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[Ace woke with a groan and sat up. Grass? Wasn't he just on a battlefield? He ached everywhere and felt very weak. It took a good five minutes for him to even be able to stand. Waves of nausea and dizziness forced him to take it slowly. Finally upright he took stock of his injuries. Numerous cuts and scratches, dirty, weak. No broken bones though.

First order of business he looked all around him as keenly as possible. He called out as loud as he could hoping for an answer.]

LUFFY? MARCO? POPS? GRAMPS?

[Nothing. There was no sign of anything or anyone. No Marco, no Jimbe, no marines, and most importantly no Luffy. He felt panic rising inside of him but quickly stomped it down. Panic would get him no where right now. He needed to figure out where he was and where everyone else was.

Deciding anything was better then just waiting around; Ace slowly started walking forward intent on trying to find civilization. He crested a hill and saw a large building in the shape of what seemed like a shell of some kind. Hoping they could help him, he began to walk towards it. Doors opened revealing a school or center of some kind. Not that he had ever been inside of a school before. He stumbled forward towards a small group of people hoping they could help him.]

Backdated to before he enrolled]

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[There's a slight wince and Marco leans his cheek on Ace's forehead.]

Time Compression kiddo. Pops was... Pops was really old. He went out the way he wanted to though. [WELL. Kind of. Mostly. Aside from the devil fruit stealing thing.... we aren't going there.] I always thought you'd be our next captain... I guess we all did really, but everything moved so quickly. [Leans his forehead against Ace's. No crying allowed, but damn he wants to.] He officiated my marriage. I wish he'd been able to meet Toby though.

Ahhhh damn. I missed you. It's been years here, can you imagine? We still might see Pops again, because of the Time Compression, it really messes up time, but for me and Namur... it's past that time. And in this world, I've kind of just been playing around so when Namur and Thatch came I had to step up.

[He laughs softly though.] But if you ever want the job, it's all yours. [This is a lie. Marco wouldn't take Ace's orders without something really big happening first.]

Pops is...gone? Like...dead gone? [Forgive him if he goes a little limp. After all that time without a father, to have one and then lose it...he's just well. He's very upset right now. And him captain? Ace didn't want to replace Pops. He would follow Marco...well somewhat anyway.

Ace is having a lot of problems processing everything at the moment. He just can't seem to comprehend all of the issues or questions he has so he's trying to focus on the key ones. And this one...this question is huge]

Look what you've done, Marco! You've broken him with all your information! [She really should have just explained before alerting Marco. Idly, she takes off her gloves, revealing her wedding rings on one hand, and her ring Marco gave to her when he began courting her on the other.]

We were rather fortunate that Time Compression allowed Pops to officiate. [Having a lack of a father figure in her life, and then having Pops arrive, was jarring at first.] He'll be around, surely.

[She knew a thing or two about people staying dead, or their inability to do so.]

To answer your question, no, he isn't truly gone, in a sense. I have the photos to prove it.

Oi! You're the one who went and called me captain! Barely weeks into the position and it's the worst headache I've ever had!

[ALSO. BABY. Ace. All the clinging. All of it.]

[Resting his head against Marco's neck Ace just takes a deep breath. He's in serious mental overload right now. Slowly his arms come up and he embraces the phoenix, holding tightly as he tries to cling to this one known light before him.

He was scared and confused and there were so many questions he had no idea where to start so he just clung to Marco hoping the older man could calm him down a bit before he set the place on fire.]

[Grell rolls her eyes and looks on from her seat, truly feeling how thick the air is, even without breathing. She thinks of leaving, but decided not to. They have much to talk about, but she hates missing out on details. Plus, she doubts Marco would allow her to leave, anyway.

So she opts for comforting silence. It's all she can do, really.]

It's okay Ace. Really. [Snugs hard.] All right where should I begin? Family, past, or present?

Did I mention I missed you?

I've missed you too...the last time I saw you....why Marco? Why did you all come for me? [Yeah he has to know okay? Why would anyone risk their lives for him? He wasn't worth that risk.]

[A small grin.]

[So much flickers through Marco's head. How Shanks came to tell Whitebeard to call Ace back. The sheer impertinence of that! Jeez... And Little Oars Jr. who risked literally everything. Jimbei who did too. Did Ace ever really get it? Marco could never tell. This kid...] Because we love you, stupid. We'd have fought anyone and anything to get you back.

[Ace smiles lightly and nods. Okay. So everything seems to be alright. Pops isn't gone, Marco is alive and Luffy is alive. So he's happy.]

So...you're married?

Aye. [A small flush.] A year and a half now.

[Gestures to the redhead.] Grell. She got along best with Izou, but Namur thinks she might have a bit of shark fishman in her blood, which makes sense. And Thatch is too scared of her to seduce her too much.

And we adopted a son, Toby. You will love him. He's a little like you, a lot like me, and the rest of him is like all the best parts of you and Pops. Steal him and I'll kill you. [Not one iota of change in tone from the proud beaming father mode, but he's serious.]

Ah, you remembered that I was still here?

[She wiggles her fingers at Ace, with a SHARP GRIN.]

Hi, cutie~! You should know that I'm not sorry for knocking you out earlier. You weren't in the best shape at the time, despite the contrary~!

[She can totally look but not touch shh.]

You what? [Deadpan but careful Grell, Marco looks ready to add some scars to her beautiful skin.]

[She looks to him.]

Don't you mean thank you? He was about to drop, and yet he was being stubborn and demanding that I take him to you!

[She points a well manicured finger at him.]

SO INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT, BE GLAD I GOT HIM HERE IN TIME!

[4 years ago, Marco would have yelled back.]

[Today though, he grins ear to ear and smacks Ace for giving Grell troubles.]

Thank you Kitten!

You're welcome. [She grins and winks to him before--]

[--cutting her eyes to Ace. She's waiting.]

[Ace blocks Marco's smack, thank you. Then he peaks around Marco to Grell and smirks.]

Wow, you got him wrapped around your finger tightly there, honey. He's never like this at home.

[The that smile fades a bit]

This is all entirely too much to handle right now. Is there somewhere we can go and talk about everything? Away from prying eyes and ears...and with much more comfortable furniture?

If you mean away from Grell, no. But if you mean to our room, aye.

[Rubs the back of his neck. Normally he'd take him to Thatch's room, but Thatch might be kind of catatonic right now oops.]

[Also no comment on the wrapped around finger thing.]

Aye, I meant your room. Just out of the infirmary would be nice, honestly.

[Ace stood up slowly, still not entirely sure he was as good off as he felt. Sometimes drugs made you feel that way and he wasn't entirely sure what they had done to him after all.

Steady on his feet, he offered Marco a warm smile and walked with Grell and Marco back to their room. Once inside Ace pulled Marco into a real hug, clinging tightly to him and just barely stopping tears from falling. He couldn't really describe the feelings floating through him but all he knew was at the moment, this is the one place he needed to be. If Grell wasn't there he actually might have started crying with the words that came bubbling up out of him]

I'm so stupid...worst little brother ever. I'm sorry Marco...I'm so sorry....

You... you are not! [Hugs Ace tightly.] You're the best little brother. An idiot, but we wouldn't have you any other way. Idiot. [Hugs and buries his face into Ace's hair. BWAH T_T]

[There may or may not have been a sniffle there. He really needed to hear that. He's freaked out a bit alright? Best to take it slow and go over everything from the beginning.

After a bit Ace pulled away some and looked up at the blond.]

So where are we exactly?

[There there. More hugs and pets, never letting go.]

Balamb Garden. It's a floating ship that moves from island to another. It trains mercenaries, and old man Cid is a bit like Pops. He's a really good guy.

He is? [That's nice to hear at least. But he does miss Pops quite a bit.] So...are you a mercenary now? You said you've been here a long time right? I mean...you have another family now and everything.

No.

Not "another" family. Part of the same family.

And I'm still a pirate. This is just my side-gig since I'm too lazy to fix the Time Compression. [Rather, like fuck he wants it fixed. It lets him re-meet people like Ace, Thatch, and Pops again.]

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hahah yup

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