"Don't Try To Find A Reason For Somebody's Love."

- Sengoku –

"Damn it Ace!" I groaned out as I moved away from the bench seats that we'd collided with in my attempt to once again save Ace from his own stupid self.

While I brought one of my hands up to gingerly touch the part of my shoulder that had taken the brunt of the impact I used my other to shove Ace's legs off of me so I could sit up… not that I actually managed to get particularly far before I was once again horizontal on the Mess Halls hard wooden flood, blankly staring up at the high ceiling as my shoulder and now my back throbbed in renewed pain.

I'd only had a split second to brace myself after I'd heard Ace cry my name out in what sounded like utter relief before I felt his slightly larger frame collide with mine, wrapping me in a bone crushing hug as he took me back to the floor. Briefly I forgot how horrified I was by Ace's action only moments ago and returned his embrace; especially as I felt him let out a shuddering breath before his arms tightened further around me… yet as pain shot through my shoulder, reminding me exactly of how I injured it in the first place I found my anger towards Ace once again bubbling to the surface.

"Owwww! Get off me you Idiot." I wheezed out as I pushed against his torso.

Taking no mind of the tone of my voice, or more than likely just being completely oblivious of it altogether Ace scrambled back just far enough for me to breathe in relief before he yanked me up into another - yet thankfully less bone crushing this time - hug.

"I was wearing my ring you twit." I sighed out as I moved one of my hands to ruffle Ace's shaggy black hair while my other went in search of said ring in my back pocket.

"Oh…" was his all Ace mumbled in response as he released me from his death grip, moving to sit on his backside next to me with his hip and thigh pressed up against mine and his hand resting on my bent knees.

As I slipped the bluish-green ring back onto my thumb I breathed a sigh of relief when the sea-stones effects washed over me like a calming balm, silencing my racing heart and growing panic. I absently wondered how long I'd need it for this time as I twisted it around my thumb.

"Oi! What the hell?!" Ace's indignant shout filled the silence surrounding us seconds before he leant towards me and I felt his fingers run through my now much shorter hair. I shifted my eyes up to his, watching as his brows furrowed as a look of utter disbelief stole across his freckled features while his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as he tugged at the haphazardous mess.

As Ace's gaze shifted to mine and the first dejected sound spluttered from his lips and his fingers slipped free of the blonde strands as he sat back with a questionable huff I narrowed my own chocolate brown gaze at him. I could see the million and one questions running through Ace's mind as his gaze bounced around my face before his alarmed brown eyes shifted to take in the rest of me.

Just as he opened his mouth to no doubt put voice to one of those many question my brows pulled together and I cut him off with a shape glare before he could even begin to comment on my appearance, remembering how utterly pissed I was with him.

"Portgas D. Ace!" I said lowly, watching him wince and move slightly away from me as I used his full name; something I had only ever done when I was truly pissed off at him. "I have had enough of this. It was one thing when you were just being a dick to Pop's; for some reason he seems to get a kick out of your idiocy. But now you're attacking other members of his crew." His mouth opened once again, probably in an effort to defend himself but I really wasn't in the mood to listen to anything he had to say.

Getting to my feet I finally became aware of how much of an audience we had yet I didn't let their intense stares deter me from raking Ace over the proverbial coals. "For the love of all that is gold in this world make a fucking decision already." I finished before I placed my hands on my hips and just stood there glaring down at my twin.

"Actually Ann, your brother had just agreed to join the crew before you came in here to witness his… errr… meltdown." I looked to my left, raising my brow in silent question at Vistas words.

When the swordsmen continued to drink from his coffee as he stroked his obscene moustache, only stopping to nod at me as an amused expression graced his angular features after I continued to stare at him like maybe I'd misheard him.

Realising that Vistas wasn't joking in the slightest I turned my astonished gaze back towards my twin who'd still not picked himself up from the floor.

A wide grin stole across Ace's freckled face as he looked up at me before he got to his feet, making me have to look up at his smug features because he was well over a head taller than me.

"I took Whitebeard up on his offer." Ace proudly pronounced, cocky grin stretching incredibly wide across his face.

"Then what the fuck was with the pyrotechnic show?!" I yelled out in exasperation, flinging my hands in the air as I completely gave up on trying to figure out what in the hell was going on inside Ace's fickle little mind.

"He started it!" Ace yelled whilst pointing off to the side, his cocky grin from moments ago quickly replaced by a childish pout as his eyes narrowed, their brown depths positively radiating malice towards the person he was currently laying all of the blame on; his cheeks puffing out and the red tinge that now adorned them only settled to further enhanced the immaturity of his words.

Following his outstretched arm my gaze widened considerably when it landed on the two individuals his pointed finger was directed at, one sitting with his mouth hanging wide open and staring at the other who was standing, arms crossed and permanently board expression on his face as he looked our way.

I instantly knew that Ace didn't at all mean to include Thatch in all his glorious flabbergasted stupor but was in fact referring to the shirtless and interestingly decorated first division commander... yet before I had a chance to ask Marco why in the seven seas he looked the way he did or even get to question Ace on what exactly Marco had done to warrant him trying to barbecue the Phoenix Whitebeards heavy laughter filled the air and everybody's gaze turned towards the delighted sounding Captain.

"Ann, Roman, Cruz. It seems Ace has agreed to stay aboard and become part of the crew, so what says you three?" I could only stare stupidly up at Whitebeard as he leant forward in his seat, kind eyes alight with amusement as he looked my way.

"I'd be a shame to break up the family, don't you think Ann?"

"Holy shit!" I nearly jumped out of my fucking skin as I felt a large arm drop across my shoulders and pull me into the side of the person who'd just spoken his rhetorical question with such amusement.

Whipping my gaze up I took in Roman's lively eyes as he grinned down at me in delight, half of it probably stemming from how he'd managed to catch me off guard. Cruz was standing on his other side, blue bangs hanging over his face, his crocked smile firmly in place as he nodded vigorously at Whitebeard.

"Are you sure about this?" I swung my gaze back to Ace, double checking that this was all real... because it currently felt like some jacked up dream that I could suddenly wake up from… and I really didn't want this to be a dream.

As Ace's grin appeared on his face once more, the action creasing his eyes and stretching his freckled cheeks incredibly wide in genuine happiness I knew that I was awake and this was all real so I did something that probably would have damaged my reputation as a badass pirate if I actually gave a shit about stuff like that; I screamed... Loudly. And then I flung myself at Ace, wrapping my arms around his neck in a bone crushing hug, figuring that I could easily forgive him for his stupidity over the past two months because we were staying.

Hell, Ace could have bought up HIM or told those around us about the time I got hustled in a game of poker and had to wander back to the ship in my birthday suit and I would have just kept smiling; that's how happy I currently was.

"I take that as a yes then?"

As Ace chuckled and returned my hug I heard Whitebeards words and looked up at the larger than life man who'd decided to take a chance on a certain stubborn young pirate, extending the same unconditional caring towards the entirety of our former crew even when our captain had gone so doggedly after his head and felt my throat close up and my eyes begin to water as a million and one emotion coursed through my system, the most prominent one being utter relief.

Not trusting my voice I settle for just nodding up at Pops, yelping in surprise and clutching onto Ace as he began to laugh and spin me around in a series of dizzying circles. His happiness was infectious and I soon found myself squealing in glee along with my twin; laughter that was quickly drowned out by the defining cheers of those around us.

For the first time in years I felt like I had somewhere to belong.

"You know, I could just shave the whole lot off. It's only hair, it'll grow back." My offhanded statement was met with a swift smack to the back of my head that made me grunt in pain.

The person who was cutting the blobs of dried paint from my hair began muttering what I could only assume were insults by his tone, in a language that I couldn't understand as he went back to cutting the mess that was my hair, pulling a little more harshly at the shorter blonde strands than before which made me wince and wish that I'd just kept my fucking mouth shut.

Across the slightly steam filled room I heard Carra chuckle and shifted my eyes to glare at the reflection of the women who'd dragged me in here close to an hour ago.

The pretence had been for us to get the bathroom to ourselves before the rest of the women decided to flood in to get ready for the party that was happening tonight… if I'd known she was in cahoots with a certain kimono wearing commander who'd set about scolding me for the better part of that hour while simultaneously manhandling my fucking head I would have went with Ace when Maybelle had miraculously persuaded my still cautious sibling that he needed a physical and cleaned up in the shower in the med bay.

"You're better off just letting him have his way Ann. Izo's not one to take no for an answer." Izo's grumbling was doing nothing to drown out the barely restrained laughter I could practically hear coming from my ebony haired friend as she lounged in the chest deep water of the large bath that took up most of the floor space in the room.

Briefly I flicked my gaze up to Izo's reflection in the wall length mirror that was situated above the equally long vanity that I was currently seated on a stool in front of but I just as quickly returned to scowling at Carra as she lay soaking in the warm water, both arms folded on the baths edge so she could rest her head on them; because anything was better than locking gazes with the irate commander who looked like he was just one wrong word away from breaking into another tirade about how immature he thought I was.

When Izo's evil accomplice opened her eyes and a smug smile stretched across her face as her relaxed green gaze met my narrowed ones I mouth 'bitch' at her… because that's the only word I could think of to describe the traitorous women at the moment.

Carra didn't take offence to my word though. No, true to how close we'd gotten over the past month her smile widened further before she stuck her tongue out at me while simultaneously flipping me the bird.

Rebuttal returned, the bitch closed her eyes and went back to her relaxing while snickering at my current misfortune.

Yet as I heard her soft chuckle the corner of my own mouth tugged up in a stupid grin; the forth division member had become the closest thing I had to a best friend and was most defiantly my first female friend. I was quite relived that I wouldn't have to give up that friendship now that I was staying.

Truthfully though, and despite the fact that I'd was still slightly ticked about how Carra had tricked me, I was secretly glad for her intervention not too long after Pop's had announced that we'd have to have a party to celebrate 'the end of his entertainment'.

That statement had caused many of the crew that had been cheering at the fact that Ace, Roman, Cruz and I were now officially a part of the crew to groan loudly. Many of them were currently hung-over from yesterdays impromptu party and I silently snickered again as I remembered how I'd watched everyone go back to eating breakfast or whatever else it was that they'd been up to before I'd come crashing into the mess hall, half of them merrily chattering about the party to come at sundown while the other half bemoaned and held onto their heads as I'd directed my grumbling sibling to a mostly deserted table off to the side of the room so we could have a much needed chat.

Even though Ace had been the biggest douche over the past two months I missed him dearly… the dull ache that had set in my chest over the past few weeks had begun to dissipate as I'd sat talking and laughing with him like old times.

In the end I'd only gotten to talk to Ace for about half an hour though before Maybelle had come and grabbed him, telling my still extremely cautious and prickly sibling that it was mandatory that every member of the crew had a full physical evaluation when they joined the crew. Carra had appeared only a few seconds after the stony faced nurse and had smiled sweetly at Ace and somehow gotten my suddenly tongue tied and red tinged twin to agree with her that I should go with Carra to get cleaned up for the party even though moments before that his eyes had been practically screaming at me to not leave him alone the sadistic she-beast.

I don't know if it had had more to do with how Ace had quickly come to realise that any protest on his behalf was utterly pointless against the head nurse or if he just wanted to get away because he was still uncomfortable being around so many people, but ten minutes after the pair had arrived Ace was walking away with Maybelle, feet dragging and head hang low as he mopped… yet also somehow still managing to look like the semi-feral animal he'd resemble up until this date which discourage anyone from coming close to him.

The mischievous grin and wink Maybelle had sent our way behind Ace's back had made me snort out a laugh as I remember what she'd promised she'd do all those weeks ago and I'd almost ran after the pair… except as the door closed behind them I'd let out a heavy sigh that I hadn't even realised I'd been holding onto and practically sagged in relief.

So yes, I was grateful to Carra, even if she'd essentially set me up to be scolded like a child. My mouthed word had held no real heat and she knew it to.

Just like she'd known that I needed a break from Ace before. Because as much as I loved my twin his incessant apologising had begun to grate on my nerves… especially considering that there was only so many ways I could spin the phrase 'it's ok'.

I also suspected that she'd done it just because she knew how twitchy I was about the burns that covered most of my left side, being that it'd only been a few weeks ago that I'd told her the shortened and vague version of how I'd gotten them and that I'd prefer it if she didn't tell anyone about them considering how stupid and presumptuous people could be.

"I cannot believe that you did something this stupid. Honestly, what in the hell were you thinking?" Izo quipped words pulled me from my thoughts and I realised that he had finally finished cutting the remaining blobs of dried paint from my hair.

"I wasn't." I groaned loudly in relief as I was finally able to roll my head and elevate the ache that had been forming in my neck and between my shoulders. "I just wanted to piss Ace off."

"Right…" Izo said slowly and hesitantly as he looked at me like I had a few screws loose.

I honestly could fault him his current thought process. I'd have thought the same thing.

However before I could tell the commander that yes, I did know how utterly stupid and immature it sounded he slapped his hands together, frown disappearing off his face and painted lips stretching wide in a smile as his mood instantly changed. "Well get your colourful butt in the shower. Then when you're all clean I can finish cutting… that mess." The last of his words were said as he indicated to my still uneven hair before he began cleaning his equipment in the sink closest to him, completely ignoring me now as he happily hummed.

Izo was certainly an interesting character. Trying to figure out how he was going to react over something could give you a fucking aneurism though. How he could seem to care about everything and nothing all at the same time while simultaneously flitting from one subject to the next with a speed that would give a normal person whipelash completely baffled me… but like hell was it amusing when you weren't the focus of the geisha's nosey fixation.

I laughed at his flippant attitude as I walked over to one of the five empty shower stalls, pulling the door closed after snagging myself one of the clean towels from the pile of them that were stuffed onto the shelves at the end of the bathrooms large vanity.

As I hung the large red piece of fluffy terry cloth on the hook on the back of the door I took another look at my clothes; they were utterly ruined. There was no way to get the dried oil paint out of them without destroying the fabric also.

I sighed heavily as I began to strip off my shorts, these had been my comfiest pair, now they sat in a discarded pile on the floor along with my tank top. Thankfully my bra and panties were a different story; considering the amount of belli that this particular set had set me back I was very, very thankful.

I made quick work of washing myself, spending the most of the time scrubbing my legs and arms until I was absolutely sure that all the greasy paint was washed away, only stopping when they held a light red tinge and my skin became sensitive to touch.

I stepped out of the stall after drying myself, wrapping the damp towel around my body because there was no way in hell that I was putting back on my dirty clothes; I was pretty sure that the only clothing I still had left were currently collecting a musty smell from being locked away in a trunk down in the Mobys storage. And as I wasn't about to trapeze through the ship in only a towel in order to retrieve them I could only hoped I could borrow some clothes off Carra.

I'd caught a brief glimpse of the inside of my room as Carra had dragged me past it before; to say it was destroyed was an understatement. I highly doubted that any of my clothes that I'd had in the dresser had survived, even if I did hold some sliver of hope considering how much money they cost me verses how much money I didn't have to replace them.

Yet even though I knew I'd more than likely destroyed three quarters of my current wardrobe, about half of my art supplies and all of the pictures that I'd had hung up on the walls I couldn't muster up any sort of panic over their loss. They were currently way down at the bottom of my 'to be worried about' list, along with the chest the held my most valuable items that I knew was tucked into the far left corner of that disaster zone; I knew from experience that the thing could survive a hell of a lot, being made from Adam wood and all.

No, the top spot of my worry list belonged to that of the Twelfth Division Commander. I honestly just hopped that Haruta wouldn't be too pissed with me when he saw what I'd done above everything else. Just the thought of losing the swashbucklers friendship over such a stupid meltdown had my stomach in knots.

As I sat back down at the stool that I was pretty sure now held a permanent indentation of my arse, or maybe it was my arse beginning to mould to its hard wooden surface - I wasn't exactly sure at this point, all I knew for certain was that I hated it - I saw that Carra had finished with her bath and was now dressed in her chefs uniform as she went about drying her long ebony locks with her towel.

"So are you sure you can work your magic on our dear sister here Izo?" Carra asked the cross dresser who was currently running a comb through my hair.

"Tch." Izo clicked his tongue in annoyance and shot a glare at Carra before he began cutting my hair. I just sat there, fiddling with the end of the towel that stopped just shy of mid thigh as I watched the blonde strands begin to fall, keeping myself as still as possible to avoid another one of Izo's tirades.

For a while I just sat there listening to the snipping of Izo's scissors and watching Carra in the reflection of the mirror as she began to braid her hair and do her make-up.

The peacefulness didn't last for long though…

"Sooo…" Izo's questioning tone had me tensing up and my gaze shooting to his, but as his kohl rimmed eyes remained fixed on his current task, repeating the motions of combing and snipping my now much shorter hair I felt myself relax a fraction… but not all the way seeing as a million and one thoughts were currently running through my head on what exactly the cross-dressers 'sooo' could be leading to.

I didn't have long to wait though.

"Feel like telling me what this sexy little hidden piece of artwork is?" I yelped as Izo briefly stopped what he was doing to quickly pull my towel up my leg, exposing the palm sized tattoo the sat high on my hip before going back to my hair like he hadn't just exposed half my arse.

"You know when I first saw this on your brother I just felt sorry for him. Especially considering where the tattoo is. Thought he'd run a fowl of an illiterate tattooist. But seeing this just now made me realise that it there is probably a very interesting story behind it."

I laughed at Izo's words "I think Roman would take offence to you insinuating that he was illiterate, especially because the S was most definitely on purpose."

When I didn't elaborate any further on the tattoo's meaning Izo completely stopped cutting my hair and moved around until he was standing in front of me, leaning his hip against the vanity as he crossed his arms and raised a questioning brow.

I was just about to reply when I heard a knock on the bathrooms door and my twin's unmistakable voice come through the wooden panel.

"Ann, you in there?"

His voice sounded strained and immediately after his question I could hear a commotion out in the hall which sounded strangely like my twin was arguing with someone but ignored it to give Carra a questioning look; silently asking if she was ok with Ace coming in here seeing as it was the women's bathroom.

"I should probably hurry up anyway, there's a shit load of food to be prepared for tonight's party. Honestly I can't wait until we hit the next island and I can get a break from cooking." I watched Carra as she sighed dramatically before walking over to the door and pulling it open and revealing a red faced and completely grumpy looking Ace.

"Hello cutey." I felt myself laugh as I saw Ace's cheeks go even redder at Carra's bold statement.

That was another thing we'd bonded over the past month; our great love of teasing people, Thatch being our main target.

"Now if you wipe that grumpy look off your face I might upgrade you to handsome next time." Her words had the opposite effect on my twin and I had to muffle my laughter with my hands, a move that Ace completely saw and scowl at me over because Carra had twisted her head to wink at me before returning her attention to him.

"Well, you can keep Commander Izo here from terrorizing your sister any further." Carra said to Ace as she brushed past him only to stop a few feet outside the doorway, bringing her hands up to her hips and baring the way to whoever was behind Ace.

"Hey Carra, feather head gave me these to give to Ann." I heard Thatch's unmistakable voice and had no doubt in my mind that it was him who my twin had been arguing with. And considering that Thatch had been trying his hardest to get Ace to come around these past two month I wasn't surprised that the commander was shadowing Ace now that we'd officially joined.

I didn't pay Ace's scowling form much attention though as he stood in the bathrooms doorway, head playing pingpong between those inside and outside of the room, because I was more curious about what Marco could have possibly given the forth commander to give to me.

"Give it here." Carra's tone held a bite to it and I had no doubt that she was currently staring Thatch down.

"But the flaming turkey told ME to give it to her." The whine in Thatch's voice was unmistakable and I rolled my eyes while beside me Izo started mumbling again as he went back to cutting my hair.

"You are not going in there. That's the women bathroom." Carra held her ground against her commander.

"But Ace and Izo are in there." Thatch continued to whine like a child asking his mother why he couldn't have what the other kids were having… even if said child knew that his request was completely unreasonable.

"He's Ann's twin and Izo's a gentlemen unlike you, you huge pervert. Don't think I forgot who put the hole in the floor between the commander's bathroom and our one all those years ago." Carra growled out. "Beside we have shit to do in the kitchen, so come along before I tell Commander Marco about how you're shirking your duties… or your peeping tom tendencies."

"You wouldn't?"

The genuine fear in the commanders voice had my snickers turning into chuckles and I felt slightly sorry for Thatch… until I remembered how a few days ago Thatch had dropped a toy rat on me when I'd been helping Haruta fix a railing, causing me to fall into the fucking ocean and resulted in me having to be rescued by Namur… and then having all those on deck stare at me as I'd stalked off to go change because my white tank top and blouse had gone fucking see through.

I had no sympathy for the devil.

"Try me." Carra dared the head chef.

From the corner of my eye I saw her shove what looked like a bundle of cloth into Ace's hands before she pushed my stunned twin into the room and slammed the door behind her. I snickered at both Ace's expression and Carra's easy manipulation of Thatch.

My chuckles turned to outright laughter, which Izo complained half-heartedly about as I heard Thatch's protests because Carra was no doubt dragging her commanding officer away by his ear; I'd seen her do it before and it was always hilarious.

"I swear Pop's put that woman in Thatch's division simply because she calls him on his shit and keeps him in line." Izo snickered as he put his scissors down having finally finished with cutting my hair in to some semblance of an actual style that was a welcome change from my once long and thick locks.

"So they're like a couple or something?" Ace asked as he moved hesitantly over to my side, eyeing Izo curiously as he handed me what I recognised to be some of the clothes that I'd had stored in one of my trunks down in Mobys storage.

I'd have to thank the Phoenix later for the thoughtful gesture. It certainly saved me a lot of hassle.

"They're more like bickering siblings and best friends. Thatch is a habitual bachelor and hits on anything with boobs and Carra is always there to bail him out when he gets in over his head."

As Izo informed my brother about the relationship between the pair I half listened to him as I found a folded piece of paper tucked under the edge of my blue tank top.

Curious to see what it was I pulled it out and unfolded it:

Your boots and bandana are being cleaned - M

A smile stretched across my lips as I read those words and a warm feeling settled in my chest. I didn't know exactly what to make of it but I liked it none the less.

"He didn't hit on me." I stated as I tucked the note back in the folds of my clothing while Ace made a sort of growling noise beside me at the words; something that I studiously ignored.

"That probably has more to do with Marco and Thatch's latent survival instinct than anything else." Izo stated as he packed his stuff up. "Anyway, before I leave maybe you can explain something for me Ace dear because your sister has a habit of dodging the question."

Ace looked at me questionably and I shrugged my shoulders at him in reply before getting up and heading over to the bench that ran in front of the shower stalls so I could dress.

To anyone else it'd probably look like I'd brushed Ace off but in truth the action had meant 'tell him if you want, doesn't bother me.' Ace knew that the only time I didn't say anything was if it also concerned him so most of the time I left the decision whether or not to say anything up to him.

"Sure…" Ace hesitantly told the Okama.

I hide my happiness over the fact that he seemed to be doing his best in getting along with everyone by turning around and tugging on my underwear under the towel; it was difficult to say the least.

"What's the deal with the matching tattoos."

"Oh, is that all?" I could hear the relief in Ace's voice as I dropped the towel so I could put the rest of my clothes on more easily. Knowing Ace he'd probably thought it was something along the lines of why he'd gone so hard after Pop's head considering that I'd refused to answer Izo without his input.

"It's one of our younger brother's jolly roger." Ace said happily.

"There are more of you?" I rolled my eyes at Izo's shrieked question; he didn't have to sound so horrified by the thought of my other sibling. Luffy was… harmless.

"Just one now, this is kinda a tribute to the brother we lost when we were kids."

"Sorry."

"Unless you're the fucking Tenryuubito who killed him you have nothing to be sorry over Izo." I said lowly as I walked back over to the pair, inspecting my new pixie cut in the mirror and ignoring Izo's suddenly brows drawn expression.

There was a tense stretch of silence where I silently scolded myself for letting my anger get the better of me before it was broken by Ace coughing into his fist.

"Well ok then." Izo shook his head, worried expression gone. "Ann, come find me if you want to style your hair. But knowing you and your whole 'refuses to wear make-up' deal I won't be seeing you until the party so I'll just leave you both with these parting words;" He lent in close to Ace and I, a twinkle in his eyes as a smile stretch across his painted lips "If yous are going to cause any trouble make sure you tell me beforehand so I have a good seat."

With a parting mischievous wink our way the Gaisha left me standing there with my perplexed looking twin, sauntering away and probably in search of his next victim. That poor helpless basterd had no idea what was currently baring down on him or her, may the sea gods have mercy on their soul.

"Interesting individual that one…" Ace mumbled as he continued to look at the retreating Okama.

"That is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg dear brother." I said sagely before a Cheshire like grin found its way across my lip and I asked what I was practically dying to know "So, have fun with Maybelle?"

A chocked sound escaped my twin and I had to restrain myself from laughing outright.

"That woman is positively evil. You could have warned me" He pouted.

"I could have." As he turned around to glare at me I grinned widely back at him, paying his animosity no mind. "But then we wouldn't be even for the headache you have caused for me over the past two months… unless you think that whatever Maybelle did to you wasn't punishment enough for your pig-headedness?"

Ace shuddered. "No, I'm sorry."

"Well let's get going." I pulled my white over shirt on, tying its ends up around my waist.

"Almost all of the crew saw your scar this morning, why do you insist on wearing a shirt when I know how much it irritates you?" I raised both of my brows at my twin as I began rolling up the sleeves. "Are you afraid that you'll get judged for it… or is it because you're afraid of what people might say about me?"

I paused, right sleeve half done, and bought my wide eyed gaze up to look at Ace's troubled one, mouth falling open as words formed in my head but nothing but an unintelligible wheeze fell from my parted lips.

That was exactly why I hated anyone seeing the scar tissue that started on my left shoulder and went all the way down to my left hip, coving half of my back, part of my ribs and the top of my left arm in a married of different shades of pinkish lines and patches, the skin puckered in some places, taunt like the skin of a drum in others or raised in a fashion that made it look like the roots of a tree had burrowed under my skin.

I wasn't embarrassed by it in the slightest. In fact I hated having anything against it because it did irritate me… but more than that and the only reason I covered it in the first place was that I hated how everyone did always seem to jump to the stupid conclusion that Ace had somehow been the cause of it.

Growing up on Dawn Island everyone had known how I'd received the scars that had kept me bed ridden for the better part of six months. So it wasn't until Ace and I had left home and a while after he'd become known as Firefist in a skirmish with another small crew that I realised my scars could be interpreted in a completely different way.

I could still remember how the rival pirate captain had leered at me lecherously, telling me that he'd never think to treat me in such a way as my current captain would and if I switched sides he'd punish Ace for burning me in such a horrible way. I'd never forget the look of abject horror that had stolen across Ace's features or how the other pirate's words had caused my twin to stumble like he'd been physically hit, almost getting his head lopped off by an enemy carrying a sabre.

In the end I'd unleashed my own flames on the opposing crew, the first time since I'd actually received the powers and turned every last one of them to ash. From that day forth I'd worn a long sleeved blouse whenever I was around anyone other than our own crew so no-one could use that to crush my twin's spirit again.

Ace knew all of this; I'd never hidden my reasons why from him, I didn't see the point in it. Which just left me to wonder why he was bringing it up now?

"This is our home now Ann, you should be able to relax at home. Everyone already saw it so let them think what they want." His smile was warm and understanding, it was his eyes that betrayed how he was feeling; slightly sad as he knew what was more then likely to be said about him.

It was gone within a moment though, as though it had never been there. That cocky grin that he was famous quickly appearing as his next words left his mouth. "Besides, I have a feeling that the rest of our crew and even that Okama dude will sort them out quick if they do have anything to say."

"Ok, fine!" I said as I pulled off my blouse, easily realising this as one of those things that he wouldn't let this go until he got his way. Still I pegged him with a level stare as I folded up the white top. "But if I happen to punch anyone I catch saying shit I'll tell Pop's that you're to blame."

"As long as you're happy I think I can deal with it." Ace grinned at me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as we left the bathroom.

"Hey, do you think we could maybe-" I stopped walking as Ace trailed off, craining my neck so I could peer at him quizzically and waiting patiently for him to finish his question.

A sheepish expression played across his face as he reached up to scratch the back of his head. "Do you think we could go sneak some of that party food from the kitchen? I'm starving!"

I threw my head back and laughed. This was the brother that I loved and missed.

FIREmizuchi: Shameless hedonist... I like it.

GreenDrkness: *Sigh* So was this one... possibly.

miss-sakurako: Ahhh but he still has room to grow, especially now that he's over his temper tantrum.

Anonymous Love: Yeah she does.

K: Thankyou. Don't worry, I'm right there with you on the lazy thing. Alas I took the other three down due to getting pissed at their content and deciding just to focus on this one. Had to google occ - yeah I don't see the point in doing that.

As Always Enjoy

Xhex

xoxox