Ace never dreamed.

Or if he did, he never remembered. He made sure he didn't.

He had perfected this ability at the fleeting age of 10, after years of practice.

A nightmare or an old memory, they were all useless to him when he woke up.

But for whatever reason, now, tonight, he could hear a voice so clearly in his head.

And he knew that voice without a doubt;

Cause it was his.

But it was weird. He never remembered speaking such words before.

-"Why do you care so much! What did I do for you? Who am I for you?"

The next voice was one that was not recognizable to him. But it felt so natural against his ear. As if these words, this voice was for him. Only for him to hear.

-"Because I don't have anyone else."

A rush of emotions he never felt or remembered passed through him. He felt so inclined to speak he couldn't bear it. Almost as if he knew if he didn't speak a memory he regretted would come out. If he could sense his body, if he had hands to cover the sound reaching his ears, he would. But it continued.

-"And that's exactly why you aren't coming with me."

He could feel himself moving away from the sound, from a voice reaching for him and he wanted to turn back, to run to that voice that was calling for him so desperately. He wanted to say sorry. To apologise for his words. The words he never remembered saying. He wanted to tell her he regretted it all! BUT-

Her?

Who even was her?

Ace opened his eyes.

He wondered what kind of dream had caused him to wake up at such a darkened time of the night.

But just as always, he didn't remember.

For some reason, however, Ace wondered if he had missed an important memory tonight.

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Ace moved towards the deck through the calm shadow of the night. His hat no longer obstructed his face, which had donned a thoughtful expression.

The smooth movements of his feet, gently advancing to the deck of the boat, faltered. However, he did not make a peep looking at the view in front of him.

Gazing at the girl sleeping on the deck's floor, Ace's face was indecipherable. His eyes blank and mouth straight. He stared at her a bit more, hands in his pockets.

In the cool weather of the night, Ace looked a bit calmer tonight. But as he was, his emotions were always ones that were hard to unravel.

A slight shiver ran through the girl's body which seemed to moved him into action. Evenly and gently hoisting the girl up from the ground, he left the deck just as he had come.

After Ace opened the door to his present bedroom, he paused, his movements faltering for the first time that night. But still, he placed her down on his bed and covered her with a blanket.

He looked at the girl in his bed one more time and sighed. Finally he turned towards the floor on the other side of the room. Seemingly accepting his fate.

Ace leaned his head on the wall as he sat down on the wooden floor, getting comfortable in his new "bed."

________________________________________________________________________

- "Heya! I'm Captain Rice Ball Usopp!"

With one finger shoved into an Onigiri Sanji had made for breakfast, Usopp spoke with a high pitched voice:

- "Oh! And who are you?!" Usopp exclaimed, comically pointing his finger up, which faced a ball of rice 10 times the one stuck on his hand. The big rice ball moved as Luffy picked it up, displaying its full being.

- "I'm a riceman!" He shouted with excitement, beaming at his creation which looked like a snowman made of rice. However before they could continue their joyous breakfast a huge bonking noise broke off the conversation.

- "Quit playing with our food!" Sanji shouted. Hitting both of their heads with frying pans. "If you've got free time go wash the dishes or something! Geez! I need to finish our packed meals before we cross the river!" Sanji grumbled, turning away from the fools, he folded his sleeves to wash the dishes.

- "Need a hand?" Ace spoke up, placing his drink on the table and softly smiling at the energetic blonde in front of him.

Sanji turned to him with surprise, still not used to an idiot like Luffy having such a reliable and charming brother. He smiled with appreciation. "No, no. You are a guest on board. Just sit back and relax." He turned to the dishes with new found calm. But that didn't last long either as his gaze fell back onto the two idiots he had almost forgotten about.

- "Don't wash the dishes in that mop bucket!" Sanji shouted again, flabbergasted at their shenanigans so early in the morning. Ace laughed a little, watching his little brother and his friends play around giving him free amusement.

He took a sip of his drink, to wash away the breakfast that had already gone by. As he looked at the empty plates that were now getting washed by a crying pair, only one clean plate was still in its place at the table with a bounty of food placed upon it, waiting to be eaten. Calling for the only person who had yet to eat... or wake up.

And as though the person in question could hear the silent wails of the plate asking to join his friends, the girl walked in, with worry in her eyes and hesitation in her steps.

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Hope you enjoy.

I am trying my best not to make the story boring for you guys. I hope I'm not failing. 

I don't even know if I'm going out of character which is why these are taking so long. 

I wrote it, erased it and then re-wrote it again. 

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS CHAPTER HOPE TO SEE YOU IN THE NEXT ONE!