matches his powers now." Said Ace as he fed Dust some fish from the table.

Dust was a nice bird, and it did suit him, but the actual reason was a rather funny. However, it was as Ace said; he was 11, a child, when he made it. The bird was a good companion and they all liked the bird; Dust had personality. It was also good to see Ace was getting better and how the older assassin was slowly letting Ace do work, but not alone. Things would be fine.

-x-

Marco saw Ace give a small sigh, moving to take some crackers from the table. "You know, I enjoyed the raid two days ago, but it would be good to go on another one." Trevor nodded. "Agreed. Even Hanzo has left." "Hey!" Started the man in question. "I haven't left yet!" Trevor hummed. "I can still hear his voice as if he were here." Ace shook his head, looking at Hanzo. "I'll take you in an hour? Moira needs the help." Hanzo sighed. "Sounds good. Trevor is mean at times." Ace snorted. "No! He is?! Trevor can be an ass." Hanzo nodded. "He can. I'm glad I'm leaving soon though. I am getting somewhat restless myself." Ace nodded. "And it will just be worse when you leave. But, that's life. And, we can't have people attacking all the time; I'm sure we'll survive some restlessness. We have Daisuke." Hanzo chuckled as he nodded. He understood that they were feeling a bit restless, they were used to doing a lot.

Marco heard Ace let a breath out. "Or, you know what? I'm bored, actually. Not restless... bored." Trevor snorted. "No kidding. How can being a pirate be this boring?! Even worse since the captain is a Yonko!" That was true. It had been eerie silent the last few weeks. A small battle wouldn't hurt. Ace sighed. "Maybe I should join Daisuke and start approving things; I can choose where to send people. It sounds cool." Trevor looked at the raven-haired kid with an irked look upon his face. "What?" Ace shrugged. "You know. Be a boss, or something. It sounds fun ordering people around." Trevor blinked, obviously not liking the thought of that. Marco watched as Trevor moved a hand to his waist, taking a gun out and throwing it to the table in front of Ace. "You know what. I changed my mind; go kill yourself."

Marco felt his breath hitch as he looked at Trevor. Did the man just say what he think he did? Based on how horrified the others looked as well, Trevor had. What was wrong with the man? "Har har," Marco looked at Ace, who had a monotonous look. "You're such a bore, Trevor." Ace then lifted the gun. "This is also a nice gun; I'm keeping it." Wait, Ace didn't care? Trevor lifted an eyebrow. "Excuse me. No, you're not. It's mine." Ace mimicked the look. "Yes, excuse me. You threw it here. It's mine now." Trevor rolled his eyes. "Fine fine. But, I want Cerberus." Ace snorted. "What Cerberus? You know I only have one, and that's mine." Trevor snorted. "Hell no. I know Jacob lost his." Ace nodded. "Yes. And I gave it to Izou. I don't need two." Trevor groaned, making Ace chuckle. "If you really wanted it, you should have won it." Trevor just let out a breath as he shook his head.

Hanzo then gave a snort. "So, 7 days after you said 'don't even mention the word', but now joking about suicide? Really?" Ace lifted an eyebrow at the man. "Eh, excuse you. You started joking about it, 4 days after it happened." Hanzo opened his mouth, before giving a swear. "Damn, you're right. We're awful." The two other assassins chuckled. "Yeah, we are." Said Ace, Trevor lifting his glass to it, obviously agreeing. Mika gave a hum, taking a sip of her coffee. "This is a horrible way of dealing with things." All the other assassins lifted an eyebrow at the woman. "Excuse me. Shall I remind you of what you did last year?" Said Trevor, Ace nodding. "You made Corvo throw up. Don't sit on your high horse." Mika looked up at the ceiling, before looking at the others. "Huh. You're right; we're awful. Cheers to that." All the assassins lifted their glass or cup.

Marco just sat in silence, no idea what to even say or how to react. It seemed to be the same with the others. Was this how the assassins acted together? He knew they had some dark humor at times, but really, this must be way over every line that existed. "Children children," The captain looked at Daisuke, who held his hands out, having a smile on his face. "You're scaring the pirates." Trevor shook his head. "Yeah. We're scaring the big bad merciless pirates, who ravages and steals, following no rules. We better watch our jokes." Mika gave a hum. "Dark humor is like food; not everyone gets it." That had Trevor spit his drink out, moving a hand to cover his mouth as he laughed, the other 3 assassins giving a laugh too, Daisuke giving them a glare. "Yes yes, we're leaving." Said Trevor, the assassins, aside from Daisuke, leaving as they chuckled.

When they were out the door, Daisuke gave a sigh mixed with a chuckle. "Mika is the worst with it, so don't egg her on. You will regret that." Marco needed a second to gather himself, before he managed to speak. "What was that, yoi? I mean- that can't be considered humor- that was awful." Daisuke gave a sigh. "It's a way to handle difficult situation. One often sees it with doctors, nurses, and leaders. People with stressful professions." "It's true, Commander," Marco turned to his left, seeing Tifa there, a nurse who worked closely with Bay. "I remember when I did my nursing internship. We even joked about child mortality. It made dealing with some of the worst cases and days somehow easier." Daisuke nodded. "Exactly. It's a good way to keep sane. It's a way to handle trauma. I know none of you will agree, but it's a good sign. It means they are past the worst part." Marco blinked. "You're not at all worried? I mean, what if something happens and Ace tries again, yoi?" That was Marco's biggest fear, knowing it was a possibility.

Daisuke shook his head. "No, I'm not. If Ace wanted to be dead, he would be dead. It occurred due to a combination of things: the incident which happened beforehand, having consumed large quantities of alcohol and those drugs. It was a mix of intent and miscalculation. What made this so much worse, is the fact Ace knew we would find out he was on drugs, not that he was alive. Who would want to go through withdrawal? It's awful, all of us have done at some point. And Ace is young, so he is easily influenced, even though it may not seem like it. So, just take a breath and I promise Ace is fine." Marco gave a nod, taking the information in. It made sense. Why hadn't they thought about this before? Why hadn't Ace told them? But, again, if he had, he would have had to admit he was using drugs whilst among them. And they were against that, knowing how damaging it could be. This just gave more grounds on why they didn't approve of drugs. Daisuke hummed. "Just breathe, okay. Things are getting better." It was probably true, Ace was getting better. This was just a hard situation, and that comment didn't really help.

As they left the galley, they noticed that the other assassins were relaxing on deck. Nothing happened until after dinner, when Ace walked into the kitchen, followed by Trevor and some of the crew. Ace had a thoughtful look upon his face. "What are you looking for, Bunny?" Trevor asked as Ace stood up on one of the counters, checking one of the cabinets. "I was wondering if I still had one of my- aha! Here." Ace jumped down with a bottle filled with a clear liquid. Trevor frowned as he looked at the bottle. "What is it?" Ace had a frown when he looked at it too. "I don't know. I don't usually take the label off before I drink it. But, I'm fairly certain it's the bottle with a 60% alcohol content." Trevor hummed. "You're right. You probably were going to but decided to store it for later. Why don't we share a glass?" Marco blinked. Share a glass? Ace chuckled. "My, my, I wouldn't have guessed that." Trevor snorted. "I know I'll never be able to stop you from drinking. It's the rest I don't like. And it would make me a hypocrite; I ain't gonna stop drinking." Ace gave a smile to the other assassin. "You're right. A small glass then."

Okay, Marco got it. Ace drinking hadn't been a problem; it was the drugs. All of the assassins drank, and it would be hypocritical of them to keep Ace from drinking too; hell, they were known for their parties and alcohol intake. Ace had a smile as he poured a glass, before they headed out into the galley. Daisuke giving a sigh, but approved, knowing Ace would drink, and that they couldn't stop that. And, it was only a small glass. It was normal for them to drink, if it was anything stronger than just alcohol then that would be bad. Ace would be fine, and this proved he was getting better as he was allowed to take a small drink.

-x-

Whitebeard had given a small sigh when Ace took a small glass of the vodka, but knew Trevor was right; they couldn't be hypocritical and keep Ace from drinking. Everyone on the ship enjoyed booze. And Ace looked glad to be able to get a glass, a small one, he looked to be in a good mood. Ace gave a small frown when he was about to take a sip of it, making Trevor ask what was wrong, which had Ace shrug. "I don't know. Smells a bit off." Said the young assassin as he took a small sip.

But when Ace coughed after he had taken a small sip from the glass, he felt worried. Ace never reacted to alcohol at that strength, or weaker. Ace moved the glass up and looked at it, then Trevor. "Okay, new rule: I am not allowed to spike things. Ever." Whitebeard frowned. What? Trevor reached for the glass. "Why? What's in it?" Ace shook his head, drinking a glass of water he had taken with them to the table. "I barely remember making that 5 weeks ago," Before Ace could continue, Trevor coughed as he took a sip too, moving a hand to wave at his mouth. "Oh God! It burns!" Ace nodded. "Tried to tell you. I think it's a mix of liquid cocaine, vodka, amphetamine, and something else, I can't remember what. Virus said something along the lines of 'only take one pill or put 2 in water and enjoy the ride.' I think it was a type of heroin."

Trevor coughed as he drank some water, or tried to, looking at Ace. "What the hell is wrong with you! Is this even safe to drink?!" Ace gave a shrug, before he snapped his fingers. "Oh, I remember! I made it with Eldritch 4 years ago. I took one glass, then I woke up on a boat to 'the edge of the world' a month later. No memory or recollection of the entire month." Trevor blinked at Ace. "And you made it again?!" Ace shrugged. "Apparently. To my defense, I was high on something when I did it." Trevor shook his head. "You do realise that does not make it better. Although, did you find the edge or end of the world?" Ace gave a small snigger. "I know this makes it worse. But I have no idea; I took one more glass. Kept it up for like 5 months, remembering at best an hour of those 6 months combined. Then Daisuke found me. Anyway, Eldritch said we did. But he was way out his mind as well. He was worse than me. I think he just fell in the water."

The captain saw Daisuke shaking his head. "I remember that. You were chasing a rabbit, and I quote: 'it was trying to steal the time lord's clock to take over the world'. You told me to ask the talking flowers by the wise caterpillar, and that they would back you up." Ace gave a small laugh. "I so wish I remember that. It sounds amazing." Daisuke gave a small snort. "And then I found Eldritch; he cut off his ear to stop a world war between humans and trees. He also had your left big toe, something you cut off and gave as an offering to the queen of flowers." Trevor gave a breathless laugh. "Holy crap. This shit is strong!" Ace nodded. "Yes, it is. It also only takes a minute to work, you don't even notice. And then you're suddenly at another place with people that worship the color green. No memory of anything." The assassins laughed, somehow finding fun in all of this, making the captain blink. That didn't sound good and he wasn't sure what to do with this information. Ace had made something as strong as that? He knew that Ace didn't react normally to drugs, as he had a much higher tolerance. He was uncertain if that was because he had been using drugs since a young age, or because of the healing ability from his devil fruit. Maybe a bit of both.

Trevor gave a small hum. "What happened to Eldritch?" Ace hummed too. "He died 3 years ago; drug overdose." Trevor looked up. "Huh. That's right. What drug did he take?" Ace shrugged. "Who knows." Trevor sighed. "Let me guess: Virus and Trip?" Ace chuckled. "Who else." Trevor shook his head. "Those guys are everywhere." That had Ace chuckle. "Yeah. I think it's like Bloody Mary; say their names 3 times and they magically appear out of a mirror or something. But, their home has underground tunnels which are connected to many other places." That had Trevor look shocked. "You know where they live?!" Ace lifted an eyebrow. "How do you think I get my drugs? Hope they follow me around?" Trevor blinked. "I guess you won't show or tell me were they live?" Ace snorted. "You mean those you have a vendetta against? You would destroy the island trying to find them." Trevor tilted his head a bit. "True. I don't like them; they are so… I don't even know. They were a part of Morphine, before we took them down. Why didn't we kill them too?" Ace lifted an eyebrow. "Really. The best drug makers in the world? We won't kill them. They are just that; drug makers- and dealers. They don't kill on purpose, they tell how much one can take, and give what one asks for." Trevor shook his head as he sighed. "I still don't like them."

Ace gave a sigh, shaking his head. "They aren't the bad people. It's those who go to them that are. They are just distributors." Ace then grabbed the glass. "And this, we need to use this. Who agrees to send a batch to the marines? I have like 2 liters of this thing." Trevor laughed. "Oh my God! Imagine them spazzing out for a month! We need to do that!" Ace gave a small laugh. "Agreed. Let me send it to Garp with a note about what it is and what it does." Trevor laughed. "Yes! Oh my God, have the admirals drink that! Tell them it's a limited edition vodka!" Daisuke gave a sigh. "Do you need to do that?" Ace chuckled. "Yes, yes we do. They will probably just take a swig, and will notice that something is off about it. They might be affected for a few days, at max a week." Daisuke nodded. "Then it's fine. The world will lose their sanity if the admirals start chasing bunnies and cutting of body parts for weeks." That was true. Ace and Trevor then packed it up, sending it to Garp with a note. Whitebeard would be sure they kept an eye out in the papers. He was glad Ace actually sent it away and not kept it, It sounded awfully strong.

When the next day came, the clock being just past 5 in the morning with the sun still rising, few were out on deck. Whitebeard frowned feeling as though something was amiss but being unable to figure out why. He sent a look at Izou and pointed to the starboard side, where he felt as though the feeling was coming from. The sixteenth commander noticing it after he mentioned it, gathered those on watch as an unknown individual came around the corner, likely from the back of ship. This person didn't seem worried, but it was still an intruder, which had them all lift their weapons, not taking kindly to strangers aboard their ship.

Whitebeard saw the man hold his arms up, looking shocked at them. The captain was just about to ask who this was and why he had been hiding on his ship when Ace suddenly walked up and moved a hand to lower Izou's gun. "Hi Soul. How's business been." The man, Soul, tilted his head a bit. "Eh, not to bad. That's the reason I'm here. For you..." Ace took the paper the man held out, moving to lean on the railing as he read it. "Yo! Soul! Whatcha doing here? How's business?" Said Trevor as he walked over, standing beside Soul, clapping him on the back, Mika close behind. Soul shrugged. "Not bad. I've got something, a job, I will not do since I don't have a death wish." Oh, so the man was an assassin too.

Whitebeard wondered what request he had gotten, and could see Trevor on his way to ask when Ace spoke. "Ouch, this hurts my pride." Ace looked at Trevor. "I'm only worth 300 000 belli." Trevor laughed. "What?! Your bounty is like 15 times that!" Ace nodded, showing the paper to the man, who just laughed. "The hell! That's an insult!" Ace nodded. "Agreed." Soul shook his head, giving an 'ahem'. "Look further down." Ace looked at the new assassin, before looking down the paper. "Oh my God. Listen to this Trevor; 'If you succeed without the Whitebeards finding out I sent you, I will get you a private meeting with the great Ace of Spades.'" Trevor burst out laughing. "What?! If Soul kills you he's gonna meet you?!" Ace shook his head. "What a moron. And," Ace looked at Soul. "Even if Trevor, Mika, and I weren't here and you were supposed to kill, I don't know, Rakuyo… You wouldn't just be fighting that man but the entire Whitebeard fleet. Not be mean but you wouldn't stand a chance. I also don't know this person, it's an unfamiliar name."

Soul nodded. "Yup. I was going to tell her I wouldn't do it because of that, but decided not to, just wanting to drop it by you first. I told her I would return to her in 2 days. She is insane. And I know why she want to kill you; she has a 'personal grudge' against you. Not the assassin you, but you. Also, the reason I'm here." Ace looked interested in that. "Oh, what might that be? Not many resent me like that." Soul snorted, moving a hand to point at Marco. "She has a shrine and altar for the birdy boy there. She's mad that you got him and she didn't. She had a voodoo doll, but it didn't work." Soul then handed another paper to Ace, who gave a 'huh'. "He's right. Marco's got a stalker. Are there any more?" Soul snorted, holding a bunch of papers out. "I did a small check, look at this." Whitebeard sat stunned as Ace looked at the papers, seeing that Marco was shocked too.

Before they could recover, Ace gave a chuckle. "Never met you more than once, only seen you from a distance." Ace then moved the papers before he looked taken aback. "Oh my, these are graphic." Trevor moved to look, looking horrified. "Holy hell. She's insane! 'I dream of tying you to my bed so I can keep your scent in my room just for me. I still have the stick you used to bash that man's head in with and I use it every- Woah, woah, woah! No! That's not okay! That's inappropriate!" Ace shook his head, looking through the rest of the papers. "Ah, here." The second commander held out a paper to Marco, this one having a picture of a woman. "Raquel, living on an island south-east in the new world, around 30 years of age, and completely insane. Ring any bells?" Marco took the picture with a frown, looking thoughtful. "Maybe. I think she was on an island we took over from the marines, about 3 years ago yoi. I think she tried to get on the boat, but we stopped her."

Ace gave a nod. "That sounds about right. Listen to this. 'The captain will not stand in our way any more. It's our 3 years anniversary and he needs to back down. Whitebeard and that little pretty b-' Ace cut off, "- I do not like that name-" he mentioned before continuing but skipping that word. "'...are just in the way. Join me and we will rule the world, me as a queen and you as my king. We can take over for that old buffoon of a captain'"

Trevor gave a nod. "Well, she's dead. No one is allowed to call you that." Ace hummed. "I really don't like that name." He said as he looked the papers over. "Ah, Soul," Said Daisuke, coming from a corner. "What brings you here?" "Marco got a stalker." Said all the assassins in unison. Daisuke hummed. "Let me guess. Raquel?" That had everyone looking at the older assassin. "How did you know?" Asked Trevor, looking shocked. Daisuke shook his head, looking at the papers. "She's sent several requests for assassination of 'people in her way'. First was about a year ago, she tried to have 8 different assassins take on Miss Jackson first, after the picture of them dining together appeared in the newspaper. Then, when you turned up, her focus turned to you. This has been ongoing for months." Ace blinked at the man. "And why haven't I been told about this?" Daisuke shrugged. "Didn't see a reason. No one would have dared. Even if they were to consider trying, not even knowing that you are an assassin, they would be able to see the level of protection you have as well as the many challenges they would have. The fact you're on this boat and part of the Whitebeard family helps keep people away. Not many would be keen on taking on the Whitebeard pirates. I never knew she was this insane, as no one has done anything for her or actually done a background check on her. Soul's the first. Had I known she was insane, I would have told you right away." Ace nodded, understanding that.

That was true, they wouldn't sit back if anyone tried to kill someone in their family. But, why did Daisuke say this woman wanted Miss Jackson dead before she wanted Ace? Everyone out the knew they were the same person. "Wait," Started Soul. "She tried to take on Miss Jackson?! Who does that!" Aha, Soul didn't know they were the same person. Daisuke gave a chuckle. "Exactly. As soon as they saw who she wanted dead, they dropped everything and said bye. No one would try that, not even listen to a request for it. Everyone is afraid of her." Soul nodded. "What is she actually? She's barely seen and has never fought before. And where is she? How do we even manage to contact her? Is she on Amegakure? She's seen there often at times." Trevor chuckled. "We have our way. And Miss Jackson is just a disguise; she's a lurer and informant, only sent for specific requests. That, and even though she rarely does it, she knows her way around a fight. Azuruko and Moira have fought her."

Soul shook his head. "I've only heard rumors. I would like to meet her one day. I heard she was on Puerto Rico last year. I have a few I would like to meet up with there, but they are in trouble and are rarely around." Ace hummed. "We can probably arrange a meeting. She's been a bit off the grid for a while, so she'll soon show up again I think." Trevor gave a hum. "Maybe. She did get in some trouble and usually has a guard around her now." Ace looked at the silver-haired man. "Oh, when was I going to be told this? I thought she could stand up for herself." Trevor gave a look back. "Yes, but she doesn't want to fight; you know that. The reason the Red Force have helped." Ace lifted an eyebrow. "Maybe you should become her guard then; I heard she's got a new strawberry perfume and lip gloss." Trevor gave a glare. "She wouldn't." Ann returned the look. "Try her." Daisuke moved his hands in a calming manner. "Children, children. Stop bickering. It's not our decision. Miss Jackson is a grown woman, she can take care of herself. If she wants a guard, she'll have one. If not, then no."

Ace gave a satisfied look to Trevor, and before he could speak, Daisuke did. "Back to the issue at hand: Raquel. Is she still trying, or wanting actually, to kill you?" Ace nodded. "Seems so." Ace blinked, before showing something to Daisuke. "Is this for real?" The older man hummed. "Yes. You can see it by the threading, and how it's just pieces of hair and teeth. It's legit. It's really disgusting." Ace looked appalled as he showed a picture of a doll to Marco. "This is a doll made of the hair and teeth that you have lost. She's been following you." That had Marco look disgusted, and the captain had to agree. Ace looked at Soul. "How did she find out how to contact you, and were are you going to meet her?" Soul blinked. "She's actually on the island just north of here. Hoping for news on your death." Daisuke hummed. "Are you going to kill her?" Before Ace could respond, Trevor did. "'Course he is! She called him the no-no word." Did Trevor mean the 'pretty... something'? He was curious, but had a feeling there was a reason Trevor called it the no-no word and not what she had said, as well as Ace not saying it either. It might be a sore topic for Ace, so he didn't want to bring it up now.

Ace gave a hum. "Why don't we make a plan. Soul, you go back now and I join, but not in view. You tell her you came to the ship, but was stopped and informed us why you were here; Marco knows she's- in her mind- in love with him. And you tell it is not mutual and he's not interested in people that have shrines or altars like a crazy person, and you tell her that wasn't part of the deal. The deal was that the feelings would be mutual and I'm just in the way, and it's not; she's insane and Marco never wants to see her. Oh, and burn that doll of hers. Just to see how she reacts. From what information Daisuke know, along with the proof of that creepy doll, I doubt she will just give up. We can't have crazy people like that running around." Daisuke hummed. "I still remember Veronica, 7 years ago. She set the base on fire so she could run in and save Azuruko from dying, and win his heart as his hero. She used too much gasoline, our cellar exploded. Killed 4 of our best men back then, and then she burned to death, not realising that some of the gasoline had gotten on her clothes." Whitebeard blinked. Someone had done that?

Ace nodded. "I remember that. Azuruko was so mad and irritated, and of course, felt guilty. I am sure this Raquel wouldn't hesitate about doing the same. But, maybe we just send her off?" Trevor blinked. "I'm sorry. She called you the no-no, and you don't want to murder her?" Ace snorted. "Of course I want to. But, imagine her living on with the knowledge that her insane psychotic feelings aren't returned." Trevor blinked. "Ah, that would be the best torture for her; not simply ending her torment. Let her drown in her own psychotic mind." Ace nodded. "Yes. But, we need to keep an eye on her, maybe I'll place her on an island she can't leave? Not protected by any pirate group or the marines, but maybe bandits? They don't have ships and wouldn't sail around. We don't want her going batshit insane like Veronica while she can still travel."

All of the assassins nodded, and Whitebeard sat stunned. They obviously had first hand experience of crazed stalkers, and knew what they should do. Her setting the ship on fire would be atrocious. It was at times like this he was glad Ace was in his family, so they could get prior warnings about things like this. The woman has apparently followed them- Marco- and was obviously not going to leave them alone. Ace looked at Marco. "Want to join us and see your stalker?" Marco looked stunned still as he shook his head. "I- I think I'll pass, yoi." Ace gave a nod, handing the papers to Daisuke. "That's fine. She would probably try and take you as her prisoner." Ace turned to Soul. "Want to head now? Or wait a bit? To gather your thoughts on how to respond." Soul gave a motion to Ace. "I was hoping you could help with a reply actually. I honestly don't really work too much out in the field anymore. I prefer being an informant."

Ace hummed, looking at Trevor. "Any ideas? You like these thing of things more than me." The silver-haired man smirked. "I was hoping you would ask. After saying that you were discovered and stopped from completing the task, you were informed of the reality of the situation and decide that the contract was broken. The Whitebeards, offered, pfft, 600,000 belli to make up for the time and effort he wasted, then tell the woman she can fuck off. When she is shocked and asks why not or how could you! We're in love!" Trevor made some dramatic motions. "And then you say this, and exactly this- 'I spoke to this Marco fellow. He doesn't even know who you are and after being showed a picture, said he does not like you as you're clearly beyond insane, like he could ever fall for a woman like you. And, this Marco is happily engaged to be married to sane individual that he clearly loves. Also, I searched around and found out you tried to set a hit on Miss Jackson, and I don't have a death wish; there is a reason everyone said no. And there is a reason, at the time, that Marco choose Miss Jackson over her; she's sane and beautiful.' That will drive her insane and maybe- there is a possibility, small one- that she backs the fuck off. If not, you say you also spoke to Ace of Spade. He says he doesn't know who you are, nor does not care and wants you to stop using his name as he would never do anything for someone like you'. And Ace shows up as Ace of Spades and the rest just falls into place."

Ace nodded. "I like that. We'll go with that." Trevor smirked. "And then, before you take her away, you tell her to stick that creepy doll so far up her-" "No." Started Daisuke. "Trevor, we do not stoop to their level." Trevor whined. "Awww!" Ace just chuckled, shaking his head as he looked at Soul. "Let's head to my room so I can change and we can leave at once." The man nodded and the two headed towards Ace's room. As they were gone, Daisuke handed the papers to Marco. "Here, if you want to look." Whitebeard saw Marco taking them and looking disgusted at most of them. "I'm glad I'll never see her, yoi. She sounds truly demented." Trevor nodded. "And she probably is. Those who have shrines, even worse a doll, like that one, are what we call, 'a Veronica'. We've learned to take stalkers seriously. Unfortunately, in the case of Azuruko's stalker, we did too late and lost good men."

Whitebeard hoped he would never experienced that, someone so crazed that they put everyone in danger to just seem like a hero. It was good Ace and that man, Soul, would fix it. He saw Marco moving a hand to burn all the papers, giving a shudder. He could only wonder what they said, and knew it couldn't be anything good if both Ace and Trevor looked appalled, same with Marco.

The captain did a look around, seeing that not many were out yet, which made this question a bit easier. "Trevor, I'm not sure if it's my place, but what is the no-no word? And why is it off limits? Just in case as, nicknames can often be thrown around here, especially on drunken days." Trevor blinked. "Oh, right. Of course Ace wouldn't tell about that; he hates them. There are certain words, nicknames and names which he has been called by different people, which bring back some bad feelings and memories for Ace. Just, don't use them, ever. I know Ace seems calm and controlled, but there are a lot of things he reacts badly too, a lot of skeletons in closet that he tries to hide from the world, even hide and forget himself. So, just don't bring it up." Whitebeard was certain that Ace was more affected by everything he has gone through, and from the look Marco got, Ace likely reacted to something around him or something Marco had said or done.

"What are the words? Or names? One was the 'pretty... something' written in that letter, I gathered." Trevor nodded, looking to be thinking. "Pretty boy, Acey, doll, eye-candy, pet," Both Mika and Trevor gave a small wince. "dearie… I can't remember if 'darling' is of limits but it would be safer just put it as a no-no." Trevor gave a breath, thinking. "Precious," Started Daisuke, "Hellion, sweetheart, ravishing, tasteful, and the usual demon, devil, monster, and such. There are more but I'm certain that they won't be used accidentally by any of you." Trevor sighed. "A few need to be direct at him though. For example, 'you're a doll', 'my dearie or darling', and Sweetheart. And, my precious, and tasteful- as in 'you look tasteful rather than tasty, as in food- are all in the grey zone, so no, just in case. But, the words: pretty boy, Acey, ravishing, pet, and hellion, the word itself will cause a reaction, bad one. So it is not something you should use around him, not even if you are saying it to someone else. His reaction is much worse when it is directed at him though. So just try not to use them at all." Okay, there were many words that they would make sure to remember what not to say. He had seen Mika giving small flinches at times, even Trevor as he spoke, especially when Trevor said 'pet', so they wouldn't think of using them. "But, like you said-" Trevor continued, "accidents happen, especially when alcohol is involved; Ace likes it here and don't want to kill or harm you, or have any bad memories connected to you. So try not to fuck up." That was good, them knowing that names were sometimes thrown around during parties. Plus, Ace was a young and charming kid, especially if one didn't know him or his profession. He did hope that no one would accidentally say any of those words to him, not only the crew, but people at islands and the bars they visited.

"Also," Trevor said, looking serious, "I'm not trying to be mean and I hope you understand why, as it is something you should know. Commander Thatch, you, out of all of you, can't slip up, no matter what. Especially, with the words 'pretty boy' or 'Acey'. The circumstances around why you say it, won't matter, there will be no forgiving that." Whitebeard understood why Trevor was saying this and he could see that Thatch did as well. However, no one beside them and Marco knew why this was specifically directed at Thatch. He could see that Haruta, like many others, were puzzled. "Why him? Why would it be any different to one of us saying it?" Trevor sent a look at Thatch. "Because, he looks almost identical to a certain person who had used those words, it's not a good memory for Ace. So just don't do it, 'kay?" The captain could see Thatch nodding, and Whitebeard was sure Thatch would never even consider saying those words around Ace now, or even just say them at all. "Why? Have Thatch and Ace met before? Thatch is a really nice guy."

Trevor shook his head, and Whitebeard knew there was no way to stop the man from continuing, but thought it somewhat fine since Daisuke didn't say anything. "Not Thatch and Ace. But, Ace have had a couple bad run-ins with his blood relatives, those he abandoned.. and for a good reason. He doesn't have any issues with you, Thatch, so don't be afraid or even think anything like that. But, those words combined with the way you look. Ace may react badly." Thatch nodded, seeming to appreciate the last sentence. Whitebeard knew Thatch still felt unsure about all of this. All of them looked understanding, everyone knowing Thatch came from nobles, but left because he had different views. "How would we know this?" Started Haruta, "I mean, Ace isn't really open about his work. How could we possibly have known that?" Whitebeard had a feeling this wouldn't turn out good. He was fairly confident that Ace wouldn't want Trevor to 'out him' on his brands; there was a reason he always had a shirt on, one which covered his entire torso.

What gave him some comfort, was that Trevor turned and looked at Daisuke, the man giving a nod in return, before Trevor turned back towards them. Daisuke probably knew Ace for much longer than Trevor had. It made what was going to happen easier as Daisuke was saying that it was fine to tell.

Trevor took a breath. "Okay, there is some information which Ace is reluctant to give away, but you will find out either way some day, and this conversation might make that easier. Being an assassin is hard. It's a cruel and ruthless thing to be, especially in an even crueler world. Not just because of the fear and hatred we face from everyone we meet. What makes it tougher is the trauma which one receives throughout your life as one: when we are ambushed or unprepared; when our identities are revealed, or we're stabbed in the back. We won't just be killed, but tortured and played with. We won't be released and left die in the desert or out on sea. No, we're assassin's and informants; we have information about everything that goes on in the world. We can tell when to do a raid, where to find weapons, treasure, even how to rule the world." Whitebeard could see that his children were figuring out the underling answers to their question and looked appalled and aghast. Most not looking to want to hear the end of his explanation, but couldn't stop Trevor now as they did ask him to explain.

"No, we don't get a peaceful, painless death. We are kept alive with our captors doing everything they can to make each second a living hell, hoping we spill. There are so many torture methods, and we've seen them all, often having been the victim of them. Many of us die in battle, in raids, in accidents, by going insane, or our professions and experiences becoming too much and deciding to end it ourselves. Everywhere we go is a chance we will relive it all over again, hoping, desperately, that we have experienced the worst. That there are no new horrors in our future. Many dreading that the next new torture technique would be the thing which breaks us. Just a word, a start of a sentence or a name can make us want to curl up, cover our ears and cry. We know what some people are capable of, with no humanity. And they call us the monsters... "

"But that's not the worst of it. No. We always get marked. A reminder of where we have been, and who we belong to. Along with all the scars and wounds we get, they brand us. A way of telling the world that they 'own' you. We all have them, it comes with the job. Everyone is horrified since the process of being branded must be excruciating. And yet, it is somehow the easiest thing. We know what will happen and how much it will hurt; it's just a brand. the brand isn't bad, but the memories surrounding it. What happened before and after the brand; what those marks now reminds us of; what certain names remind us off. Not only burned into our minds, but our bodies as well."

The captain saw his children looking sick and horrified, some even had tears in their eyes. Many had never even thought of the potential risks of that profession, especially the more deplorable aspects. For those who has considered it, by verbalizing it, Trevor made it seem real. What made it worse and real was that Trevor lifted his shirt and turned around, showing off the mass of scars upon his body, of various types and lengths. But also, the two brands he had on his back. One on his lower spine, and the other on his shoulder blade. He also knew where the one on his lower back were from. He had seen what they did to their victims; there atrocities growing worse as the years progressed. Whitebeard could see that reality of being an assassin finally dawning on his children and it was harsh.

Trevor moved his shirt down as he turned. "We don't care; they're just brands, a type of scar. It's not the scars we hate, but how we got them and what happened a long with them. We don't have any issues going without a shirt, we don't care if other sees them. It's everyone else that have issues looking a them. Lost a leg? It happens. Almost died from a bullet or sword, just a normal day as a pirate. But, having a brand, everyone is horrified. But in our work, brands are normal. Some have one, others have five. That just how it is. What makes it worse it how people make a big deal about. It's not; trust me, it's not. And, it's better if it not."

Everyone on deck nodded, realizing Ace had Thatch's family mark on his back; looking sick, horrified, many glancing at the chef in uncertainty. Trevor gave a sigh. "Ace doesn't hold Thatch responsible for the mark on his back. It happened way before Ace even met you. It's not Thatch's fault; it's the fault of his old family and their corrupt way, which Thatch made the choice to run away from. Why did he run? Because of this. He didn't want to continue the legacy. Don't hold Thatch responsible for what his blood relatives have done. Ace doesn't, and you shouldn't either. When, and if, the day comes that Ace shows you his back, just don't make a big deal about it. They are scars, they are there and no one can do anything to change that. Just treat it like any other scar; because it is. It is for us."

All of them nodded, and Whitebeard was glad Trevor had brought it up. Not only do they now know that he has some, they could mentally prepare themselves to see something like that, and also know of how to react to it, for Ace's sake. The man was a good speaker. Daisuke gave a hum. "Your skill at delivering speeches have improved, Trevor. That was really good." It had Trevor give a smile, same with Mika, who nodded. "It was. But, it won't stop Ace from murdering you for telling them." Trevor waved his hand at the woman. "It will go fine; they were bound to find out somehow. And, this is better than them accidentally seeing it." The female assassin nodded to that, and Trevor looked at everyone again. "One last thing. Yes, we are okay with the fact we have brands, but that doesn't mean you can go around and tell everyone, compare the different brands, or ask who it's from- yes, I've met a few who have done that. Don't mention it really, we get them now and then." Everyone nodded, but looked unsure, Izou speaking first. "But, you're a better assassin now. You won't get anymore, right?" Trevor shrugged. "Yes, we get better, more skilled. But, so does the enemy. We all evolve. I know Ace received a new brand just a few months ago. It happens."

That had him shocked, along with everyone else, him sending a look at Marco, who gave a tiny nod, telling him that it was true. He had no idea Ace had gotten a new brand, and he would have liked to have known. It didn't seem like Bay knew either, since he hadn't seen it in any reports. But, then again, she was careful of what she writes in her reports because of his line of work.

The captain could see many on their way to speak up, obviously upset that Ace had gotten branded not too long ago. But Trevor just shook his head. "And that's all that needs to be said. There isn't any need for follow up questions, telling us to stop working, or to relax. No reason to ask if it has healed, or if it hurt. We can handle it. And, if we want to speak about it, we will. We have brands, that's it. Nothing more." Everyone nodded and seemed to calm down, going along with it. Yes, Trevor was becoming a good public speaker.

As time went on, the weather turning somewhat sour, so they headed into the meeting room to relax there. When more of the crew had woken up and joined them, the captain decided they would start the meeting now, instead of in a few hours time as scheduled, as most the commanders were present. Those who weren't a commander left after asking them tell the few commanders who weren't present that they would start the meeting now. Ace would return soon, so it should be fine. As they were all seated, Izou looked at Trevor. "I'm sorry. But I can't let it go. Ace was branded not long ago?!" All the assassins shrugged, Mika speaking first. "Yes. So? It happens. Even I got a new one, 5 months ago, though they placed it on top of an old one. Those two families don't like each other apparently."

Whitebeard saw that his children did not liking that reaction; Izou and a couple of others were on their way to speak, but Trevor cut them off. "No. No more questions are needed. I know you want to ask, and might think, why not ask now. But no, if we give in now, you'll get used to us caving in and explaining more, and we won't. It's normal and okay. Don't over think it, it's just a scar. There's a reason Ace hasn't told you or shown them; you're not used to this, you're not able to handle it calmly. Look at Thatch, Whitebeard, and Marco. Do you see them reacting? See them going around and asking questions? No, they don't. They've accepted it. None of you can do anything to help, and none of you are at faults. Let it go." It had most of the ones in the room sigh, Izou looking to be fuming slightly over it. Trevor was right, they needed to accept it and not pressuring the assassins for more details. It would be hard, but they needed to be stern about it.

They then started the meeting up. First, tackling the more usual questions, like 'does anyone have any problems in their division, or does anyone need anything'. The sixth division needing more bullets, and Thatch mentioned that they were running low on a few items in the kitchen, but nothing they needed for a while. Just as they were about to start to plan where they would go- after visiting Mara Island and checking up on the horses there, arriving in about 3 days time- the door opened and Ace came in. Before any of them could react, Ace looked at Trevor. "Okay, spill. What did you tell everyone?" Trevor gave a fake hurt look. "What? Why do you think I said anything?" Ace gave an unamused look as he sat down. "Oh, I don't know... maybe because it's always you, and everyone outside is looking at me like I'm dying, or something. Now spill."

Trevor gave a breath. "Before I tell you, you should know that Daisuke did too. He even gave me his approval." Ace moved a hand to his face. "Oh no. That's never good." The captain saw Trevor on his way to answer, many of the commanders sending a look at Ace and Thatch, making Ace groan. "No, no. You didn't!?" Trevor gave a small nervous laugh. "I did. They asked about the no-no words, and they should know them, just in case, and things just… fell into place." Ace gave a look to Trevor. "Yes, because speaking about problem words leads into telling everyone about brands." Trevor shrugged. "Eh, they go hand in hand. But, they would have found out anyway. Better to have a warning than them having a heart attack and freaking out. And yes, I even outed myself and Mika." Ace sighed. "You know what? I hate it when you're right." Trevor gave a grin to Mika. "See, I told you he wouldn't kill me." Mika shook her head. "If looks could kill, you'd be dead 10 times over." Trevor just chuckled at that and Ace sighed. "Fine, fine. You are right, but I don't have to like it."

Whitebeard understood that; the fact Ace really didn't care much. It seemed to have a good effect on his commanders, it calmed them. Ace was okay with having brands, he didn't even care that one of them was from Thatch's old family. Just as Trevor had said. "So," Started Trevor. "How did it go with the Veronica?" Ace chuckled. "You should have joined us. She attacked Soul, yelled and cursed us and every future child in our blood line until the end of time!" Trevor chuckled. "So, it went fine?" Daisuke gave a small hum. "Did she manage to hit Soul?" Ace nodded. "His reaction time isn't the best. He has 4 deep claw marks on his cheek from her nails, almost took an eye out. I had to jump in and send her off with a note." Ace sighed. "And in good time too; she had 100 liters of gasoline in her house. She had planned to come here, posing as a lost mother with a kidnapped child, pleading for help. Whilst onboard, she planned to douse the ship with gasoline, from the cargo hold. send me and Whitebeard down there, and then set it on fire from the main deck. Take away the opposition, but rush in and save Marco. And like any true love story, he would love her and wish to be with her forever! There's actually a love story like that; apparently, she worshipped it." Ace shook his head. "Batshit insane. She will never stop, being alone and stranded on an island where she can't hurt anyone is the best solution."

Whitebeard blinked, feeling troubled knowing that someone had made a plan to burn their ship and had been following them for years. This could have turned out really badly. Marco gave a small laugh, sounding floored. "I don't even know how to respond to that, yoi." Daisuke chuckled. "Easy. You take a breath, clap yourself on the shoulder, and say; I'm glad I'll never see this woman." Marco gave a nod, looking shocked. Whitebeard was shocked too, but glad they had managed to stop that woman. He felt a bit bad about this Soul, who had gotten injured. Nothing bad, but still. It was good the woman was far away and stranded. Everyone seemed relieved.

They continued with the meeting, deciding to just sail wherever the sea took them for a few days, feeling somewhat adventurous. Trevor mentioned that the assassins would tell them if they headed towards any areas which were dangerous, like marine bases, areas controlled by the other Yonko, or where the weather was too risky to venture into. Other than for those things, they would let them enjoy their next adventure and keep things as a surprise. But first, they would head to Mara as planned, and would be there in a few days, which would be good for Ace, or at least Whitebeard hoped that it would. As the meeting was slowly coming to an end, there was a knock at the door before Jens coming into the meeting room. "The Red Force's ship is approaching us. They aren't battle ready." They hadn't seen the man in a while, and Shanks did drop by every now and then. He did send a look at the assassins when all of them chuckled, but they didn't say anything. "Let them board. We haven't seen them in a while and they might have information to share." Jens nodded to him and headed out, to prepare for their arrival onboard. They weren't too far away either, so they wrapped the meeting up and went out on deck. Many of his children glanced at Ace in concerns, still shaken by the recent knowledge about the dangers of his work. They did settle down, as nothing seemed wrong with Ace. Whitebeard knew his children would come to terms with this, they just needed a bit of time.

When the Red Force pulled up alongside the Moby Dick, it wasn't long before Shanks was on their ship, smiling. "Hello good folks!" The captain frowned. Shanks' voice sounded rough and raspy. "What's with your voice?" The other captain gave a snort. "Sore throat. A minor one, mostly annoying more than anything." It was rare to see the other captain coming on another ship when he was sick. Well, it was just a sore throat, but still. A captain rarely showed any sign of weakness to non-crew members. Benn gave a sigh. "And, he has pills to help, but he refuses to take them." Shanks gave a pout towards his first mate. "My throat hurts! The pills are to big." That sounded like Shanks. "Any news of the world?" Shanks shrugged. "Not really. Just the normal, nothing worth mentioning." His voice really sounded raspy.

"Well," Started Thatch. "We are just heading in for dinner. Join us and maybe I can find a glass of milk that can help you take those pills." Thatch priority was to make sure people were fed and healthy. He didn't really like the other crew, or captain, but if he could help with small things like this, he would. Thatch had called it the 'chef's code'. When they got inside the galley, Thatch went into the kitchen to help his division, while they chatted with their guests. And it wasn't long before the assassins joined them, aside from Daisuke. Ace lifting an eyebrow at their visitors. "What brings you here Shanks?" The red-haired captain gave a weak chuckle. "Can't I visit just to say hi?" Ace looked a bit irked at that. "Why is your voice more annoying than usual?" Shanks blinked. "My, did we wake up on the wrong side of the bed today? I've got a sore throat." Ace rolled his eyes, sitting down next to the red haired captain. "Of course you show up when your extra annoying. I'm not in the mood for your antics." Benn snorted. "Are you ever?" Ace chuckled. "True." Ace was obviously irked, but not irked enough that he couldn't give a chuckle.

Thatch then came in with the glass of milk. "Here, try them with the pills, it may help." Shanks shuddered. "No way, those pills suck. They're too large; my throat hurts, I don't wanna to take pills~!" Ace held his hands out to Benn, the man handing over a small bottle to the young assassin, making all of them wonder what was going to happen. "Why are you givin-!"

Shanks wasn't able to finish his sentence as he let out a startled sound. Ace had grabbed Shank's jaw, lifting him up before slamming his down on the table, showing two pills in his mouth before covering his mouth. "Swallow the damn pills!" Maybe Ace was a bit more than irked than they thought. The fact Benn didn't do anything, not even batting an eye, was just as surprising. The red-haired captain flailed his arm and legs around, trying to stop Ace which only made Ace move his other hand to Shanks nose. "I'm not letting up! Swallow them!" Shanks tried to fight, but as his face was turning blue, he gave in and swallowed, giving painful gasps as Ace let go and he rolled of the table and on to the floor.

Ace moved to sit down beside Benn, the first mate took the pill bottle back as Ace handed it to him. "Had I known that calling you in would be the solution to getting him to take those pills, I would have called you last week." Ace hummed. "Don't mention it, I like to help, and I enjoyed it." Both of them chuckled at that, Ace looking to be in a better mood. Shanks moved his hand to the stool as he tried to get himself up off the floor. "What have I ever done to you! My poor throat!" Ace hummed. "We have more pills, maybe a bigger dose will help?" It had Shanks close his mouth as he grumbled something as he sat down, drinking the milk. Benn hummed. "Ace is always such big help when Shanks acts like a child." It was obviously not the first time something like this has happened. "If Shanks wants to act like a child, I will treat him like one." Said Ace, and Shanks just gave a groan, making Ace and Benn chuckle again, Ace looking to be in a better mood.

The rest of the day was uneventful, the red force telling them that they would stay until tomorrow. Whitebeard didn't see an issue with that. It left Marco a little annoyed, not liking the red-haired man, but let it go. Whitebeard would make sure to keep the party small and relatively calm for Ace. Plus, Marco would just lecture him if he didn't. It was somewhat nice to have the red-haired captain visiting, to get update on the world from another pirates view. Most of the red-haired pirates were out, but he didn't really see Benn after dinner, the man probably went back to his ship. He usually stayed to keep an eye on his captains, stopping him before he did anything stupid, but they had Ace. All the assassins, except for Daisuke, were out on deck, but none of the others seemed worried. The man was a leader to the Red Cloud and might have some things to take care of. Just a normal day with a visit from Shanks and his crew.

-x-

Marco walked out on deck, somewhat worried since he couldn't find Ace. Ace usually stayed in his room until both were awake or left a note to tell the other where they were. He was about to ask Trevor, but as soon as he stepped out of his room, Jonas had his attention. "Ah, Commander Marco. Commander Ace is on the Red Force, in their galley. He told me to tell you when you came out." That made things easier and he gave a thanks to the other, before heading to their galley; he wasn't as familiar with this ship so was uncertain where that exactly was. As he walked through one of their hallways, he made sure that none of the doors shut close too loudly, as some people may still be sleeping. He halted when he picked up on talking, what sounded like Benn. "So, why is Daisuke here?" He heard Ace gave a barely audible breath, only picking up on it due to the heightened senses of his phoenix. "I did something stupid."

Marco wanted to check on Ace, but also didn't want to stop the other if he was speaking to Benn. And he knew he shouldn't be listening in on them, but he was worried for his boyfriend. Ace hadn't said much the last few days, in general, nor to him for that matter. "What?" He heard Benn say, and Marco took a breath as he knew what he was doing was wrong, but as the saying went; it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Everything he heard, he would not share with anyone. It would stay between Ace, Benn and himself. Ace sighed. "It's not a very good defense, but I was already drunk and on some psychedelic pills at them time, and had just gotten something stronger from Virus and Trip. They said that normally one should only take a quarter of a pill, but since it was me, I could take half, but no more than that as it would likely kill me." Ace gave a breath. "I know it was wrong, but as the half I took started working, it felt really good. And I thought; Hey, why not take all 4 pills?" He heard some shifting. "You're on suicide watch again?" He heard Benn say. "Yeah. Been on it for a while now." Answered Ace.

Benn sighed. "What were you intentions? Was it suicide, or did you just take to much in search of a better high?" That was something Marco hadn't thought about. Maybe it really had been a miscalculation? It was silent for a while before he heard Ace sigh. "Honestly, I don't know. The first thing I thought was that I just wanted to feel better. But, I knew it would most likely kill me. The world just… got too much." Ace made a small sound. "I even put Dust to sleep so that he couldn't get help. I try to tell myself I thought it was because of the drugs and vodka. But honestly, I don't know. I wasn't opposed to the idea of dying. I… I think I just don't want to admit it." Marco wasn't sure of what to think about this. "Ace," Started Benn. "I think you might have wanted it. Deep down, a part of you was done. I heard what happened to Nina; no one would be okay after that." Marco understood that Nina was special to Ace, but he hadn't dared to ask much about it.

"I know." Continued Ace. "I mean, she was just so cute. We just celebrated her 5th birthday. I helped deliver her. I should have known her father was insane." That had him breathless for a second. It was obvious this child was dear to Ace; he had helped deliver her, and Ace had a soft spot for children. "How do you feel about it now?" Said Benn, hearing a small sniffle from Ace. "Awful. I wished I could have done something; guilty I guess. But, after everything, I do feel better than I have in a long while. I know it isn't my fault, it's just so hard to accept. They got me off the drugs that I've been on for a while. I'm thankful that I'm alive." There was a pause, him hearing something clatter. "I'm sensing a 'but' here. More coffee?" "Yes, thank you," Started Ace, before he continued with a breath. "But, everyone is acting so anxious. Just a small word, which could mean nothing, makes everyone so jumpy and scared. I'm really not sure if I messed up or not." Marco moved a hand to his face. He knew they had been walking on eggshells around him, but they honestly didn't know what to do or say.

He heard Benn give a breath. "Ace, they are pirates, they're only human. They aren't used to this and need a bit more time. They care for you. You might have wanted to die, but it was a mixed decision. I don't think you would have done it if you had been sober and clean. Have you told any of this to them?" Ace gave a small snort. "Tell them to not walk on eggshells around the kid that tried to kill himself?" Ace sighed. "I know, I know, I should. But, I don't know how. I know it wasn't completely accidental, but it's just hard to admit to admit that. A part of me wanted to die back then. But, I want to be with them, I always have. I really like them, and I want to get married and just get to know everyone better. I wish I never did any of it." That had Marco smile, glad Ace liked being with them. And he could understand that they might have been a bit too jumpy and anxious as they didn't know how to fix this. The fact that Ace admitted that he had tried to kill himself must have been hard, even though the drugs may have made his mind a little muddled at the time.

"And that's all that matters," Started Benn. "You don't regret being alive, so don't try to hide that it happened. I'm sure the Whitebeards just need a bit more time, then things will be better. Have you tried talking to them? Or Marco?" He heard Ace sigh. "No, I know I should. I just, I don't know what to say or how to do it; I don't know how they'll react. I'm trying to find the right time, along with the confidence, to speak with Marco. I know I should, and I do want to be more open with Marco, but it's just so hard." Marco understood that, it was a hard and difficult situation.

"And no one is saying that it isn't." Started Benn. "It's a hard situation you're in. But, talking helps, and you should talk to Marco; you're engaged and he really cares for you. Avoiding it will only make it worse." Ace sighed. "I know, and I will try. Okay? Just give me a bit more time." Benn let out a breath. "It's not me you need to ask for more time from. Marco is an understanding man, and he cares about you, deeply. I know you two probably have the least amount of time to be alone with one another. Normally, given your positions on the crew and your work, but all of this must have made it worse. But, you need to speak to someone. And no, I don't count. I'm barely around you. Talk to Marco, or Whitebeard. Just talk to someone." He heard Ace give an affirmative sound, before Benn continued. "Back to other things, while I am here. Why did you need something stronger? Wasn't the usual drugs enough?" When he heard Ace on his way to answer, Marco headed out again. That was something he wanted to hear from Ace when he was ready. He was glad Ace wanted to speak to him, and Benn was right. They haven't really had many chances to be alone with one another. Things would be fine, they would get there.

When he got outside, he went over to the railing and looked out at the sea, the moon reflecting in it. He was glad things were slowly getting better. That was the most important thing. It would probably needed a bit more time. He would talk to Pops though, as he needed to mention that he and Ace should, and needed to, relax together more. Also, they needed to try to let things go back to normal; Ace was fine now, so they didn't need to walk on eggshells like they had at the beginning. He gave a breath as he enjoyed the view, it has been a while since he was able to enjoy a clear night sky. He chatted a bit with Jonas when he passed him, but then he needed to continue his watch. It was a beautiful night.

"Heavy thoughts?" He looked to his side and saw Benn coming to lean on the railing next to him, lighting a smoke. Marco shook his head. "Honestly, somewhat, yoi. But, things feel better." The man chuckled. "Why don't you join me for a cup of coffee? I am on watch, I like to be on night watch and have a feeling you do too. And, it's lonely at times. Trevor fetched Ace, he needed him for something, but will return in a short while." He sent a look at the man, who gave a knowing look, making him give a breath as he followed. He had a feeling the man knew he had been eavesdropping.

When they entered the galley, Marco sat down and Benn got him a cup of coffee. "So, did you take anything from that conversation?" Marco knew it. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop." Before he could continue, Benn sat down with a cup of his own. "Yes you did. If you didn't, you would have left long before you did. I don't mind; I knew you were there and made sure to not give away too much. You left at the right time to." Marco was a bit taken back, never really speaking much to Benn, he never realised that he was this forward. "Yeah. It was good, comforting, to hear Ace is better, that he feels better, yoi. I know we haven't had much time alone, and I hope for some myself, perhaps off the ship. I love my family-" Benn held his hand up. "No need to explain, it explains itself. A significant other is called that for a reason; you care about them more than a friend or sibling." Benn was a smart man and was straight forward. He could see why Ace liked to speak with him.

"We're gonna stop at an island soon and I have a feeling we'll get some time then, yoi." Benn nodded. "Sounds good. Any other questions? I know you have one burning a hole through your brain, and have for a while." He was starting to doubt the man didn't have a devil fruit ability, one that allowed him to read minds. "If you know what, why have me say it, yoi?" Benn chuckled. "Makes it easier to answer. And, as many say, it isn't real until you say it out loud. That, and there's nothing that bad it can't be fixed or helped over a cup of coffee."

Marco shook his head as he chuckled. "How is Ace so okay with being around you guys, yoi? So open?" Benn gave a chuckle, taking a sip of his coffee. "Easy; he isn't. He isn't okay with us; but with me, he is. I used almost 3 years to gain that trust; I even lied to Shanks for 2 years." Marco blinked. "You lied to your captain?" Benn nodded. "You've met Shanks. He's not the best person at reading a situation, even worse at handling it appropriately. I don't lie about important things, just about Ace. I never told him how he has trouble sleeping; how often we sat up and spoke, or every time he was injured. I sent Shanks away and patched him up alone without mentioning it to him. Shanks was none the wiser about it, and I was there for him." Benn looked at him. "I used a lot of time and effort to get this far. I have told everything to Shanks now, so no worries; he knows and understands why I lied- he is a good captain. But, I still send him away at times. And things like this, the accidental, suicide attempt, I won't tell him." Marco nodded. Benn seemed like a good man, who did what he could to help, so much so that he even keeps certain things from his captain.

"I've also known Ace since he was young," Continued Benn. "He is a closed off person and I made sure when the day came; when it got too much and he needed someone, I was there. I didn't push him; I didn't make a fuss. I merely mentioned that being unable to sleep, was fine, and it's fine to not be okay all the time, and it was fine to be injured. Combine that with many nights with coffee, when the time finally came when he needed someone, I was there. I don't ask questions, or try to fix him, I'm just there for him."

Benn sent him a look as he had lifted an eyebrow. "And I don't understand why you're so worried; Ace likes and trusts you. This whole situation is hard, and he just need a bit more time to come to terms with it himself. His past too. Even I have no idea about a quarter of it. I think you already know more than me. So breathe." Marco gave a chuckle. "Okay, now I know you can read minds, yoi." Benn chuckled. "Who knows. It's either that, or I can just read a situation based on what I know about a person." Marco snorted. "I vote for the first one, yoi." Benn chuckled again, giving a smile. "You're not the first person to think that. And probably not the last." Marco hummed. "Why, yoi? How are you so observant? So direct at the right times and situations."

Benn hummed. "Let me answer that with a question. Why have you never questioned how we knew and worked with assassins for years?" Marco blinked. Now that he's thinking about it, they never did question it. "Honestly, I don't know. But, do you know any assassins, yoi?" Benn hummed. "You know Daisuke?" Marco nodded, making Benn chuckle. "He's my brother. We were raised together but I left after a while." Marco blinked. "The leader of one of the most notorious assassin group, is your brother?" Benn nodded. "How did you think I got to be as good as I am? Luck? I'm not in the business any more, but I like to be updated and speak to my brother, and friends now and then. I still like to watch out for him, and with him." Marco blinked. "I would never have guessed it, but it makes sense, yoi." Benn chuckled. "Also, a line many say." Benn gave a comforting look. "Everything will be fine. Have faith in Ace, okay?" Marco nodded. "I will, yoi."

He really would, and was glad that Ace had Benn to talk to. Marco moved to take a sip of his coffee, which tasted really good, before he shook his head. "You do look alike, though, yoi. And you both are great with children." Benn chuckled. "As Ace says; Daisuke is like a disgruntled uncle to them; he's always been there. They are a small family themselves." Marco nodded. "I've seen that, yoi. But I wonder; why did you leave?" Benn shook his head. "That life, just wasn't for me. I didn't enjoy helping people the way they do, or the things that went with the job. I preferred to be an informant, and was one for a while but eventually retired from the family business when I was 30. I met Shanks shortly after that, we were just friends at first. He was a member of a different pirate group at the time, and I didn't feel like I fit in, so I roamed for a while. But, when he said Roger had died and he was starting his own crew, I decided to give it a try. Best decision I've ever made. And, when he found out I was still in contact with my brother, and others like him, such as Azuruko, the crew became acquainted with them. Azuruko and Daisuke have been together since they were young, though I met him a little while after he did, and was familiar was several other which were connected to Daisuke's base. Shanks enjoyed their company; they often help each other out. When Ace came along, Shanks never let go of him, did everything he could to keep in contact with him. Can't really blame him, the son of his old captain showing up. Shanks would do just about anything to help him out. We help out the assassins when they need to travel, or when they need a place to relax; we're a grey zone. Daisuke still drops by now and then, though not very often as he's the leader of the Red Cloud, but we do talk. So when he was here, I knew something was up, something serious." Marco nodded. It made sense, and the two men were a lot alike in many ways. But he would never have guessed it. Benn really was a good man and a good help to Ace. But, he wants to hear things from Ace himself, and not from Benn or his brother.

"Your brother is nice, yoi. But, stern." Benn chuckled. "Oh my, the leader of the greatest assassin guild is stern? However did that happen?" Marco chuckled. "Fine, yoi. But he seems like a good man. Is he one of the reasons you dropped by?" Benn nodded. "Yes. He never leaves the base unless it's necessary, so I knew something was up with Ace. And I like to say hi to my brother when I can." Marco got that, and was glad they had stopped by. "I wonder, what was Azuruko like?" Benn took a deep breath. "Amazing. No single word could sum up that man. He was calm, funny, stern, approachable and easy to be around. He was just great man. We were all shocked when he turned up with an eight year old child, especially as he was a bit reluctant to say why he had brought him. Though we now know it was because of his fruit. And while all of us had doubts, he's now the best assassin there is. Azuruko was a source of strength for everything. He meant a lot to people, especially to Ace." Marco nodded, it seemed like everyone who knew Azuruko think highly of him. "Why… why did he take an eight year old in?" Benn hummed. "His devil fruit. We try and keep the Legendaries close and teach their users to control them properly. No-one made Ace become an assassin, and he wasn't for the first few years, but Azuruko saw something in his eyes." Marco frowned. "What?" "Determination, will, strength, personality; just something which makes Ace… Ace. But Azuruko also saw himself reflected in those eyes." Benn gave a look to him. "You should ask Ace about Azuruko; how they met is a good story. And, yes, it is a bit of a sore topic. But speaking about happy memories is okay. And, it will give him the chance to open up more. That, and he loves to complain about the hellish training lessons. Ace might have been a kid, but Azuruko never went easy on him." Marco nodded, and would try that some day.

He was about to speak, when Benn shook his head. "No, I won't tell you about Legendaries. It's not my place. But I can say one thing. They have existed for years, decades, before devil fruits did." Marco blinked, that was definitely a hint, then something dawned on him. "The four Gods." Benn chuckled. "Maybe that helps your research, Marcus." Marco blinked, before he closed his eyes, hand moving to his face. "Oh God, you know." He heard Benn chuckle. "Since day one. And relax, very few know about it. Marines have two files, but have never pieced it together. That, and every time we find a file about it, we burn it. Everyone is allowed their own secrets." Marco gave a breath. "Ace?" Benn chuckled. "He knows, and did way before he met you. You have always… intrigued him. I wasn't surprised when he joined your crew, and even less when you two bonded." Benn sent a subtle look at him. "The moment Ace joined your family; I knew you two would be closer than anyone; you fit together." Marco chuckled, knowing Benn wasn't the only one who thought that. He had liked Ace before he joined them too.

He was about speak, start a new topic, when the door suddenly opened, Ace coming back inside with a sigh, before he smiled. "Hi, Marco." He gave a smile back, and before he could respond, Benn spoke. "Found him outside thinking about life, and thought we could use another coffee buddy for tonight." Ace chuckled as he sat down, Benn placing a cup in front of Ace. "It's fine. Coffee is the best kind of comfort." Marco gave a small hum. "It is as you say; nothing is that bad that it can't be fixed over a cup of coffee." Ace chuckled. "It's true, but the company is part of the solution." As Ace said it, he moved a hand to his leg, Marco moving one of his hands over Ace's, holding it. He was glad Ace had Benn. "So," Started Benn. "What answer did you give Trevor." Ace sighed. "I will try and sleep for a bit before dawn. I have slept already." Benn shook his head. "I understand where he is coming from. But, do you think you'll be able to sleep?" Ace shrugged. "Not sure. Maybe. If not, it'll still be nice to lie in bed and relax." Ace squeezed his hand when he said it, making him smile. "Agree, yoi."

Benn hummed. "I know, with a little help, you have been able to sleep every night. But, going forward, will you continue to sleep every night, even if it's just for two hours?" Ace sighed. "I'll try to. I should try and sleep every night; it's just easier said than done." Benn moved to refill Ace's cup. "And that's the reason we have coffee; to speak about hard things on sleepless nights." Ace gave a smile and Marco carefully stroked his hand with his thumb. Ace let out a breath. "It's true. And it's enjoyable." Benn chuckled. "And I would like it if you kept the coffee legacy, pass it on." Ace gave a smile, before he shook his head. "I'm not ready to be the one on your side yet." Benn chuckled. "It's fine. It's due another time over another cup of coffee. Some are never able to sit on the other side of the table." The man then looked at him. "Maybe someone else will take my spot." It had Marco smile, glad the man was including him like this, but phrasing it the right way for Ace.

They then just chatted about different things, enjoying each other's company. This was really nice. When the clock was just shy of 4, Ace sighed. "I did promise Trevor to try and sleep." Benn chuckled. "If not, relaxing is just as good. Forcing you to sleep makes things worse." Ace nodded. "I know. And he isn't forcing me, but encouraging me. I can say no." That had Benn chuckle. "Sounds about right. He means well. Does this mean I lose my two coffee buddies?" Ace chuckled. "You know the answer to that. If I'm going to relax and hopefully sleep an hour, some company is nice. I would invite you, but you're busy." Benn chuckled. "Enjoy your relaxation. I need to keep watch anyway, and the others will be up soon." Ace nodded. He and Ace headed out, leaving Benn to enjoy the sunrise in peace.

When they got to Ace's room and laid down, Marco looked at Ace. "That was nice, yoi." Ace nodded. "Coffee time with Benn is really pleasant and helpful." Marco hummed. "Agree. And he is definitely a mind reader, I am sure of it, yoi." Ace gave a laugh. "Agreed. Benn is… a good friend." Marco smiled at Ace. "I'm glad you have coffee time with Benn, yoi. Benn is a good man." Ace smiled as he nodded, adjusting his head on his pillow. "He is." Marco gave a smile, moving to hold Ace's hand. "And no matter what, I will always be here to catch you, yoi. I will always be here for you." Ace gave a small nod with a smile. "I know. ...and thanks." Marco just shook his head, bringing Ace's hand up to give it a kiss. "Don't thank me. I do it because I care about you, not because it's a chore." Ace smiled as he closed his eyes. "I really like you, Marco." Marco smiled as he closed his eyes too. "I love you too, Ace."

Yes, Marco had a good feeling that things would be better soon.

-x-

As they were docking at the island, Whitebeard was happy to see that the weather was nice. But, the climatic zone around this island seemed to have good weather. The travel here had been uneventful; two days ago, Shanks left after having breakfast. He had spoken with Marco, who had mentioned that he had enjoyed a calm night with Benn and Ace over some coffee. He had mentioned that they should relax around Ace. Ace was doing much better, and them 'walking on eggshells' as Marco phrased it, wasn't helping.

Whitebeard knew they had been uncertain of how to act, or things to avoid saying around Ace, but it sounded like Ace had spoken to Marco about this, or Marco had spoken with Benn. Ace and Benn seemed to be good friends, and during their visit, they had both spent time together in the evenings. He was glad that Ace may be opening up with Marco. If Ace was reacting badly to them being so careful around them, they would try to correct that. Whitebeard was sure Ace would take a trip with his horse. Trevor or Daisuke would likely be joining him, maybe even Marco too, so he could speak with his children then. Mention that yes, what had happened was awful, but Ace was doing fine, he was better now. They didn't have to be so nervous; they could just breathe and take things calmly. It was what Trevor had said, but it made it easier to act on that advice knowing that it was actually how Ace felt about the situation. He hoped to speak to Ace himself, but would let things settle first.

When they were on the beach, Thatch didn't waste time in preparing for a bonfire and party, looking excited; it had been a while. As they started to gather wood, mostly driftwood and other broken branches, trampling was heard and Ace's horse showed up, looking happy as he pranced around, nudging Ace with his head. Ace looked glad too, and he was sure Ace would enjoy a ride. He often found it relaxing.

Whitebeard watched as Ace moved to mount his horse, it having just bowed. Trevor pointed at the horse whilst taking a few steps back. "Yeah, no! I am not going close to that thing." Ace rolled his eyes from on top of his horse. "It's called a horse. Why are you even scared of them?" Whitebeard wouldn't have thought Trevor would be afraid of horses. Trevor snorted. "Horses are- are- abominable beasts! I will keep my distance." Ace shook his head, moving his hand out to help Marco on to the horse, sitting behind him, before the horse trotted away, Ace giving a wave back to Trevor. "Come find us when you're no longer a chickenshit." Trevor gave a loud laugh. "Hah! They aren't horses! They are demons!" When they were finally out of sight, Trevor gave a shudder. "I hate horses!" Mika chuckled. "I still don't get why." Trevor looked at the woman. "They are so big, and large... and their just demons. No creature should be like that!"

Daisuke and Mika laughed, the latter speaking. "Trevor, one of the most fearless assassins; Equinophobic. I love it." Trevor shook his head. "You know I'm right! No creature should be like that! It has so many flaws!" It was weird to see. Trevor seemed fearless of everything, but then again, Thatch was afraid of spiders. Everyone had their fears, and Trevor's was apparently horses. The captain was sure Trevor would have joined Ace if he wasn't afraid of horses. He had noticed Trevor liked to be around Ace, to make sure he was fine. But, he wasn't alone, he was with Marco, and that was much better than Ace going off on his own. He wondered what the two would get up to. But, from their last visits, he knew Marco and Ace enjoyed being by themselves, roaming the island with Ace's horse and another called Stacy- I think that's what Marco called it... As long as the two enjoyed themselves, it was fine.

And, Ace probably needed a bit of time away from the boat, to just enjoy the day with Marco, like Marco had said. This was a good opportunity to speak with his children about Ace; the assassins could probably help him with this discussion, and why it was necessary. They shouldn't walk on eggshells anymore, especially if it was upsetting Ace.

-x-

Marco did his best to keep steady on the horse's back, it was a lot easier now that it wasn't trotting, only walking. As the horse went deeper into the forest, Marco felt Ace carefully move so that he was sitting the opposite way around, now facing him. "Hi, Marco." The first commander blinked. "Hi. Shouldn't you be steering the horse, yoi?" Ace chuckled. "It's a horse, not a boat. It won't crash into a tree or hit shallow ground if I don't steer, as you call it." True, Marco just wasn't sure why Ace was sitting this way, the other was usually maneuvering the horse.

Before he could voice that, Ace gave a breath as he leaned forward, resting his head on his chest. Marco moved his arms around him out of habit and felt Ace relax against him. "You feeling okay, yoi?" Ace nodded against his chest. "I do. It's just," Ace gave a small breath. "It feels good to be away from the ship and the crew for a while." Marco understood why: Ace still wasn't used to having so many people around him, even more now that everyone had been sending him concerned looks and generally feeling nervous when around him. "I get that, yoi. I'm sure it will calm down soon enough." Marco did think it would, and hoped most would get past this.

Ace gave a small chuckle. "It feels weird. Normally, it would all have been forgotten and everything would be back to normal." Marco hummed. "I noticed that. We aren't used to this. We just need more time, yoi." He still felt horrified by the comment Trevor had said, even worse by throwing his gun in Ace's direction. But, that was how they dealt with things apparently. Ace nodded against his chest. "I get that. I remember back when I was first around them. They- we- have all been- or are- on drugs. It's our normal day, though I know it's a horrible way of handling our issues." Marco agreed that it was not really the best way to deal with things, but he understood why the assassins did it. But there was one thing he was curious, and slightly worried, about. "That drink, yoi. The one you made, had you planned to drink it?" Marco wondered about that, and if Ace had drank it, how things would have been. It sounded bad.

Ace gave a breath as he shook his head. "I don't know. Honestly. The last few months have just been a haze, everything's a bit muddled. I think I made it for emergencies, or something like that; if I just needed to float away for a while, I could. Just take a month off. I know it makes me sound insane, to be like that for a month, but you do feel relaxed after taking it." Months, Ace had been on drugs for months and barely remembered certain things. How had they not noticed that? Trevor hadn't noticed either though, but still. "What did you take?" He had wondered that since they had found out, but couldn't the right time to ask as he didn't want to force it, or discuss it with people around. And the conversation he had overheard has helped him gain the confidence to ask. Ace gave a breath. "I think… I think I started with ecstasy. Then I think I changed to angel dust and liquid x, before moving on to Xanax, there were other ones, but I don't really know what they were. I think it was a mixture of psychedelic and sedative hypnotic drugs." Marco blinked. "Seeing as you listed almost every drug I know of, yoi, why not top it off with crack?" Ace gave a laugh, moving a bit back to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "You do know crack is heroin? The only difference is that you can smoke it." Marco shook his head. "I didn't. So, addicted to every drug known to man. No wonder the detox was awful, yoi."

Yes, Marco hated this whole situation, but the way the other assassins acted, calm and all that, seemed to work, and he wanted Ace to feel things were fine. And, it was over now. Ace gave a small chuckle, giving a smile to him. "Never would have guessed you would be so calm about this. And it wasn't every drug, only around three-quarters of them." Both of them gave a chuckle, Ace moving to rest his head on his chest again. "Thank you, Marco. For being so calm and understanding about this." Marco shook his head, giving a breath. "It's nothing, yoi. I will never judge you nor will my feeling for you ever change. I will always be here, no matter what." What he said was the truth, and if being a bit nonchalant helped Ace feel better and allowed him to open up, then that was what Marco would do. He would take Benn's advice as well, stop beating around the bush, have more confidence and just asking Ace things, or to expand on what he has already said. He felt Ace give a nod against his chest, Marco moving his head to rest against Ace's, closing his eyes as he enjoyed this moment.

This felt perfect and amazing, both of them relaxing whilst they slowly moved through the woods, with nothing but the sounds of birds chirping, leaves blowing in the light breeze. It lasted for about 5 more minutes, until the horse suddenly tripped or something, sending both of them to the ground with a small sound. Ace landed on top of him, sending a look at the horse, who gave a small neigh as he laid down on his side, Marco worried that he was injured. Ace shook his head as he moved off him, giving an amused smile. "Well, you were right. I should have steered. Our ship seems to have hit shallow grounds and become a shipwreck." Ace gave a glare to the horse with the last bit, the horse giving a grunt.

Ace shook his head as he stood up, offering him his hand. "Ignore him; he didn't really trip; he likes to play dead. He's melodramatic, a drama queen." Marco chuckled, dusting himself off once he was up. "He does have personality, yoi." Ace nodded as he smiled. "Yeah, he does." Ace then started walking, moving a hand to grab on to his, "Come, I know a nice place we can head to until our ship gets fixed." Marco chuckled, walking up to Ace. "How long will that be, yoi?" Ace hummed. "Give him half an hour to an hour. He should be fine by then. The place is close by." Marco gave a chuckle as he walked with Ace, curious to where they were going. They hadn't been walking long when they reached some rocks, and slowly making their way up them. Once at the top, Marco halted as he took in the view. They were above the forest, and able to see over the tops of the trees. There was an occasional clearing, along with a small waterfall and stream. There were many different kinds of animals moving around the forest. And, in the distance, was the beach where they could just about see the bonfire which was being made, along with the Moby Dick in all its glory.

"It's amazing, yoi." Ace chuckled, walking over to some rocks which they could sit on. "I know. This island is beautiful." Marco agreed as he moved to sit down beside Ace. "How did you find this island, yoi?" Ace hummed. "I didn't actually, Azuruko did. There was this old, abandoned base, and we found Stacy and Little Beastie there, they were just foals at the time. Azuruko knew about this island and we took them here. There was a herd here which would take them in, and the island doesn't have many predators, so they could live in peace. We stopped by when we could, trained them and made sure they were fine. They took a liking to us. And then Beastie grew and we found out he's a special kind of breed called a Friesian, and well bred one. Or, they are more commonly known as war horses."

Marco was amazed by that. "Those are rare, yoi. The demand for them was huge, it was really expensive to buy them. They were especially difficult to breed, and due to the greed and stubbornness of humans, they eventually died out, yoi." Ace smiled at him. "My, someone knows his history." Marco let out a breath. Oh, how he wanted to confirm what Benn had said, ask if Ace actually knew, but hoped Ace would actually bring that up. "I like books, yoi. Reading has always been a favorite hobby." Ace chuckled. "I agree. And when we found out he was a Friesian, we stopped by more often, training them. We both enjoyed it, just a break from the rest." Marco understood that, and was glad Ace and Azuruko found this island and had these horses for comfort and joy. He had seen Ace's horse had placed himself around him, and tried to comfort him. He knew war horses were incredibly intelligent, and learned quickly, not mentioning their stunning beauty. "I'm glad you found them and this island, yoi." Ace nodded. "I am too. Just a place to breathe."

Marco agreed with that. Everyone needed a place to relax. When he felt Ace move to rest his head on his shoulder, Marco moved an arm to hold around Ace, just enjoying the peace and quiet, something they hadn't been able to do in a while. Marco leaned his head on Ace's, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the peace and quiet. Glad Ace was here with him and they could be alone for a while.

They enjoyed the silence for a while, before he heard Ace speak. "Marco?" Started Ace, making him hum so Ace would continue. "I- " A sigh. "I'm sorry I've been distant the last few days." Marco shook his head. "No, it's fine. A lot has happened, yoi. I understand." Ace let out a breath. "Still. I just don't know where to start." Marco moved his arm to stroke Ace's back. "It's fine, I get it. You can tell me when you feel ready, I can wait, yoi." Ace gave a breath. "I want to tell you everything, but I don't know how." Marco hummed. "And, we will have years together. That, and coffee, yoi." Ace chuckled at that, and Marco shook his head a bit. "You don't need to tell me everything at once, yoi. We're gonna have hundreds of moments we can speak, laugh, cry," Ace chuckled. "And to drink coffee." Marco gave a chuckle too. "And coffee, the most important thing, yoi." Ace gave a breath. "I don't know why or when we started this coffee legacy, but I enjoy it." Marco shook his head. "No, I get it, yoi. I even enjoyed it. I've never really spoken with Benn, actually." Ace chuckled. "Sounds about right. Benn doesn't like groups of people. And you are often in the midst of those." Marco nodded. That was right.

Ace gave a breath, shaking his head. "I'm eluding, and I don't know why." Marco hummed. "No, it's fine, yoi. Whenever you're ready, Ace." Ace let out a breathless chuckle. "I think I am. I just need to search for the words." Marco moved his hand to hold around Ace and rest against his side, thumb moving comfortingly. "Someone once told me to not overthink things, yoi. To just relax and take it as it comes." Ace gave a nod, letting out a breath. "I know it probably doesn't seem like it, but I didn't really want to kill myself, not completely. I wasn't opposed to it as it was happening, but being drunk, and on those drugs, whatever they were, it didn't help the situation, didn't let me think clearly." Marco gave a nod. "I have heard alcohol and drugs can bring out the worst in people; dark thoughts, yoi." He felt Ace nod. "It probably did. It doesn't mean that I didn't want it, it just made those thought so loud, almost deafening." Marco took a breath. "The fact we would find out probably didn't help either, that we would get to know about the drugs, yoi." Ace shook his head. "No. But, I guess I needed you to, really. I feel… I feel so relieved and composed; its silent in my head for once. I feel better than I have in months, I'm glad I'm around and actually off the drugs..."

Marco gave a hum, moving his hand to stroke Ace's side comfortingly. "Why do I feel there's a 'but' coming, yoi?" It must have been as Ace gave a small breath after he had finished, and then a pause. "But, why do I feel I messed everything up? Why does it feel like things won't go back to normal?" Marco took a breath. "Because it won't, yoi. You didn't mess anything up. But, things won't go back to being how it was before, we know what happened now, even though we somehow didn't notice before. I know we have been unsure, like we're walking on a frozen lake, with it cracking with every move. It's because we haven't dealt with something like this before, yoi." Marco took a small pause to gather his thoughts. "We are a family and we care for everyone, yoi. We were scared we would lose a family member, and unsure if we were to blame or not. We are worried that we may have overlooked someone else, someone who is hurting inside, yoi. We are not just feeling this way because of you, but for everyone. What if you're not the only one, yoi? We're scared. Things will never go back to normal; we will be better at noticing if someone is having issues, whatever kind that may be." He moved to have his head above Ace's. "Right now, things are tough, I know that, yoi. I know we're not making things easier, but we need a little more time than you and the other assassins. Because we feel bad that we didn't notice it and we need time to calm down, yoi."

He felt Ace give a small breath with a weak chuckle, moving to lean against him more. "You're right, I never thought about it like that." Marco hadn't either, he just figured it out himself. They weren't scared for just Ace; they were subconsciously scared someone else was fighting a losing battle with themselves. Marco would be sure to drop by Pops later, to ask what he thought. He knew he wasn't alone. For now, he would care for Ace. He moved to give a kiss on his head. "You haven't messed anything up, yoi. Don't think that. You just opened our eyes and that's scary, if I'm honest, yoi. Have faith in us, we will calm down and we'll move on; thing will return to normal, even with this new knowledge."

Ace gave a breath. "I will. I think Benn is rubbing off on you." Marco chuckled. "Honestly, I just realised it myself, I'm scared of losing someone. As pirates, we know that we may fall during a fight, but now I have the knowledge that we can so easily lose a sibling by their own hand, yoi. Benn really is a great help. But, so is his brother... I guess that's the reason he's watching out for you." Ace hummed. "Benn told you?" Marco nodded. "Yes. I asked though, yoi. But it made sense. Just the small conversation I had shed some light on this whole situation." Ace leaned his head against his chest. "Benn is good at reading people, and with knowing what words to say to them. He was a prodigy actually, from what I've heard." Marco hummed. "Sounds right, yoi."

They lapsed into silence again, before Ace finally gave breath. "I'm glad I have you, that I have everyone, Marco. And, I know I'm bad at talking about certain things, and opening up to people. But I will, and I will do my best, but it will take time." Marco shook his head. "We love you too, everyone does. And use all the time you need, just don't shut me out. I was so worried, even before all of this. You didn't speak to me, to anyone, yoi."

Ace sighed. "I know. It was just- Nina... I did feel like something was off, and she asked me to stay… telling me that her dog was scared. But I left; I had a mission, and when I returned…" Marco gave a breath. "She was gone, yoi." Ace shook his head, Marco hearing a shuddering and raspy breath. "No, that was the worst part, she wasn't." Marco frowned, not understanding what the problem was. But, when he heard Ace take a shuddering breath, Marco moved Ace closer and put his arms around him, stroking his back, understanding there was more to this, and it was bad, doing his best to comfort the other. "Her father, he seemed smart and caring, he loved his daughter we thought. Her mother disappeared years ago. He was trying to make chimeras- living animals that could speak and act like humans do. He's almost succeeded 4 years ago, but it failed, and the beast died." Marco breathed, having theory about where this story was going, and he hopes that he is wrong. "He used her mother, yoi?" Ace nodded, moving a hand to his face, likely wiping his tears away.

"He did. He tried with a stray dog. He has a devil fruit that can connect DNA and the cells of living things together; he fused her with a stray dog, but they rejected each other. And… when I returned that day, he said he discovered where he had gone wrong. The two didn't have a connection." Marco closed his eyes. "He fused his daughter and her dog, yoi." Ace gave a nod, doing his best to take a shaky breath. "And... when I came back, I noticed that something was off; Nina was gone. And, he said he had managed to make a chimera. I asked him where Nina was. Then, the chimera looked at me, it having long brown hair, the same length and color as Nina, and then she called out for me, and I realized who- what- that was." Oh God, Marco had thought the girl had just died, not something like this.

He felt Ace move his head further into his vest, giving a small sound, like a sob. "I was just about to bash his face in, when... when I heard that broken voice again, looking down at what was once Nina... but now... a chimera. It said 'no, don't hurt daddy'. And I just forgot about him, I let him go and moved to crouch down, seeing the same brown eyes... telling me she was in pain. I did my best to comfort her, telling her everything would be fine, telling her it wouldn't hurt anymore, everything would be fine. And then… I killed her. Hanzo had come by then and understood what had happened and took care of that man. I just couldn't move, I know if I did, I would tear him apart, that I would just lose it." Marco shook his head, doing his best to comfort Ace, letting him just get it out. "Just breathe, Ace. You did the right thing, yoi. You couldn't have known."

He felt Ace take a couple of shaky breaths. "I know, I do. But, I feel so guilty, I should have stayed, or figured it out. I just wished I had been faster, or slower; I don't know, just been there before it could happen and somehow stop it..." Ace trailed off with a broken breath, Marco shook his head. "No, no, don't think that, yoi. You couldn't have; you did all you could. None of it was, or is, your fault. Nina would have thanked you, her mother too. You helped them; you put an end to their suffering." Ace gave a small sound. "She did, before I pulled the trigger." Marco moved his head to Ace's, closing his eyes. "You did the right thing, yoi. Don't blame yourself for something you can't control, yoi." Ace took a deep breath, trying to gather himself. "I know, and I'm trying, really. I just feel so horrible." Marco nodded. "And that's fine, yoi. It is horrible, but don't take the blame. Don't take on that burden, and fester over it. Let us, me, help you." Ace nodded against his chest. "I know, and I'll try. I felt so bad, still do. I know it wasn't my fault, but I still feel so horrible." Marco couldn't blame Ace for that; anyone would.

Marco rubbed Ace's back and let him gather himself some more, before Marco leaned a bit back. He moved his hands to Ace's face, using his thumbs to dry his cheeks as he leaned his forehead against Ace, looking into his eyes. "No matter what, no matter what happens, I will be here for you, yoi. Don't shut me out, let me take on some of your burdens. A problem shared is sometimes a problem halved" He stroked Ace's cheek. "And, we have so many cups of coffee we can speak over, or maybe cocoa; Thatch and Bay don't like heavy coffee use, yoi." Marco was glad when Ace gave a smile as he laughed. Ace really didn't look like he had just had a breakdown. Ace usually didn't say much or let much show when he was overwhelmed, that doesn't mean that he never feels that way.

He was about to open his mouth again, to tell Ace they had all the time in the world, but almost jumped up as something had nudged his back. His hands letting go off Ace as he turned to see the horse there, the animal giving a breath as he stomped his foot. Marco heard Ace laugh as he moved a hand to his heart. "For heaven's sake, yoi! How can a horse be that silent?!" Ace laughed as he moved to clap him on the back, heading over to the horse. "Welcome to my life. He loves to scare others, or just act like a child." Marco sighed as he stood up, moving to pet the horse. "I think he doesn't like me, yoi." Ace snorted. "Oh no, he does. If he didn't like you, he would have bucked you off your seat." Marco blinked, looking over at Ace, who was brushing sand off the horse. "Really?" Ace nodded. "Yeah. He's bucked many people off his back. It drove them insane that they couldn't control him, but a little fourteen-year-old could." Marco chuckled. "I can imagine that. You are good with animals, yoi." Ace hummed. "Trevor always says I got that from Azuruko. He was amazing with animals." That wasn't a surprise to him. Azuruko was a man of many talents, or so he had heard.

Ace moved to mount the horse, making it bow. "We should probably head back, before Trevor comes and drags us back." Marco chuckled as Ace helped him on, before they started walking down the small mountain. When they were moving through the forest again, Ace moved a bit forward and petted the horse. "Now, be nice! No more collisions!" The horse gave a breath, or more of a snort. Ace shook his head as he gave a clap to the horse again. When Ace sat back down, he turned around so he faced him, making him lift an eyebrow. "Taking chances are we, yoi?" Ace chuckled. "I am. I also want to thank you, for everything." Marco shook his head. "It was nothing, yoi. I want to help you with your burdens; I know you would for me. And it should be mutual." Ace gave a smile as he nodded, Marco moving a hand to Ace's leg. "And, thank you for telling me, yoi. You shouldn't go through things alone." Ace gave a nod to that too, giving a smile which he returned.

The rest of the walk back was filled with small talk, about everything and anything. As they were close to the beach, Ace moved around again, before they dismounted beside the unlit bonfire, the horse running off to do his own things. The glare Trevor sent it probably made him leave. When Trevor was walking towards them, he gave a stern look to Ace. "Why are you dirty?" Ace just rolled his eyes as he clapped Trevor on his shoulder. "Because our horse became a shipwreck after he hit shallow ground." Trevor snorted. "And you wonder why I don't like horses?!" Ace just chuckled as he walked towards the ship. "Yes, yes. I'm heading for a shower." Trevor gave a snort as he followed, Marco was certain that he would ask what had happened after they had left.

Marco then went and helped to prepare for the party, and make sure things went accordingly. Thatch still managed to set himself on fire at times. Aside from that, nothing happened, them just enjoying being on an island. After his shower, Ace sat with him, Mika, and Trevor, them liking to be a bit away from their rowdy drunken family members. It wasn't for them, but they enjoyed everything nonetheless.

They left early the next morning, over half of the crew were out cold from the party, making it a quiet morning. It also allowed for him to speak to Pops in private, telling him about the revelation he had yesterday. That they weren't just worried about Ace, but that they were subconsciously scared for everyone on the crew. That was the reason they had been so careful. It had the captain blink. "You're right, son. We are worried for Ace, but, also worried that there may be someone else going through the same; an invisible enemy. How did you figure this out?" Marco nodded. "We are, yoi. And, I realised this as I was speaking with Ace." Pops gave a nod, looking thoughtful. "What do we do now? How do we approach this?" Marco hummed. "I have thought about that too, yoi. I think the best course of action, is to first speak with all the commanders, then you mention to the rest of the crew when we are all in the galley. We can also speak to our divisions and tell them that if they need to speak about anything, to come to use and not bottle things up. Tell them that this is why we have all been so on edge- we're all afraid that this could happen again, to anyone. And, Ace is doing fine, he really is, yoi." The last part had Pops smile, moving a hand to nudge him. "See, this is why you're my first commander. You grasp things quickly, and figure out the best strategies and solutions." Marco just gave a shake of the head with a smile.

"And," Continued Pops. "Ace is fine? Really fine?" Marco nodded. "I promise, yoi. We needed some private time to speak, and it really helped, both of us." Pops looked relieved by that as he nodded. "That's good. That's all that matters. Why don't we speak with the commanders this evening, and then everyone else tonight during supper? And, maybe you and Ace can tackle your divisions together?" Marco nodded, he agreed with that. He knew Pops wouldn't ask about what he and Ace had spoken about, just glad to know he was doing better. And, while things were fine and better with Ace, Marco think it would be best to be with Ace as they spoke with their divisions. He was sure the other assassins would help too, maybe have each one accompanying a commander, as they knew more than them when it came to things like this.

When they called everyone in for the meeting, everyone was on edge, which was to be expected as this not their regular meeting, more of an emergency one, so they needed everyone there. They did quickly calm down when he and Pops started speaking. He saw that the other assassins were in agreement with them. That this should be brought up and that they were probably unconsciously scared for others. They then went over what Pops would say during supper, and later to their own division, adding that the assassins were there to help if needed it. Pops also mentioned that they didn't need to be so anxious; Ace was fine. The commanders did seem to calm down after heard that.

As the meeting was coming to an end, Trevor spoke up. "And, mention Bay and the nurses are good to speak to as well. Whatever they say will be confidential. They won't spill, they didn't about Bunny's brands." It had all of them shocked, looking at Ace that appeared thoughtful. "Huh, you're right. I forgot about that. They are good options too and that a good way to phrase it; confidentiality is one the most important things to doctor and nurses; they keep their mouths shut more than even assassins do. Isn't that right, Trevor." The silver-haired man sighed. "Again, Daisuke approved, and they would have found out eventually anyway. At least this way it was less of a shock." Ace just shook his head, looking slightly amused. "Oh, by the way," Continued Trevor, looking at Ace. "Do you really have strawberry perfume?" Ace sighed, smiling as he shook his head. "No, no I haven't." Trevor gave a small gasp, before looking at Mika. "Told you! He still loves me!" Ace chuckled. "Don't make me regret it." Trevor gave a huge grin as he nodded, looking happy. Ace couldn't help but chuckle. The two's bickering was affectionate in its own way, and contagious, as it wasn't long before everyone was harboring a smile, a couple chucking as well.

Once they had prepared themselves, they rounded up the entire crew with each commander speaking to their division. They made sure to reiterate in the morning that anything discussed with a commander, Pops, Bay or the nurses, would stay between them. They wouldn't say anything to anyone without their approval. Although it was a difficult topic to discuss, it went over surprisingly well, everyone seemed relieved. They had avoided talking about this, and it made things worse, just as Benn and Trevor had said. Marco wished they had noticed it earlier. Afterwards, the atmosphere on the ship seemed to lighten.

The weather stayed nice over the next few days, nothing special happening until one afternoon when Trevor suddenly yelled out. "Oi! Daisuke! I think we can lower, or just stop, the medication Ace is on." Marco blinked. What? Ace was still experiencing moment where he felt on edge, along with nightmares. "Oh, what makes you say that?" Asked the older man, making Trevor grin as he pointed down at the decking beside him. Marco blinked, now seeing that the bundle of cloth on the deck was actually Ace, asleep, laying on Trevor's cape. "Out cold. So I'm pretty sure we can stop his medication now." Daisuke chuckled. "Well, it was time anyway. He'll be out for a couple of hours, probably. That, or at least awake but feeling tired for a while."

Trevor gave a small laugh. "Well, he won't be joining the meeting which is due to start in half an hour. It would be bad if he fell asleep whilst we're speaking on the Den Den Mushi." Daisuke nodded. "Yeah, you're right. It may be best to leave him where he is, until he wakes up on his own." Wait, what? Shouldn't they at least take Ace to his room? Trevor blinked. "Ah. He took the strong stuff?" Daisuke nodded. "If we take him to his bed, he'll end up sleeping for the entire day, which wouldn't be good as he wouldn't be tired tonight. Even though it may not be the most comfortable, it would be beneficial as he may not sleep for too long. It seems to have worked in the past." Trevor chuckled. "Oh yes, I remember when he fell asleep on the roof. He fell off it. Barely woke him though. Or, that time he fell asleep on the floor in the meeting room. Not that we cared, we just continued the meeting. It was only for about an hour, then he woke up, although he still felt tired. He looked so cute during that hour, like a child having nap time. I hope that happens this time too"

Marco knew that Ace could act like a child, though it was rare, and usually happening when he was tired. But still. "Is it really fine for him to sleep on the deck, yoi?" Trevor waved his hand at him. "It's fine, I promise. During the last few days, or hours, on these tablets, he's always like this. It passes, and he'll be back to normal. He's on solid ground, at least, so he can't fall off a roof and break 4 ribs." Marco blinked. "He did that?" Trevor shrugged. "I think the pain woke him up. If he hadn't broken them, I'm sure he would have slept the day away." Marco understood why they didn't want to put Ace is a bed. But, thankfully, it would only be like this for the next few hours and Ace wouldn't be on them throughout the day anymore, only if he was having a bad night, which did make him worked up, and calming medication helped relax from the panic, and probably evened each other out.

"So," Started Izou. "He's just going to sleep on the deck? And we'll let him?" Trevor shrugged. "The deck isn't so hard, and he's even got my cape to sleep on. So yes, we will. Don't worry so much, he will be fine. How many times have you fallen asleep on deck after a party?" That was a good point. It wasn't uncommon for that happened. It did also make everyone seem more okay with the fact Ace would sleep out on deck. Though the sun was lowering behind some clouds, it wasn't cold, as it was only a little after lunch time, so it was still warm. It wouldn't be any harm, and it was good to see that Ace was fine, just feeling tired like anyone would be if they were on calming medication. Ace was getting better, and they were seeing more of the many different sides of the kid, making it so they were able to learn more about him. Ace was still a closed off person, but he was slowly settling in and opening up.

Everyone continued on with their day like usual, everyone just letting Ace sleep. When Trevor and Daisuke left for their meeting, also taking Mika along, they had asked them if it was safe to leave Ace alone on deck. Trevor just sighed. "Relax. He's sleeping, not dying. Again, how many times have people passed out drunk whilst on deck and was still fine in the morning? If you feel the need to, then sit beside him, or even lay down and sleep with him. I honestly don't care. He will be fine. For God's sake, you're pirates! Why does someone sleeping cause such racket?!" Trevor was right. People were only feeling uneasy because it was Ace. Him sleeping and being, in a way, vulnerable, was not something they had seen before.

After the assassins had left, Izou sat down beside Ace, not seeing any harm in doing so. He had some papers he needed to read over, and could do that whilst sitting down beside Ace who was asleep. Marco knew that Izou just wanted to make sure Ace would be alright. They were maybe overreacting a little. But, they were family, and Ace was their youngest family member, and their newest. The things Trevor had said earlier didn't help either; they now knew the risk that came with being an assassin. Ace was young, and they often forget that. Ace usually seemed so in control; they were now seeing the real Ace; a kid that had issues. They were progressing and helping Ace through them, he was slowly opening up.

Nothing happened as the assassins had left for the meeting. Marco had placed himself on a crate not far away from his sleeping boyfriend, just to keep a watch over everything. He was also making sure those on deck duty did their work, and wouldn't slack off. Just a calm day. When the assassins came out after 20 minutes, Trevor said Daisuke would leave when they docked in 3 days' time, having arranged a meeting with someone there, and would then go back to their base. Hanzo was currently watching over it with Moira, but Hanzo wasn't the best at it apparently. He was still young and rash according Daisuke, but was better than any of the other choices he had.

It was a few minutes later, that Trevor spoke. "Ready to wake up now, Bunny?" When Marco looked over to Ace, he was propped up on one of his elbows, giving a yawn, looking drowsy. When Ace closed his mouth, he looked at Trevor with half-lidded eyes, before moving to lie down again. "...No..." What caused them blink in surprise was that Ace had moved to drape an arm over Izou, resting his head on his stomach. Izou looking utterly shocked and flabbergasted.

Before anyone could comment, Trevor gasped. "Yes! He's the cute little kid again! This is one of the few, and I mean few, times when Ace is like a little kid. He just relaxes and actually enjoys being touched, and likes to cuddle. Therefore, we call it 'cuddly wuddly' time. Use this. Use this opportunity. This is rare, a rare event. And it's so amazing." All of them blinked, Daisuke chuckling. "You know Trevor, you sound crazy." Trevor waved at the man. "Oh stop it, I know you would love to be in the sixteenth commander's place." Daisuke shrugged. "Well, it is nice to see him act like a child. But, the way you're saying it makes you sound like raving madman." Trevor just shrugged, smiling.

Trevor was still himself, and Marco knew he wanted the best for Ace; from what the man had said before, and now, at times like this Ace enjoyed being close to others, and acting childlike. And Marco knew how his brothers and sisters could be, always taking every chance to be close to their family, especially the ones who rarely allowed it, or the new ones. So, Marco moved to sit beside Ace, Izou on the other side, just in case. His family could be overwhelming, and while they might think this was their only chance, Marco was sure Ace would open more with time, there was no need to rush this.

He was right. It wasn't long before some of their family members were also sitting down on deck beside him and Izou. Ace was somewhere between being awake and asleep, as he made himself more comfortable on Izou's stomach. Izou had a delighted look on his face, having leaned back to rest on the railing with arms behind his head, he seemed to be enjoying this. It was nice, Marco had to admit it himself, that he was enjoying this. Ace was rarely comfortable with being close to people like this, and they were a family that liked to hug and be around one another. He knew many of the others thought they weren't able to reach out to Ace, as they didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable. But Ace did like it here, he just wasn't as open as they were, Ace didn't go around hugging everyone. He would rather have a conversation, play a card game or something, that was what he enjoyed. They would get used to Ace and how he was. Marco was sure the information about Ace's work helped others understand why Ace was a more closed off than they were.

Izou spoke up a bit later and was shocked when he was told what time it was. "Oh God, I should get ready for my watch." Izou had the afternoon watch, so that was true. But, as the man thought of moving, he couldn't think of the best way to do so without waking Ace up. Before, he could try to move, Ace spoke up. "Trevor. Do Izou's watch, I'm not moving." Trevor pouted. "But I wanna cuddle with you~!" Ace had just moved himself to rest along Izou's midriff. "I am sleepy, comfortable, and feel just fine here. Now go." Well, Ace was apparently awake, they had all been certain that he was asleep; why else would he stay in Izou's lap? Trevor had spoken the truth; Ace enjoyed lying close to someone- or cuddling, as he called it- at times when he was feeling tired and was on certain medications. Ace actually wanted to rest in Izou's lap. Everyone looked ecstatic, just glad Ace was awake and was felt comfortable enough to stay close to one of them.

Trevor had said Ace could be like this when he was more comfortable or somewhat upset. A hug helped many things, a good way to say and show you are loved and cared for. Marco looked down at Ace. Ace really was cute when he was cuddling, making him feel somewhat jealous of Izou. But Marco had more opportunity to cuddle- they were in a relationship- and the others needed to feel closer to their youngest commander. And Marco hoped this 'cuddly wuddly' time would happen again, hopefully, when he wasn't on any medication.

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And that's the chapter, hope you enjoyed it.

As I said at the start, this was a collection of different scenes. I'm not sure if everyone will thinks that the small cuddle scene at the end is as grand as I'm imagining it, but I hope it will be. This chapter got away from me as I enjoyed writing it, so it's way longer than I had planned. I hope you enjoyed it though.

For those who don't know, the situation about Nina and her father was taken from FullMetal Alchemist. For those who have watched the anime or read the manga, I hope it didn't bring back any traumatic images, that part scarred so many. Benn and Daisuke being siblings was an idea that suddenly came to me, as it would explain why he's so observant and able to help Ace as well as he does. So I hope it sounds plausible to everyone.

And I love feedback too; it keeps me going!

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Beta note (Lady Histoire): Yay! Cuddly wuddly time!