She laid there in the bed they shared. It was happening again, the illness that was holding her back her entire life. The inability to have a normal life like everyone else was killing her. Her parents died trying to give her that. To let them know that their sacrifice wasn't for not, was all she truly wanted.

"I hate this. He's going to find out sooner or later." Ariana tossed and turned as she tried to get in a comfortable position. All she could do was sleep when this time would come, but she wished it wasn't like this.

"Ari, are you planning on joining us?! Ari?!" The voice of Portgas D. Ace echoed in her head as she heard him yell her name. Even her head would hurt during this time.

"Ari?" The door slowly opened with a high pitch squeak. "You alright? You don't look so good."

She didn't want to worry him. That's all she did to her parents, made them worry. To her, it's because they worried so much is the reason why they're dead. Slowly Ariana turned over, showing her face that had a tired look to it.

"I'm fine Ace. Just a little under the weather. Sleeping it off should be enough, and then I'll feel just fine."

Through the lie her lips told, her heart was breaking. She wanted to tell him what was really wrong with her, but he just had so many other things to worry about.

"Are you sure?" Ace walked over to the bed where Ariana was resting. Running his fingers that formed a strong hand through her long white hair.

"I'm sure Ace. This happens all the time, since I was small. I don't want you to worry about me." Ariana gave a tired smile as her eyes suddenly got really heavy.

With a sigh Ace got up and closed the door to the room and made his way back to the bed. Removing his belt and his hat Ace crawled into the bed with his girl.

"Ace! Y-you don't have to. You have things to do as the 2nd Division Commander!" Ariana tried pushing Ace away, but she was too weak.

"You're one of my subordinates Ari, everyone else is fine but you. So, I'm going to stay here with you until you feel better." Ace wrapped his arms around Ariana's body and held her close.

Ace was warm... oh, so warm. Ariana didn't know if it was because Ace was the Flame-Flame Devil Fruit user that gave him his heat or if it was the fact that Ace was just a warm person to begin with, but his warmth made her feel safe. Even in this time when her body was weak, and she felt like she just wanted to give it all up and let go, Ace gave her strength, he gave her warmth.

Ariana pulled herself into Ace's warmth. Wrapping her arms around Ace's bare back and resting her chin on the base of his neck. She could see the moisture from her breath staring to accumulate on Ace's skin. She couldn't help but want to mess with this man. To make him feel flustered and embarrassed. With her tongue just pocking through the tips of her lips she started to light nip at the base of Ace's neck, sending chills up his spine.

"I thought you weren't feeling well?" Ace giggled as he tried to sound like Ariana's ticklish nibbling didn't affect him.

"Just because I don't feel well doesn't mean I can't have a little fun with you. You're so easily embarrassed." Ariana couldn't help but continue to nibble at Ace's neck even more, causing him to flinch and stir even more. It wasn't until Ace slightly pushed Ariana away and tilted her chin up did she finally stop.

"Did I make the great Fire-Fist Ace upset?" Ariana jokingly teased before suddenly breaking out into a horrendous outbreak of coughing.

"Ariana! Ariana are you alright?!"

"I-I'm fine. Just... just give me a few minutes."

With each cough Ariana could feel her body fighting against her. This stupid body of hers was holding her back so much, that all she wanted to do was scream.

"It's not fair! It's not fair at all to have a body like this. I won't be able to be with Ace long if it continues like this. I want to get better! I need to get better!"

The more she thought about those things the worse it seemed to get for Ariana's body. Her breathing became quick and short, scaring her like never before. Ace could see that Ariana was terrified. The only thing he could think of was to pull her in close.

"Calm down Ari. Listen to my heartbeat and feel how I'm breathing. Try to match it." Ace's words seemed to calm the girl's terrified mind. Ariana's breathing and heartbeat slowly started to match his, bring her back to her normal self.

"I-I'm sorry about that Ace. I hate that this keeps happening. I'm useless to you like this, and it's not just you. I'm useless to the Captain and everyone on the crew. Maybe I should just---"

"Don't talk like that Ari! You're not useless to us, even like this! Since joining the crew you've brought a whole new light to the crew. If you were to leave, I... I don't know what I would do. I can't imagine my life without you in it now."

As if his words were the cure to her illness, Ariana couldn't help but burst into tears. Her, bringing a whole new light to the crew? In her eyes it was the complete opposite. Ace and the Whitebeard Pirates are the ones who brought a whole new light to her. It's thanks to them that she was able to make it this far in her life since meeting them. They became her family. They are the ones who gave her a home.

"A-Ace... I-I..."

"I know, I know... and it's okay. You don't have to say anything. All you need to do now is to close your eyes, match my breathing and try and get some sleep."

Ariana didn't fight Ace's words. Pulling into his body she placed her head on his chest to hear his heartbeat and feel the rhythm of his breathing. Everything seemed to turn into an even deeper form of calm. Matching Ace's breathing Ariana slowly started drifting into a peaceful sleep.

Shortly after Ariana fell asleep Ace did as well. It had been hours since Ace went to check on Ariana. Other members of the Whitebeard Crew started to wonder what was going on.

"Do you think Ariana is alright? Ace has been in there a long time to check on her." "Flower Sword" Vista wondered as he passed by Ace's and Ariana's room for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"I bet the two ended up... well, you know." Marco joked as he raised an eyebrow.

"You're not saying? They wouldn't be doing that in the middle of the day, would they?" Izo blushed through his geisha makeup.

The three pirates made their way to the couples' room. Slowly they opened the door to find Ace and Ariana sleeping in each other's arms. The three pirates smiled as they closed the door and softly talked among themselves about what the saw. As the day continued and turned into night, Ariana woke up, feeling much better than before.

She looked over at Ace, who was still sleeping. She couldn't help but smile and leaned over and kissed Ace on the forehead before quietly and carefully sneaking out of the room and making her way out onto the deck. Sitting there in the moonlight was her Captain, Edward Newgate.

"Captain?"

"Ariana. How are you feeling? You had the crew worried about you."

"I fine, and sorry for worrying all of you. It's something I really don't like doing. I'm sorry Captain." Ariana apologized before taking a seat next to Newgate.

"There's no reason for you to apologize Ariana, but there is something I would like to ask you."

"What's that Captain?"

"Why won't you tell him?"

Ariana looked up at Whitebeard with a slight look of shock in her eyes. She knew that her Captain's health wasn't the greatest either, but the fact the he had found her out so quickly took her by surprise.

"I guess I'm just afraid. I'm afraid that if I tell him, he'll worry about me too much, just like my parents did. It's because my parents worried so much about me that it cost them their lives. They died protecting me, and I don't want that for Ace. I don't want him dying protecting me."

Being able to talk to someone about these kinds of things seemed to put Ariana's mind at ease. After talking to her captain for a while, Ariana wished Newgate a good night and made her way back to her and Ace's room. Ace was still sleeping soundly and once again Ariana could help but smile. Carefully she slid back into bed and curled up next to Ace once more. He was still warm, like the fire he was able to control.

"I'll tell him when the time is right. My light... my warmth... Ace is all those things to me. If I was to lose him or if he was to treat me any different if I were to tell him, I don't know what I'd do."

"Ari?"

Ace's voice suddenly startled her.

"Ace, did I wake you?"

"No, are you felling alright?"

"Yes, but I'm still a little tired. Let's go back to sleep." Ariana buried her face into Ace's chest. Ace wrapped his arms around Ariana with a smile on his face.

In his heart he knew there was something wrong with Ari, but he wasn't going to press it. She could tell him on her own time and in her own way, but until then he's going to cherish this person, his little inferno.