~R~

I didn't stand with everyone else during the funeral. I was there, but I sat in the grass near where the ships were anchored. I had my arms resting on my knees and I kept my head down. I hated it when people saw me cry. I let it slide during the battle due to the circumstances, but right now I chose to sit away from my crew, even though they were crying too. The Red Hair pirates were nearby, but they didn't say anything. They didn't really look at me either, except for a few curious glances from a couple of them. I didn't care to wonder what that was about. For the most part I was able to grieve quietly.

I never really had a father figure around while I was growing up. When I joined up with the Whitebeard pirates, I finally got a taste of what it was like. It ended too soon though. And it was all Blackbeard's fault. That man's ambition took away two people important to me. He causes everyone pain.

My sadness was channeled into anger when I thought of him. Anger and some darker emotion wasn't quite familiar with. Hatred. There have been people in my life that I didn't like, but I never hated any of them. They never hurt me this much. The thought of Teach, however, ignited the true desire to rip his head off. It was very unlikely I'd ever get a chance to do that, but thinking it eased my pain a little bit.

I heard footsteps coming up behind me, and I assumed it was Red Hair Shanks taking his leave. I didn't pay much attention to him until I heard the steps stop abruptly. I glanced to the side and saw his feet. He didn't move, so I tilted my head back and looked up at him. He was gazing at me with a mixture of curiosity and sympathy, and something else I didn't recognize.

"It's okay to cry, you know..." he said gently.

As if the comment were a switch, the anger I felt previously melted back into sadness. I looked down at the ground between my feet as my eyes watered. I felt Shanks hand touch my head and lightly ruffle my hair. An oddly warm gesture coming from someone I didn't know. It didn't go unappreciated, though.

"Let's move out." Red Hair said to his crew. With that he departed, leaving us Whitebeard pirates to mourn the loss of our captain, our father, in peace.

~A~

We planned to stay on this island for a few days. No one was ready to leave the old man yet. But we knew we couldn't stay for too long. We had to try and defend the islands under Whitebeard's protection.

I cursed under my breath as I hobbled across the deck of the ship. I had to use a crutch to walk. With the burn on my back, I needed something to lean on. It was a pain in the ass walk around, but I was restless. I needed to do something. I didn't want to sit and stare at nothing. I didn't want to think. About anything.

Soon I spotted Rory leaning against the railing of the ship, looking down at the water. I headed over cautiously. I didn't know if she wanted company or not. "Hey..." I said softly.

Rory turned her head to look at me. "Hi..." she replied.

"How are you holding up?" I asked.

"I don't know..." she sighed. She saw my look of concern and forced a smile. "I'll be okay..."

I leaned against the railing and looked down at the ocean.

"And you? Are you okay?" Rory asked tentatively.

I couldn't lie to her. "No..." I admitted. All day today, I had looked around at my crew and saw how crushed they were. I saw how beaten they looked, both physically and emotionally. I felt guilty, especially when I learned Rory had gotten hurt for my sake. I felt like I was the one who hurt them. "It's all my fault..." I murmured.

"It's not." Rory protested gently. "None of this is your fault."

"All this happened 'cause of me...Because you came to save me..."

"That was our choice." she replied.

"Someone like me isn't worth the trouble..." I hung my head as my childhood demos came to haunt me again. "I'm the son of a monster...I shouldn't have been born..."

Rory didn't deny my statement, but what she said lifted my spirits, if only a little. "I'm glad you were..." she said quietly. "I wouldn't change anything for the world."

I looked at her, searching her expression for any sign of a lie. All I saw was honesty and an intensity that drew me in. "You want me to live?"

"More than anything..." she replied.

"Would it hurt if I died...?"

"More than I could bare..."

"And you want to be with you?"

"Always..."

We were speaking in whispered at that point, and I didn't even realize that we had inched closer and closer with each word we spoke. We were so close I could Rory's breath on my skin. I couldn't resist. Not that I wanted to. A perfect chance was given to me, so I took it. I lightly pressed my lips against hers.

Fireworks. That's the only way I can describe it.

I pulled back after a few seconds to look at her. She was blushing a slightly, and I felt her hand gently cup my cheek. I slid my arm around her waist, pulling her flush against me. "Rory...?" I murmured.

"Yes?"

"...I love you..." I whispered.

Her hand slid from my cheek into my hair as she pulled her in for another kiss. "I love you too..." Just like that, my ghosts went away, replaced with the silver one.

~M~

I slowly strolled along the length of the ship, breathing in the evening air to try and calm my thoughts. As grief-stricken as I was, I didn't have much time to sit and mourn. No, I had to think about the future of this crew. As the old man's first mate, it was my job to step in now that he was gone.

But I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't possibly fill Whitebeard's shoes. The impossibility of it loomed before me. I began to think about everything that could potentially go wrong. We'll lose territory. We'll bigger targets. We still had Ace with us, so the marines will definitely be trying to catch him again-

I had to stop. I have to remember I'm not alone. I've got the crew backing me up. I don't have to make all the decisions myself; Ace and Jozu and Vista and Izo and everyone else will help me. And we've even got Rory's psychic vibes to tell us if something's wrong. (Damn it Ace, you've got me thinking she's psychic too...)

I stood near the railing of the ship and looked up at the sky. Still, even with everyone to help me, I was still responsible for my friends' lives. Even though I didn't want it, everything was mine now.

I glanced to the side and caught a glimpse of Rory and Ace. They were embracing each other, sharing each other's grief as well as enjoying each other's company. I saw Ace steal a kiss and I promptly looked away, my chest tightening.

Not everything...

~G~

The bar was completely empty. Not even a bartender was there to serve me. That was only natural. I chased everyone out of there. I wanted to be able to drink in peace, and preferably alone. I had a glass of wine sitting on the counter before me. I stared at the liquid blankly. I didn't think about anything in particular. I let my thoughts roam aimlessly.

Despite the fact that I wanted to be alone, I found myself getting lonely. That doesn't really make sense, does it?

However that loneliness didn't last. The one person I didn't mind spending time with walked in. I didn't look up from my drink. I let him come to me. He stopped just behind me. His presence was enough to lighten my mood, just a little bit. "What are you doing here, Shanks?" I looked over my shoulder.

His friendly smile greeted me. "I was just in the area. I thought I'd stop by." He took a seat in the stool next to me, facing my direction. I gazed at him for a moment and then looked straight ahead of me as I sipped my wine. I didn't protest when his arm slid around my shoulders. He pressed his face into my hair and murmured, "It's nice to see you sweetheart..."

I smiled slightly, despite myself. He's the only one who can make me do that. "You do know why no one else calls me that, right?" I asked.

"I'm the only who's seen your sweet side." The redhead replied, with a hint of triumph in his voice.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't say that like it makes you better than anyone else..."

He chuckled and it went quiet for a while. "She looks so much like you..." he said absently.

"You met her?" I asked.

"Yeah. I didn't break your rules, did I?"

I took a deep breath and shrugged. "You can forget the rules, Shanks. She's all grown up now. She chose her path all on her own. Our influence doesn't matter anymore." I said.

"But is it okay with you?"

"No. She's a damn pirate, just like you." I heard Shanks laugh. "But I accept it. It's okay with me if you wanna go play daddy."

"Maybe later..." he chuckled. "I don't plan on leaving until tomorrow."

I turned my head and looked at him as he got himself a drink. "What a coincidence. Neither to I." I smirked as he turned and winked at me.

~Fin~

Alright you guys! That's it! The story's over! It went by pretty fast, wouldn't you say?

I'd like to thank all of you who enjoyed this fanfic of mine! I had fun writing it!

For those of you who are sad to see this end, all I have to say is keep an eye out for some Ace/Rory one shots I plan on writing. Also I have little plot bunnies gnawing at my brain, so I might come out with a Shanks/Grace fic. You might get to see their story!

Goodbye for now, folks! May we meet again.