Hello everyone, here is the next, and last, chapter

This has a mixture of everything, there will be more info at the end

Hope you enjoy

Read and relax

Things had been calm the last few weeks. They were currently in the galley as the weather was bad. No-one wanted to be out in the rain. Ace hadn't regained any more memories, just small things, which was still a good thing. He was settling in well with them, at least in Marco's opinion. They were playing cards, and Ace wanted to join in, and Marco asked if Ace wanted to deal. "Oh, I can try and deal again?" Marco nodded, moving to hand the cards over. "Sure you can, yoi. And today we are 6 players, so 54 cards." Ace nodded as he started to deal out the cards. Those around them started talking with each other, knowing it always took time for Ace to deal. They didn't want to sit and watch Ace as it could potentially stress him, thinking that he needed to hurry up. Marco did keep an eye on Ace, just to be sure the counting went fine, the first commander glad Ace counted vocally. Not loud, but enough so he could hear. And it seemed to go fine, just a couple pauses every now and then, which wasn't unusual. But, when Ace got to 39, and headed on into the forties, Marco had to blink. "Thirty-nine, thirty-ten, forty-one, forty-two," Did Ace just say thirty-ten? When Marco sent a look at Izou, Marco was sure Ace had as Izou looked shocked himself. Izou made a small motion, asking him if they should say something, which Marco wasn't sure off. He decided not to and shook his head in answer. He would ask Azuruko later. Izou accepted it, but still seemed unsure. Marco had never heard anyone actually say thirty-ten, or twenty-ten, or any of those kinds. He had only heard about it in mocking or when fooling around.

The game card itself went fine, which was good, and Ace stayed a bit after it to just chat with them, before he headed out as there was news about a rainbow. Azuruko had showed up when the card game was almost over, and now that Ace wasn't in the room, it had Marco look at Azuruko, gaining his attention. "Azuruko, earlier, Ace did the card dealing, and he actually said thirty-ten, yoi." Azuruko just chuckled at that, which made him relax slightly. "I have heard him do it before on occasion. Did the rest of the game go well?" Marco nodded. "Yes, yoi. It was just thirty-ten, before forty-one. I just… should we have said something?" Azuruko hummed. "You can, but from earlier experiences, he has no idea that he has said it wrong. Automatic tasks are at times hard. Even though it is automatic, it is a declarative task, and we're back to the declarative memory tasks, which is hard, even when it's an automatic task Dealing cards is not only a movement, but movement, thought, and memory. You need to remember who's got a card, who's going to get the next card, and how far along you are based on how many cards you will deal. He forgot the number was forty, so his brain supplied something that make sense for him in the moment; after nine, comes ten. I think you should mention it but try and do it gently and be sure to mention which number he forgot and supply him with the correct one. Don't do it in a mocking way, but in a constructive and helpful way. It will help him in the future, but it will continue to happen every now and then." That was good to know, especially as they were soon at Sabaody Archipelago and Ace would make the decision to stay with them or say goodbye.

-x-

"Ah, Mr Newgate, Whitebeard pirates," Started Azuruko after they had docked. A man, meeting them on the dock, before they headed on towards a house, following after the man as Azuruko spoke, whilst Ace stayed on the boat with Rakuyo. "This is Daisuke, an old friend. I think he can be of help to you." The captain wasn't sure how this man could, but would see where this conversation would lead. And when they reached a house, potentially the man's house, Whitebeard spoke up. "Nice to meet you, Daisuke. Azuruko, how do you think he can help?" The pink-haired man chuckled, motioning them to follow him inside a room, tall enough for him to be comfortable in, which was nice. When they were in they all sat down after Azuruko did whilst Daisuke went to retrieve something before returning. "So, I heard you have a family member with some memory issues?" The captain nodded. "Yes. He is slowly starting to remember things, so we are hopeful." The man nodded, putting some things on the table as he began to speak. "What are you doing to help him recover his memories?" Whitebeard frowned. What did he mean? "We're really not sure what we should do. But, whatever we are doing, it seems to be working; he is adapting well."

Daisuke smiled at them as he seemed to be done with whatever he was doing. "Ah, just what I wanted to hear. Ace isn't supposed to adapt only to you, you should also adapt to him." Daisuke then turned to a den den sitting on a table asleep, a sort of kameko, seeming to prepare it for something, before turning back to them. "My wife is thankfully already awake and with her brother for today. But, she has some memory issues herself. She can't make new memories, every night, all her memories of that day disappear, and that's how it has been for the last 10 years. Now mind you, we've been together for only 6, and have a daughter that's 4 years old." That was a bit intriguing. "How are you married? And have a child? I thought you said she couldn't make any new memories, each day you would become a stranger to her again." Daisuke nodded. "Yes. So, I made this, and place it near her with a note that says where to push, so that this video starts." The man then pushed a button and a picture appeared on the screen, moving as they saw Daisuke smiling at the camera.

"Hi honey! You don't know me, but we're married!" A picture of them standing in wedding gowns at the church was shown. "And before you freak out, take a look at this." Different pictures started showing on the screen, of newspaper clippings that spoke of a bad accident. "You were in an accident and suffered a head injury, causing problems with your memories. That's why you have the scar above your left ear. You don't know this, but the crash was 10 years ago. You're 36 years old, and just as beautiful as day one. We've been married for 5 years now, and even better..." The picture showed back to Daisuke in front of the camera, moving to lift a little girl. "This is Mika! Our daughter." "Hi mommy! I'm 4!" Said the girl as she waved. The picture then showed a woman lying in a hospital bed with a little baby in her arms, before it moved back to Daisuke, who had a smile. "I know this must be overwhelming, so use the time you need; I'm upstairs when you feel ready. Next to you is a book named 'memories', this is all of our memories together, as you write in it every night and have done so for years. Please read it, it usually helps you. Hope I'll see you soon, honey. I love you." The video then ended with Daisuke blowing kiss with both his hands.

Daisuke then took a book out. "Every morning, she sees that, and this is the book. It is written in her own words, her own handwriting with pictures. Every morning, we introduce ourselves, even my daughter knows this now. Every morning she remembers nothing, and every morning she needs to be told. Every morning she gets thrown into a life she has no idea about. Every day we have our first kiss, first date, and first meeting. It took me about two years before the video actually calmed her in the morning, instead of causing her to scream or become scared and panicked, especially when she was pregnant; her belly was huge. Anyhow, she still has days when she uses hours to come out of her room, and some days it takes just minutes. Every day is different, even if she doesn't remember it. And she never has, she's never remembered me or her own daughter. But, over time, we discovered what worked for her, what was the best way for her to be calm and actually have a good life, not live in fear. Azuruko told me a bit about Ace, and having a video telling him everything that has happened for when he forgets might actually help him to recover, but might also be too much for him as he can remember it. But having him keep a journal might be good as well, maybe even better. It will be written in his own words, his memories of that day, what he experienced and his thoughts. I don't read my wife's book; it's hers, and hers alone. I change the video every now and then, when she or our daughter ages, or something significant happens. You need to find out what works for him and for you all. There is no simple and straight answer, it's trial and error."

The man then sighed, sitting down in a chair. "Also, whether he gets better or not, or even worse, try and make Ace have the life he would enjoy. And before you respond, let me just tell you how I met my wife, Moira." All of them nodded, making Daisuke take a breath before he started. "It was about 6 years ago, I was at this new island and headed to a diner and saw the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and struck up a conversation. It went so well and we just hit it off, before she said she needed to go home and prepare a birthday gift for her dad. We said goodbye, and I headed back the next day, hoping to see her again, and I remember thinking 'God, I'm lucky', because she was there. I approached her and she freaked, wondering who I was, and I tried to say we met yesterday, and she said no. The owner of the diner restrained me while she left and then told me to fuck off and not to speak with her in the restaurant again. Well, I complied. I met her outside of the restaurant, and I noticed how everyday was the same for her. She was going to make a birthday gift for her father, a mural in their boat house, big enough to paint the entire wall. So I helped her pick out some paint, and made up new schemes every day to speak with her. Some days just crazy ones, pretending to be injured, dead, kidnapped, left by another girlfriend, you name it, I did it. Then her father caught on, and told me to fuck off, too. I didn't, and I followed her home one day, she asked me to, and her father made a big scene. She was just shocked that her father knew me. Well, that day she found out the truth, that for the last 4 years, she had relieved the same day over and over. Her father had thousands of copies of the newspaper which was issued on the day of the accident. He always pretended it was his birthday and they ate cake, before she made a new mural. She had been doing this for years, the same day over and over. He always painted the wall in the boathouse after taking a picture, and no two days were the same. Her entire life was a lie, and she just found it out. And I was kind of happy. She was hysterical and terrified, but I was so happy, thinking we could finally move on."

Daisuke then shook his head with a sigh, looking down. "I was so sure it would fix everything. But the next day, back to scratch. Didn't remember me, didn't remember that her life was a lie, didn't remember anything, back to making a mural and thinking it was her father's birthday. I felt broken over how she didn't remember me, and her father for once didn't tell me to fuck off. But told me that every now and then, she found out everything was a lie. They had a doctor ready to speak with her and show pictures and explain, but she always forgot, but on those days she was so distraught and terrified, just hysterical. So her father had decided to let her live a lie, to keep her living the same day over and over, because it was easier on him. He didn't need to see his daughter in pain, but she never got to really live her life. Her brother fell in line, continuing the lie, even though he disagreed with it. I searched around and found out about Azuruko. I just pretended I had met her, before sweeping her off her feet and taking her on a trip with me. That month was hell. She woke up on a boat every morning, and it terrified her. I was sure she would try and escape, but I always somehow managed to calm her. Then we finally got to Azuruko, and he said there was no hope. She would never recover, and that I just had to make the best of it. Well, this was my resolution. The book, the movie, the everything. Believe me, I have had days where I fuck everything up. And sometimes, on those days, I'm glad she will forget. Forget the pain and fear, and start a new day tomorrow. It worked, she lives a life I think would have made her happy, not just a life easier for me to handle. But for her to live a full life. This seems to work most days, the occasional bad day still happens, but it's rare. She always says she's happy at the end of it. How I don't hide things from her, but I tell her the truth. When her father caught on she was doing fine, he also headed here with her brother too, and their help means a lot, especially to her. After they saw how happy she was, despite everything, they followed what I was doing. It can be hell, and feel so damn hard, but it's all worth it. Moira is so happy now, she never learns anything new, but she lives a full and happy life, the best she can despite everything. There are days she does her best to stay awake, I think her record is 4 days. I don't force her, but do encourage her to sleep. Some days she goes to bed willingly. My point is that you can't always do the easiest thing. You have to do what you believe Ace would have liked and the way he wanted to live his life. Use that as your foundation."

That really was an interesting story. Azuruko gave a chuckle, looking sort of proud at Daisuke. "I still remember how frazzled you were. How desperate. And now, you are one of the people I often use when helping others. You've come such a long way and handle everything so amazingly, Daisuke." Daisuke gave a laugh as he smiled. "Well, I worked based on what you said. There's no hope of her getting better, so I don't try and make her better, I just try and make her happy." This was amazing to hear and he would definitely take the advice on board. Maybe they could try the same with Ace, make him live how he would have liked. The captain was also glad Ace was slowly remembering things, unlike Daisuke's wife. It sounded hard, but the man seemed to be handling the situation amazingly. They didn't speak much about his wife or Ace after that, just chatting, Daisuke telling them that they should wait and meet his wife.

It was an hour later when Whitebeard turned towards the door as it opened. A woman came inside, looking shocked for a second. "We have guests?" Daisuke nodded. "We do, honey. Come come, we're about to eat soon." The woman, most likely Daisuke's wife, walked into the room with a smile and gave a small wave. "Hello." Before she looked at Daisuke. "Anyone I know?" Daisuke hummed. "The pink haired dude, Azuruko, he's been here before on occasion, not for some time though. The rest are new, even to me. Come and say hello, Moira." The woman gave a look to the man. "I believe I just said hello." Daisuke just chuckled as he shook his head. "I'll go check on the food. Have a chat." Then the man left, Moira moving to sit down, looking at them. "I normally shake hands to new people, but I think that will take some time, so I'll settle with; Hello, I'm Moira." They all gave a hello and said their names, and after that, Azuruko was the first to speak. "How are you fairing, Moira?" The woman sighed. "Fine, I think fine, I at least feel fine today." Azuruko chuckled. "That's the important thing. Today is the most important." Moira nodded. "Yeah. Considering I will forget about this tomorrow, and believe that I'm 26 and that it's my dad's birthday, is not a thought I like." Azuruko nodded, giving a comforting look.

Whitebeard sent a look at the woman. "It must be hard. To always forget. How do you get through it?" Moira sighed. "I want to say sort of, yes; today is apparently a good day. And it's horrible, it really is. I know I will wake tomorrow and all of you will be strangers, my husband will be a stranger, even my daughter. The thought of going to sleep sounds terrifying, but I have for the last 10 years, there have been ups and downs. And Daisuke is so amazing and helpful, I think he makes it easy. From my diary, I know I do love him and trust him, it's just hard. Daisuke is always there to help me through my days, or when we meet people I have forgotten; which is every day. He makes me feel safe and does so every day. It means the world to me, that he supports me." Whitebeard felt himself smile. The woman seemed to be an honest one, seeing as she admitted that it is horrible, and it must be, knowing that tomorrow she will forget everything. Moira gave them a smile which changed to a thoughtful look. "I think Daisuke said you have a crew member with some memory issues as well." The captain nodded. "We do. He suffered a head injury and he forgot everything, all his memories are gone. He was like you at the start; unable to make new memories, but that has improved. He does feel confused, as he only remembers bits from his past, and that's contradictory to what he feels now. He still, at times, forget things in the moment, everything from names to entire events."

Moira gave a nod. "That must be hard. I still feel weird whenever I look in the mirror, not recognizing the person who looks back. How my brother has changed, and my dad. How people claim to know me, and they really do know me and I am sure I have never seen them; it's terrifying. I thankfully always remember everything while awake apparently, but it gets wiped clean when I sleep. This must be really hard on your crewmember too; being told you know someone or something when you don't. It's scary. I get this clenching feeling in my chest as I try and remember, but I apparently never do. How everyone looks expectantly on me, as if waiting for a familiar response, and I have none. Daisuke is so amazing; he has his own little book with things that help me feel better, on things I want to be told and not be told. He never looks down when I don't remember; he helps me along. Your crew member must be a strong person. For me, knowing that I will forget, that's the hardest part. It's the same with people telling me I will forget." That made sense. Moira seemed like a wonderful woman, and Daisuke was an amazing man to be with her, even with all of this happening, having a good life. It gave Whitebeard hope. Hope that Ace would be fine, and even if he didn't get back to his old self, it would still be fine.

They chatted for a while, before Moira left to head to bed as evening came. Daisuke needed to collect his daughter from a friend who had been watching her. So they went to leave, with Daizuke stating the they could speak again tomorrow. As they were out, Whitebeard had a question for Azuruko. "Azuruko, why is sleep a common denominator with memory issues,?" The pink-haired man hummed. "Because when we sleep, we process all the memories of the previous day, places them where they belong in the different places, labels them with emotions and experience. When someone suffers from severe head trauma, the brain can't process the memories in a good way, or sometimes, no way. Sleep is still important, so it's crucial to not make the person afraid to lose memories during sleep, as most don't realize it themselves." That made sense, and Whitebeard nodded as he took in the information. That was probably why many said they needed to sleep on things, as it helped sort their thoughts and emotions out. Azuruko then said he had spoken with Daisuke about potentially speaking a bit with Ace, so if it happened, they needed to let Daisuke speak with Ace in peace, which they understood.

-x-

Ace was out sitting on the dock, enjoying the good weather, the others close by. He blinked as a man sat down next to man spoke up before Ace could. "Hello. You must be Ace." Ace used a second to find his voice. "Y-yeah… Do I know you?" The man shook his head. "No. I'm Daisuke, a friend of Azuruko. I heard you have some issues with your memories." Ace gave a nod. Azuruko had mentioned Daisuke, a friend, someone who is married to a woman who couldn't make any new memories. "Yeah… I try to keep remembering… I want to… I don't want to continue feeling confused, or be a burden ." Daisuke smiled at him. "Every morning my wife has forgotten me. Every morning I'm a stranger, our daughter a stranger. Some days are easy, where she is open and happy, and other days she's scared and unsure, spending the entire day in fear. But, this doesn't mean I love her any less on those days; it shows how much of a difference I can make, how much she needs someone to just be there, through thick and thin. I can see the pirates care for you, their doing their best. They love you, and I know you're scared, probably more than them, but sometimes, you need to close your eyes and take a scary step into the unknown. Some days that step might be easy, others it might feel like your walking off a cliff. The important thing is that you are open with them, tell them how you feel. Don't be afraid; you're not alone."

Ace gave a nod, finding comfort in those words. "How do you deal with it? You're wife's condition; how does it affect you?" The man chuckled. "It's awful; she never remembers me. But, I see the person I love, a person who trusts me. The fact we manage to get new memories each day; how I can see her smile, makes up for everything. It's hard, but as long as I can be around my wife, I don't care if she doesn't remember me the next day. What's important to me is that I can be there for her. I wouldn't trade my wife for any healthy person. I don't want a healthy person, I want my wife. I want the person I love. If she one day starts remember, I will be so happy. But I know that chance is basically zero, but i still hope, I still enjoy every moment. You need to trust them, they only want what's best for you." Ace nodded. That was true, they were all so kind to him, helping him through all the times he felt confused. He should trust them more. He should probably give them a chance.

Ace would at least think over his options for today and see if he can come to a decision. He knew the pirates would leave tomorrow evening, so he had a limited amount of time.

-x-

"So," Started Azuruko, looking at him as they sat in Ace's room. "You've come to a decision on who to go with." Ace nodded, not really sure how everyone would take this. Azuruko gave him an encouraging smile, Ace felt his eyes tearing up. "No, Ace, no. Come here." Azuruko moved to hug him, Ace loving every touch. "I'm really going to miss you." Azuruko chuckled. "I will miss you too. And we will see each other again. I know you will be happy here." Ace nodded. He hoped that too, and he hoped he wouldn't regret his decision. But, the fact that Whitebeard would take him back to Azuruko if he did. That meant a lot to him, and was the reason he dared to join the pirates. Now, he just needed to tell this to Whitebeard somehow.

-x-

Whitebeard looked at Ace, who sat and fidgeted in his chair, his legs pulled into his chest. The kid suddenly showed up and asked to talk to him. "What is it Ace? You seem nervous." Ace let out a breath. "I am… I just, I've made a decision, and to be honest, I'm scared to tell…" Whitebeard gave a comforting look. He knew Ace needed to decide on who to stay with. And seeing how he was this nervous, he had a sinking feeling he would be the one to say goodbye to Ace. He knew the kid was still intimidated and somewhat nervous around him, but he seemed more nervous than normal. "Whatever it is, Ace, I will support you, son." Ace nodded, taking a breath, gaze going to his feet, a hand moving to fiddle with the hem of his shorts. "I have… I would like, if it would be fine… I want to stay… here." Whitebeard blinked, needing a second to be sure he heard correctly. Why was Ace so nervous?

He moved a hand to lift Ace's head so that he was looking at him. Ace had blank and troubled eyes. "Of course it would be fine. I will love it if you stay. But, why are you so nervous? It would never change what I feel about you; you are family." Ace gave a breath. "I- I don't really know. I'm… scared that I will forget things again… That when Azuruko leaves… I will be alone. I won't remember you, the things I do remember are the opposite of what I feel now, making me feel more uncertain… It feels like my memories aren't my memories; it's confusing. What if you'll regret taking me back and I'm just a burden now?" Ace looked more and more distressed as he spoke, looking lost, his breath becoming shaky, eyes glassy.

Whitebeard moved his hand to have his index finger under Ace's chin and his thumb to rest against Ace's head. "You're worried, which is understandable. I hope you know I am sincere, as I would never lie. I don't care if you remember us or not. If you don't remember us, we will just make new memories, make you feel comfortable around us again. And if you do remember us, we will show you that the memories you know are true and continue to make new memories. Either way, you will never be a burden. You will never be in the way, and I will never regret you staying here. All I care about is that my family is happy and whole again. We can't be that without you. And if you forget things, if you feel confused or scared, know that we are all here to help and support you. But we can only do that if you let us. I know this whole thing is tough, and it is, for everyone, but mostly for you. I don't expect you to know everything, know how to be a pirate and what to do. I don't expect you to be able to fight and win every battle. You don't have to be the first person rushing into battle, but fight alongside us. We will have your back. What I hope for is that you feel safe and comfortable, that you trust us. And that's not on you, but on us. We need to make you feel that way, it's our duty to make you comfortable and help you adapt, and we need to adapt to you as well. No matter what you do or don't remember, no matter if you forget things, we will always stand by your side and be here for you." Ace smiled at him. "That means a lot. I'm willing to try, I mean...I'm still getting memories back and it's clear that I was happy here, and you are still so nice, even when I forget things. It really means a lot." Whitebeard was glad to hear that, and they would do everything they could to make Ace comfortable. "That's good. But for now, I think we should say good night. Tomorrow is a long day as we will be leaving." Ace nodded. "I know. And… and I think I'm prepared. Or, as prepared as I can be." Whitebeard nodded. "That's good to know. Goodnight, son." Ace nodded. "Yeah, goodnight, Whitebeard." Whitebeard couldn't wait for the day Ace called him Pops again, he really missed it. They could only wait and see what tomorrow would bring.

-x-

Ace spent the morning with Azuruko, before Ace went for a trip around the island with Izou, who wanted to buy a few things. Once they returned, they stayed by the boat with Azuruko. It wasn't long until their departure. "What are you going to do now, Azuruko?" The man gave a hum. "Stay here with Daisuke and Moira for a while, then just roam around for a bit before heading home. I'll probably be back home in a couple of months, three at most." As the pink-haired man spoke, he looked to the side. "By the way, where is Moira?" When the captain turned, he saw Daisuke alone, the man giving a sigh. "Bad day. Her father and brother are with her. So, yeah." Daisuke didn't look too worried, but still seemed on edge. Although it might be a bad day, it must not be a terrible one either. It was good to know, in a way, to hear they weren't alone. And this only informed them of the bad days that would happen, and how they needed to help Ace through them. Whitebeard hoped everything would go fine. "Do you have any last words on how we can help Ace?" Azuruko hummed, before he looked at Daisuke. "Why don't you answer this one." Daisuke hummed, before he spoke with confidence. "Don't expect him to remember, because he might not. Don't be mad, no matter what, not at him at least, or his memories. I don't think there's much more I can tell you. Oh, and let him be himself, even if that is not the person you remember." Those were all good pieces of advice and they would take them on board. They gave a goodbye to Daisuke, before Azuruko joined them to say goodbye to Ace properly.

Ace was coming with them, and that was the most important thing. For now, they would work on getting Ace's trust back and make him feel like he was a part of his family again.

And that's the chapter, hope you enjoyed it

The situation between Daisuke and Moira was taken from the movie '50 first dates', it's a comedy but give good information about head trauma.

I know this might have been a bit short, but that's why I have the One Shot series. I needed to finish it here, to keep the story short, otherwise I would have gone on and on until it was way too long. Please check out the One Shot series. It will include more of the scenes I have plans, and any scenes which you might like to see, so feel free to tell me them, either here, or on Discord or Twitter (Links below).

And I love feedback too; it's what keeps me going/

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