HEY REMEMBER ME? The author who disappeared off the face of earth like three years ago? Yeah, that's me!

Surprise?

(pls don't kill me)

TOO EARLY FOR JOKES?

~×~

This entire palace seemed like it had no exit. Whether you took a left or right turn, you somehow always ended up in the same place as before. It was like someone was toying with you, but you didn't need to speculate too much on who was the culprit. Until someone defeats Pica, or even better, until Pica himself leaves on his own accord, you were trapped.

You couldn't help but mutter a curse as you stopped running. You couldn't even think properly anymore. The thoughts and worries about Ace were clouding your mind. The idea of losing Ace once more shook your very soul. You had to get to him before the Marines did - because you knew very well the results of the latter.

But all of a sudden, the ground under your feet became stable. The corridors came back to their original shape and the windows emerge once more. Pica leaving on his own accord could only mean he had another important business to attend to. The first thought that came in your mind, as it always did, was Ace.

Years have passed, but he was still an idiot. There is no doubt, he would jump straight into danger, without any hesitation, even if his injuries were not completely healed up yet. Kou needs his father, as much as you needed him. These past few years without him were nothing but hell - not only that, but you had yet to touch the subject of your son with him yet. There was so much you had to tell him. Dying was simply not an option, either for him or for you. Kou needs both of his parents, and you vowed to reunite the entire family soon enough.

But as you took a right turn through the corridors, you run straight into something - or rather someone. You let out a small gasp, but the impact is inevitable. Both of you fall on the ground, not knowing what exactly the two of you ran into. And you open your eyes, you find yourself face to face with none other than Ace himself.

Both your eyes open wide, but before Ace has time to process everything, you jump into his arms and hold him tight. As if by instinct, his arms wrap around you and hold you just as close. Even if you reunited earlier during the day, it felt like ages since the last time you saw each other. You had forgotten how strong the withdrawals from being away from this man were. Your chin rested on his broad shoulders, as your lips barely touched the nape of his neck. But that contact was enough for you to hear his beating heart - something that you yearned to hear for such a long time.

Twenty four hours ago, you thought this man was dead and yet here you were, in his arms, holding one another as if life depended on it. The warmth of his hug had nothing to do with his devil fruit powers. His fondness for you reached you without any need for words. Just the way the two of you fit like a piece of puzzle, was enough for you to understand that the two of you were no strangers to the feeling of despair and loneliness, all these years without one another.

His strong arms crossed your back, as if it was made out of silk. Your mind completely shut down as you leaned more into him. It had been so long since the last time you felt this safe. It didn't matter that you were in the middle of a corridor, in the palace of a world renowned criminal. A small shiver crawled up your spine as you felt his fingers slowly go up and down. You missed him so much that any moment with him now felt like one second. You wanted more - no, you needed more.

Just as suddenly as you wrapped yourself up into his arms, you brought your lips onto his. It had been so long since the last time you kissed and held each other like this. You pressed yourself against him with all your might, and he did the same. There was no need to breathe anymore, he was all the oxygen you needed. His arms slowly went down to your hips. He gripped them as he straightened up to get a better hold of you.

In his arms, you had simply forgotten about everything that was happening outside your little bubble. You didn't care anymore. All you wanted was to hold him and to tell him how much you love him.

But just as the kiss started to become something else, Ace interrupted your heated moment and that annoying smirk of his, that you had forgotten about over the years, appeared on his lips. He was rather flushed, but you were sure you were even redder than he was.

"If this how you're like in public, I can't wait to see how you're like indoors." He joked as he caressed your redder cheeks. You couldn't help but laugh at his little joke, but if you knew, there was nothing but truth behind those words of his. Your head fell on his chest as the two of you laughed it off. His hand went through your hair as he hugged you once more.

"In all seriousness, I missed you. I missed you so much, it hurt. Quite literally too. My wounds were pretty bad."

You lifted your head and your eyes immediacy connected. Looking at him so closely, you couldn't help but notice the amazing similarities between him and your son, Kou. If the freckles weren't a dead giveaway, it defiantly was his nose, his mouth, his face feature. The only thing he got from you were your eyes. Other than that, he was spitting image of his father.

"Ace..." Your saddened look surprised him. He had just as many questions to ask you as you had. But he didn't dare to say anything. He's been gone from your life for two years now. Who knows what might've happened. Both of you disappeared off the face of earth for two years. The memories remained, but right now was the present. You might've kissed him now, but over the course of the years, you might've as well moved on from him, his death. This was probably a big shock for you, so he didn't want to talk about it. About your baby...

"It's fine. I mean - I'm ok now, see?" He said as he moved his right arm in a circle, to show off his progress. He intentionally omitted the fact that even walking was a miracle for him.

"I don't know how to tell you this." You said as the both of you stood up. The memory of you, back on Pops ship, contemplating for days on how to announce the pregnancy to Ace, came flooding back. Even back then you had no idea how to drop the news. But this was different. A whole lot different. He didn't have nine months to come to terms with the news and prepare himself. He already was a father. "I wasn't alone all these years." You continued, pondering on very word you said.

Ace went quiet. He thought as much. In your eyes, he died all those years ago. He would've wanted nothing more but for you to have a wonderful life, even if he wasn't a part of it anymore. He wants you to be happy, and if that was the case, he was ready to accept that, even if that might secretly hurt him.

To your surprise, Ace didn't seem that surprised. You wondered what was on his mind at that moment.

"I had prepared myself for this..." He whispered with a smile on his face. But you knew better. You knew that behind that smile, there was sadness. You would be an idiot not to realize that. "I want you to be happy, (Name) - and I completely understand. This person, whoever this is, I hope they bring you all of the joy and love in the world." He continued. His words held nothing but truth in them, but you knew that those very words hurt him.

"Oh, he does." You began to smile, knowing full well now at what he was hinting at. Little did he know that the two of you were talking about two different things. He should know better. No matter what, he was the one for you - you knew that, but he clearly didn't.

"I'm glad." He nodded, detaching himself from you completely.

"Kou is so handsome. He looks just like his father." Your smile winded, and you could feel the energy in the room shift. The pressure disappeared as Ace finally started to understand what you were insinuating at. His mouth fell agape, and you could feel the immense happiness building up inside of him.

"You had a son?" He asked as he brought you back into his arms.

Your eyes began to water a little but you held those tears back. No more crying - you said to yourself.

"Our son." You corrected him, as you rested your head on his chest. Compared to earlier, his heart was now beating even faster. You closed your eyes to savor the moment. Who knows how long it will take to have another moment like this? Luffy needed help to take down Doflamingo, and you weren't going to leave this country until you saw Doflamingo in the very handcuffs he held your mother in. "I left him in the care of the Revolutionaries. Once this is all over, we'll go pick him up."

Ace was still quiet. And no wonder. These were heavy news, indeed. You knew very well how much he hated his father. Perhaps he was thinking whether he was right for the job or not. But you knew him better than anyone. You knew he would be a wonderful father to Kou, and this child needed that.

"I know this is shocking news, but I-"

"I'm so glad..." He finally said, as if the news relieved him from every worry that previously possessed his mind. You definitely didn't expect that response. "I- I thought something might've happened. That's why I didn't ask you about it. But a son? I can't even begin to describe this feeling." His eyes watered as he looked fondly at you. Just the thought of what you've gone through all these years was enough to curse himself for his recklessness.

"Wait you knew?!" You asked surprised, not foreseeing this turn of events.

"Well, before we parted, Pops told me all about it."

A long silence followed, as both you remembered the old man, both you considered a father.

"Whitebeard... We owe a lot, don't we?" You said as you wiped any tear that threated to escape.

Ace's grip on you suddenly became much firmer. He had a determined look on his face, competing with the one he had all the way back when Thatch was killed. He stared into your eyes, as if you were the source of his determination. You probably were.

"I swear, after I regain my full strength, I'll fix this. I'll finish what I started, once and for all." He said, his eyes filled with rage as he thought about one certain pirate that was at the bottom of all of this. Blackbeard.

"You can't be serious!" You suddenly angry all over again. Your anger towards Doflamingo earlier felt like child's play compared to this. "You simply must be joking, because there is no way, after everything that has happened, you still think this way!" You yelled at him, tears now streaming down your face. Over your dead body will you allow Ace to go after Blackbeard again. "I don't know what you've been doing all these years. But I went through hell and back! I hid from island to island just to make sure I would be safe for the night. Kou was so little, I risked so much traveling with him across the Grand Line and beyond. I want Kou to have a happy life, with his mother AND father! You can't even imagine what's it's like to explain to your kid why his DECESED father isn't there for him!"

Ace fell silent. He didn't dare to say a word, because he knew, in your eyes, he was in the wrong. He let you go off, dumbing all your frustrations and worries over the years onto him. He knew you needed that. After all, everything you said was true. But as always, he didn't get to finish what he wanted to say. Your stubbornness got ahead of him.

Once you finished, you were trembling with anger. You had slight headache too.

"Can I talk now?" Ace said as he took your face between his hands. He brought his forehead onto yours as if to comfort you. "I don't plan to take him down alone. I've learned my lesson. Back then, I was too arrogant to realize that I stood no chance against him. The price for that was enormous, and I will never ever forget the pain that I place upon all of you because of my actions. Pops died because he tried to save me - and you... I can't even begin to list every single thing that happened to you because of me, because I died, and left you all on your own. Especially when you needed me the most...

I can't take him down alone but nevertheless, this needs to be done. That is why, I want to wait a little. Not just to gain powers back, but to gather people, far and wide. He needs go, not just because he killed Thatch, but because he is far too dangerous."

You started into his. He was so sincere, you automatically felt sorry for yelling at him. You knew he was right about Blackbeard, even Shanks was worried and warned them about him. You exhaled the annoyance left in you and placed your own hands on his cheeks. You leaned closer and smiled.

"Alright. But this time, I'm coming along too." Before finishing the idea, you felt Ace frown. You knew what he was thinking and he right of course. You weren't an exceptional fighter, so the idea of being anywhere close to Blackbeard should be a sign of warning. But he is not aware of your new powers. "I found my mom in here, while I was being locked up."

"What?!" The tension his back returned. He felt that something was bothering you that you had yet to voice. He knew the situation with your family was just as shaky as his own.

"This is a lot, and we don't have the time right now for me to explain everything to you, but I'm a devil fruit user now."

"Wait - what? But what does any of that have to do with your mom?"

"Later." You shushed him.

Ace let out a sigh. He hates it when you keep him in the dark, but for now, he had no choice but to trust you. He shook his head and placed a small kiss on your forehead.

Before he could say anything else however, he pulled your entire body closer to him, and tightened his grip on you. He no longer stared at you, but at something behind you. Your senses heightened as the danger bell ringed inside your mind. You didn't know who was behind you, but you had a couple ideas.

But once Ace opened his mouth, you felt a chill down your spine. You didn't think you'll see him again this soon...

"Doflamingo!"