Chapter 31

Marco found Izo staring blankly at a corridor, a puzzled frown on his brow. Marco took a good few gulps of his coffee before approaching. He probably needed caffeine to deal with this.

"What's up?" Marco raised a brow.

"Why was Ace going by with a whole bunch of wrapped gifts?" Izo asked, tilting his head.

"It's Mother's Day," Marco said. "Ace, Sabo, Luffy and Law have been working on their ideas to celebrate it for the past week when we were on that island with all the gift shops."

"Is that why he was hanging around a dashing blue suited man that day?" Izo asked. "It was a pretty strange sight, I must admit. He's this 'Portgas D. Sabo' people have been spreading rumors about, right? Ace's keeps cackling every time he's mentioned."

"Thanks, I like to think I am pretty dashing."

Izo yelped at that, while Marco sipped at his coffee. Sabo was leaning against the wall, watching them with a smile.

"When did you get on our ship?" Izo hissed. "Do you even have permission-"

"Whitebeard gave me it this morning when Ace teleported me here," Sabo offered. "Whitebeard certainly got a good chuckle when I greeted him as Ace's kidnapper."

Marco groaned. "Are you calling everyone that?"

"All you Whitebeards for certain," Sabo said cheerfully.

"Yeah they do tend to do that a lot," Izo admitted. "I was kidnapped too-"

"You clung to our ship-" Marco protested.

"I was clinging to Oden before you snatched me up!" Izo scowled.

Sabo sweat dropped. "Dragon wasn't kidding when he said you were an interesting lot."

Footsteps approaching startled them. Ace and Rouge walked up towards them, but Rouge was in a short blue dress with her hair braided, much to Marco's surprise. It wasn't often she wore a dress.

"She loved the presents." Ace grinned, throwing Sabo a thumbs up.

Sabo smiled. "I'm glad you liked them, Rouge."

"You look beautiful, Rouge!" Izo beamed.

"Thanks." Rouge smiled, then grinned at Sabo, pressing a quick kiss to his hair. "Ace told me we had a date together to a cafe first."

"We do indeed." Sabo bowed his head, waving his hat all fancy like. "Happy mother's day, Rouge." He offered out his arm. "Shall we leave these ruffians to it?"

Rouge laughed and took his arm. "I am one of those ruffians. See you all later!"

"Bye Mum, have fun!" Ace grinned.

"You're not the one taking her out?" Izo asked after Sabo and Rouge had left.

"No, Sabo got the cafe." Ace shook his head. "Then Luffy and her are going on a hike this afternoon. I got a roller-coaster park later on tonight after Law takes mum to a museum and dinner."

"Whoa, you really did have it all planned out," Izo chuckled. "I'm sure she'll have a great time."

"I hope so." Ace grinned.

.::.

Sabo and Rouge had demolished their breakfast. The cafe was really nice, especially sitting outside in a sunny day like this. They were just sipping at their tea now and watching people go by, and Sabo had to admit, it was nice.

"So how are you doing with the Whitebeards?" Sabo asked.

Rouge wrinkled her nose. "Too crowded."

Sabo chuckled. "Sounds about right for you."

"But the Striker is willing to take me out when I wish, as long as Ace is healthy and well, and I can always teleport otherwise," Rouge said. "Don't get me wrong, I love Eddy and most of his kids, yeah sure, some of them are little shits, but a lot of them are kind to Ace. It's just... I'm only there for Ace. Eddy knew that when I joined, but some of those dumbasses seem to think I'm a Whitebeard too and try to order me about like one."

Sabo snorted. "I doubt that went well."

"They lost all their clothes overnight and had to do a walk of shame to find them," Rouge chuckled. "Stupid fucks."

Sabo smirked. "Glad to see you'll never let yourself be pushed over."

Rouge laughed. "That would certainly be an interesting sight!"

"So you're both definitely safe with them?" Sabo asked, his brow furrowing.

There was a lot of different people in the Whitebeards. It wasn't like they could all be trustworthy, and if any of them found out about Ace's sperm donor-

Rouge smirked. "If for whatever reason someone has a complaint about that, don't worry, I'll kick their ass, and if there is anything living of them after that, I'll call you then Law."

Sabo smirked back. "Good." He nodded, then sighed. "I know it's been a long time, but I do not want Ace to be that lonely, angry child again. Between you, Luffy, Law, Penguin, Shachi, Bepo and I, he warmed up and began to realise he wasn't alone, but Roger will always be one of his biggest weaknesses, and yours too."

Rouge raised a brow. "Mine?"

"You must miss him a lot," Sabo said.

Rouge frowned. "I suppose so, yes." She idly brushed her fingertip over the rim of her tea cup. "It was worse sometimes when it was just Ace and I. I would think about what Roger would have done if he was there to make us laugh, but then you came along. At first Ace didn't want to make a friend, since he was scared, y'know, but I prodded him into that, and you turned out to be the best decision I've ever made."

Sabo smiled warmly. "Thank you, Rouge." Sabo grinned brightly. "You and Ace were the best decision I made too. Rouge, you're the one who raised me. You took care of us all. You're the mum I will always choose at the end of the day, just as Ace will always be my first friend and brother. I love you all very much."

Rouge blushed, but she smiled brightly. "I love you too, Sabo."

.::.

"Rouge-san, are you sure you want to go hike in your dress?" Makino asked.

"Yeah, it'll be fine!" Rouge said, following Luffy out the doors. "What we hunting today, kiddo?"

"Crocodile!" Luffy beamed, then startled. "Oh wait, but first! I've got you a gift!"

Rouge paused, surprised, then grinned when Luffy brought out a bunch of flowers and handed them over.

"These are for you, Shadow Lady!" Luffy beamed. "You used to leave me petals all the time to lead me to safety, which I was going to do for you, but it was windy yesterday, so they kept blowing away. Makino said flowers would be nice too."

Rouge pressed a kiss to his hair. "Thank you, Luffy."

Luffy grinned. "Shishishishi, I'm glad you like them!"

.::.

"I like the matching charm bracelet," Law chuckled.

"Yeah it's amazing, I don't know how you guys managed it though. Most people wouldn't take on such a commission," Rouge mused, shaking her wrist lightly, letting the metal and jewels clatter together.

The charms were all jolly rogers. Luffy's straw hat (a lot neater than whatever Luffy would normally draw, somebody must have sketched out a proper one), Ace's Spade Pirates jolly roger, Sabo's old 'S' one, Law's Heart Pirates and Rouge was surprised to see her old Hibiscus jolly roger too. How the hell did they find out about that old thing? There were alexandrite gemstones decorating the charm bracelet too, and Rouge still hadn't figured out which one of her kids managed to figure out her birthstone.

"I might have threatened to take a heart or lung," Law muttered.

Rouge cackled. "Rahahahaha! So it was you!"

Law chuckled. "The idea was in fact Ace's. He really liked my tattoo one. Luffy was the one who came up with using jolly rogers, and Sabo was the one who tracked yours down."

"So a team effort?" Rouge grinned. "Thanks, Law. It's my favourite gift."

She pressed a quick kiss to his forehead, earning a flush.

"I feel like I can carry something to remind me of you kids wherever I go now." Rouge grinned.

.::.

Rouge laughed as she stumbled off the teacups, Ace laughing right along with her. They had spun the orange teacup as hard and fast as they could without breaking the damn thing, but now Rouge couldn't see straight and neither could Ace. They bumped into each other and hit the ground cackling. It took a while for them to straighten themselves out and dump themselves on a bench, but they managed it in the end.

"I love you, Ace," Rouge said cheerfully, pressing a kiss to his hair. "Thank you for setting this up today. You four are amazing."

Ace smiled warmly. "Thank you for being here to make it happen."

He hugged her tightly. "Happy mother's day, Mum. I love you so much."

Rouge hugged him back just as tightly. When Ace became a head witch, that was when Rouge would probably be gone, so she was happy to spend as much time with Ace as possible until that end came. She hadn't gotten to be there for him at the beginning, but by the Seas, she was so thankful that Garp was a dumbass and gave Ace his grimoire years way too early.

Each moment with Ace was so precious to her.

.::.

Marco was leaning back the rails of the ship with Thatch, Izo and Haruta, watching fondly as Ace and Rouge climbed back on the ship, Ace carrying Rouge's high heels and purse. Marco chuckled. Her hair was no longer the neat braid it had been in when she had left this morning, that was for sure.

"So, since I'm his brother, I suppose it's fair that I give you all a warning," Sabo said, his eyes locked on Ace and Rouge.

Marco had to admit, they all startled at the sudden change in conversation. Sabo had been happily retelling them about his, Luffy's and Ace's adventures as kids back in Goa Kingdom just a few moments ago.

Thatch grimaced. "A warning?"

"What for?" Haruta pouted.

"Ace was my first friend in this entire world," Sabo said coldly, his eyes smouldering hot as he finally looked at them. "So if you lot ever break his trust and hurt him, I will find you, and I will gut you all and throw you to Law's feet, and then by the time we're both done with you lot, there will be nothing left of any of you to find, and the Whitebeard Pirates will fade to history. That is what I do to those who hurt Ace."

Thatch shuddered. "I don't wanna know what you do to those who try to kill him."

Sabo smirked darkly. "You really don't. It isn't pretty."

"What-" Haruta frowned.

Marco straightened up. Somebody had tried to kill Ace before?

"There was a group of men who wanted to kill Ace for being a witch," Sabo revealed, his smile sharp, eyes almost hungry. "The Spades handled them easily enough, but I heard what they wanted to do to Ace. These men wanted to capture Ace, torture him to 'release the darkness' or whatever bullshit they came up with from his soul, then burn him alive to purify him. Ace let them live, after they suffered a few burns, but I found about them later on from Rouge and made their lives a living hell." Sabo's smirk sharpened. "They're still alive to suffer it. Law loves to see them, and Rouge does too."

Thatch and Haruta shuddered.

"So don't ever hurt Ace," Sabo warned them. "Law and I are pretty protective by nature, and while Luffy is pretty silly, he will also want to hunt you all down if you fuck over Ace. You will have us three after you like hounds, if Rouge doesn't kill you all first."

Sabo's smile turned bright and warm, and he began to walk away. "Now I'm going to sample some of those cakes you baked, Thatch. I've been so excited to try them!"

They all stared blankly after Sabo.

"That's creepy," Thatch said after a heavy silence fell between them all. "How does he go from threatening us to smiling like he's having the best day of his life?"

"Revolutionaries." Haruta shuddered.

That was also when they learned that Sabo ate like Ace.

That was just as terrifying.

Banshee, the Spade's former chef, exploded into tears and Thatch had to rush over to save her from a breakdown.

Rouge laughed and joined her sons in their feast. Marco couldn't help but shake his head fondly as he approached Pops.

"So we've been threatened," Pops chuckled. "That Sabo boy can change his face pretty quickly, huh?"

"Did he do the same thing to you?"

"Yeah, it was creepy." Pops grinned. "Guarararara, my sons are usually so expressive!"

Marco chuckled and sat down on the army of his chair. "Rouge certainly found an interesting bunch to call her kids."

"She really did." Pops watched Ace, smiling fondly. "Now we just wait and see where life takes these young lives."

Happy Mother's Day 3 xx