Authors note- This is my first ever story, so please go easy on me...
I'm not sure how often I can update this story and I don't know if I'll just give up on it altogether later on, but I'll try to keep it going.
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

"What did Pops see in the brat?" Haruta hissed to Thatch as she passed him. "He's nothing but trouble, and he's still trying to kill Pops!"

"Trust in Oyaji's judgement, Haru. He saw something for sure." Thatch murmured.

The brat was currently sulking in a dark corridor, avoiding the pirates as much as possible.

"Brat-" Thatch approached him.

"What?" Ace turned a baleful eye on him.

"You look like you're about to collapse."

"Maybe I will." He retorted.

"For the last time, I didn't drug the food, so eat!" His temper spilled over.

"Uh, Thatch?" Namur called.

"Yeah?" He asked, calming down a little as he turn to face his fish friend.

"Why are you shouting at a wall?" He asked awkwardly.

"I'm what?" Indeed, when he turned to look, the fire brat was gone. "I was talking to the brat, and he gave me the slip again."

"Ah." Namur nodded wisely. "He does do that very often. No one understands how he manages it."

Ace was still sulking. He preferred to sulk alone, and not be lectured by some random adults. They had no right to do so at all. They had kidnapped him, for Rogers sake, and then declared themselves his brothers and father. What the hell?

Christmas had passed a few days ago, and while the Whitebeards had thrown a huge party, he didn't see why they bothered. Ace had never celebrated Christmas before, and he couldn't see why it was worth celebrating. But then again, they would celebrate anything just for an excuse to get drunk.

It was almost that time of the year again. January first was only two days away, a large part of why he was getting increasingly sullen and hostile. His birthday was nothing important to him either, in fact, he had often wished that he had never been born. He could sense the Whitebeard's patience wearing down, only the Captain and the infuriatingly calm first mate. really never muttered wishes for him to leave. And while they had almost always done it in private, Ace always heard. And he was glad, because eventually they would get tired of him and let him go. That was the hope.

Was it really worth hoping for though?