The Incomplete Series

Periwinkle Bistro Bar

Chapter 12 : Baby

As you methodically packed your bag for the upcoming vacation with Mihawk, the room was thick with tension. Ace, sitting on your bed, wore an expression of barely contained anger. His disapproval of your plans was palpable, and the air crackled with the intensity of his emotions.

"Acey, what's wrong?" you asked, pausing in your packing.

Ace's face was taut with emotion. "I can't believe you're actually going on this trip with Mihawk. Don't do it," he implored, his voice laced with frustration.

"You shouldn't go on this vacation with Mihawk," Ace said, You continued packing, trying to maintain a calm exterior despite the growing tension.

"Acey, I've made up my mind. It's just a vacation and only for 2 days and 1 night," you replied, your tone steady but gentle.

Ace, however, was far from convinced. His voice rose, tinged with a protective ferocity. "Any man that has made my sister cry doesn't deserve her! Have you forgotten what happened?!" His words echoed in the room, a stark reminder of the past.

Your hands paused as your hands stilled over the neatly folded clothes, his words triggered a flood of memories. You were transported back to a night that was etched in your heart, a moment of profound pain and vulnerability.

In your mind's eye, you saw yourself, lifeless and broken, in Mihawk's arms. He carried you bridal style, his face a mask of concern and sorrow. You were barely conscious, your body cold and unresponsive. Mihawk had wrapped his coat around you, trying to provide some warmth and comfort. But you were lost in your own world of pain, your cries muffled in his embrace, your hands covered in blood from punching the floor in rage and anguish.

The memory shifted to the moment Mihawk had opened the door to your house. Ace, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji were there in the living room, their faces a mixture of shock and horror at the sight of you in such a state. The memory of their stunned expressions, the worry in their eyes, was as clear as if it were happening all over again.

Back in the present, you took a deep breath, pushing the painful memory to the back of your mind.

" Ace, I know you're worried, but what happened in the past... it's not the whole story. People change, situations change," you said, trying to reassure him.

" You were in bedrest for 3 months! 3 whole months! You didn't eat, sleep or spoke to us for 3 painful months! And what did that fucker do? He didn't visit you once at all!" Ace yelled.

You approached Ace and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I know but I need to do this. For me."

Ace's expression softened slightly, but the concern in his eyes remained. "I just don't want to see you get hurt again. You mean everything to me.."

The room fell into a silence, filled with unspoken words and emotions. Despite the pain of the past, you knew that facing it was the only way to move forward.

"Ace, why are you so fixated on my choices? What about you and Sanji?" you asked, turning to face him squarely.

Ace's eyes widened in shock, clearly not expecting the conversation to take this turn. "How... How do you know about that?"

With a slight smirk, you zipped up your bag and replied, "This is why you should learn when it's the right time to talk about personal things while at work. I overheard you both in the kitchen."

Ace sat in silence, his anger giving way to surprise and a hint of embarrassment.

"Now, my question to you is, why are you holding yourself back with Sanji when it's obvious that you worship the ground he walks on?" you continued, confronting Ace with his own emotional barriers.