#also the fact that Law is up to the Drake's shoulders makes me scream

[ulysses000]

[iwrestlenow]

Many More To Die - Chapter 4

TITLE: Many More To Die (Chapter 4)

FANDOM: Sanders Sides (Necromancer AU)

SUMMARY: Roman discovers that even the power of a king has its limits--but at least he has the power to help Logan in one critical fashion.

Logan is a needy wreck, and can't figure out which way is up, and as desperately as he needs someone--one man--to hold his hand through it all? It only makes things worse somehow.

Meanwhile, through all of this, another chess piece steps out of the shadows and onto the game board--and he's not going anywhere until he gets what, and who, he came for.

SHIPS: Logince (Logan/Roman), future Moceit (Patton/Janus) and Dukexiety (Remus/Virgil)

WARNINGS: Panic attack, but that’s it for this chapter. It’s mostly me having feelings, being TOTALLY UNABLE TO STOP WRITING WHAT THE HELL SOMEONE SAVE ME XD, and more self indulgent garbage that just felt good to write. So there. :P

Also, no betas, we die like men.

NOTES: This is based on the gorgeous piece of art by @gretacticdraws that can be found here. I ended up writing a ficlet for it, and then my brain got swallowed up. Breathe at me wrong, and I’ll write more…hell, who am I kidding? I’ll write more anyway because this? Is self indulgent drivel. XD

Also located at AO3 over here.

“Lord Janus? I want this man dead.”

“Certainly, Your Majesty.”

“Please—mercy, Your Majesty!”

“Now hang on there just a gosh darn, berry pickin', mother lovin' moment, buster! Janny, if you know what's good for you, you will just stop with this nonsense and put the flippin' sword down!”

Roman would have burst out laughing if he wasn't fighting so hard to keep his composure. It could hardly be helped—Patton came up to Logan's shoulder, but only just, and was standing in his cell with his hands on his hips, glaring at the captain of the royal guard like he was a child being scolded for a broken dish.

Janus hardly looked intimidated—but the fact that he stilled after drawing his sword, leaving a terrified guard trembling against the bars of the cell next to Logan's was telling. Seven years, Lord Janus had served as the head of the assassins' corps before retiring to become the captain of the royal guard. Roman had heard stories, but never met the man until today, which was hardly unusual given that Janus was a drake—the son of a human and a dragon. They were notoriously gifted shapeshifters, even with a handicap like his.

Lord Janus was powerful, deadly, and highly skilled at remaining an enimga...but a hobbled child necromancer in a cell had the power to stay his hand.

Janus raised an eyebrow at Patton, but finally glanced at Roman.

Roman nodded. Janus refocused on the guard, pushing the tip of his sword against the hollow of his throat, hard enough to draw blood.

“Majesty, I beg you! I don't want to die!” the guard begged.

Roman let out a bemused little laugh.

“How strange,” he replied as calmly as he could manage, “I was under the impression you did, given the fact that you refused, a second time, to obey a direct order from your king.”

“The Necromata must be bound! It's the law!”

“I am the law!”

Storming up to the guard, Roman let his emotions fuel him—exhaustion, grief, anger, confusion, and the tearing, unspeakable ache that throbbed through him every time his gaze ventured too close to the open door of the cell where Logan still leaned.

The wail he'd let out when Roman pulled free of his grip to order the cell door opened was going to haunt his sleep. The way he stood now, so carefully still, features so meticulously schooled into calm, unfeeling lines, was going to rob him of that breath of life Logan had only just returned to him.

“I am the king now, and I am the ultimate authority.” Roman spat. “Now, I fully understand the need to shackle a prisoner being removed from his cell, but as far as I am concerned, this man is no longer a prisoner here.”

“You can't--”

“I think you'll find that I can.”

“Your Majesty.”

Roman turned at the sound of Logan's voice, cool and even but too quiet, hoarse and thick with the tears he'd finally managed to stop from streaming down his face.

“The law is such that the king cannot overrule it.” Logan declared with deceptive calm. “The Necromata, once imprisoned by the royal family, can only be pardoned for the crimes of their birth with the blessing of the people. A vote, if you will...and no such vote has ever been successfully passed.”

“How do you know this?”

“I have been here for ten years with little more to do than read. I have the entire legal code of the Kingdoms and the criminal rules of order memorized, along with the family tree of the royal family and all available star maps of the area.”

Roman wanted to scream. He wanted to hit something—for a terrible moment, he wanted to order Janus to proceed with the guard's execution for real, rather than just trying to make a point.

Then inspiration struck—bright, blinding, and blessed as it filled him with light.

“My order will still be obeyed.” Roman announced. “These two necromancers—they may not be pardoned, but they will be imprisoned at my pleasure...and it is my pleasure to have them confined to guest quarters upstairs. Have extra guards posted at all available palace entrances. They are not to leave the grounds until the vote has been passed. Successfully.”

He shot a look at the offending guard.

“And the first person to shackle either one of them without violent provocation will be hung at dawn.”

Janus lowered his sword and slid it back into its sheath—the cane he'd been carrying with him—before moving to Roman's side.

“Bit extreme, don't you think, Majesty?” he murmured once he was close enough to ensure that only Roman would hear him.

“My father is dead, Lord Janus.” Roman shot back bleakly. “I have yet to shed a single tear for him--'extreme' feels like an appropriate response right about now.”

“Touche. Of course—and it has nothing to do with the traumatized necromancer you're apparently well acquainted with?”

Roman didn't answer as he moved towards the open door of the cell. Standing before Logan, he extended his hand...

...then suddenly realized that was a bad idea as he put his hand back down again.

********** More.

Logan could hardly string a single coherent thought together around the constant chant in his mind, his marrow, his soul for the prince to touch him again. He couldn't let him, not when it was so agonizing, fire and pressure and somehow affecting every nerve in his body when it was focused on such a small area...

More. More. More.

He didn't understand why restraining himself was so hard. It hurt, it was clearly doing him some kind of physical and psychological harm...and yet he wanted. Needed.

He couldn't remember ever experiencing the sensation.

It very nearly caused another panic attack when the prince dropped his offered hand—and that was another problem entirely, standing before a cell door standing wide open, and the use of the word pardon being thrown around like it wasn't capable of changing the world as Logan knew it—but the pause that seemed to last for an eternity must have only been a few seconds long.

Because a moment later, the Green Man—the prince—was reaching into his pocket and producing a pair of pristine white gloves. A missing piece of the military uniform, how had Logan not noticed? He usually noticed things like that...

When he finished tugging them on, he offered his hand to Logan again. He said nothing...just waited.

Logan shook with the force of effort it took to reach, slowly, to accept the offered hand. The gloves blocked some of that heat from skin to skin contact—and when he gently folded his fingers around Logan's, barely any pressure, it was still intense...but better.

“All good, Berry?”

Logan looked into his eyes sharply, the name ricocheting around in his skull in a manner he hadn't experienced in literal years—not since he'd first discovered his power was awakening again, all concussive force and electricity crawling against the underside of his skin.

All at once, the years fell away, and he was asleep in his cell that first terrible night, dreaming of every monstrous shadow transforming into a protector as green eyes lit the dark.

He opened his mouth to answer yes, he was fine—then realized...

“I do not know which of the princes you are.” he admitted with a bemused huff.

That got a smile from the other man—too brief, far too brief before it fractured to pieces, a crystal goblet slammed to the floor, raining shards of razor sharp light.

“Roman.” he replied. “Pr—King Thomas Roman II, but you may address me by my name.”

“Hardly acceptable, is it, Majesty?” Janus mused.

“Given that my life is currently in this man's hands—and the future of my father—I'd say he's earned a few niceties, Lord Janus.” Roman announced, raising his voice to ensure everyone within earshot was aware of it. Logan had a strange feeling that Lord Janus spoke up for precisely that purpose, to make his situation known.

Logan's, not Roman's—Logan knew that anyone with a shred of loyalty to the king would probably kill him if given the chance. There was no question that someone would likely accuse a necromancer with ties to the crown prince of the murder. Fear for Roman's safety would keep him protected.

Janus was that kind of man, shrewd and shameless—Logan knew precious little about Prince Roman, but to discover that he was equally blessed with the gift of strategy was...intriguing.

“Lord Janus, see to it that Logan's cell mate is made comfortable, and shown around the north wing of the palace. That is where I would prefer they spend the bulk of their time.” Roman declared. “I will take custody of this prisoner myself. When you are done, I want you, the dungeon master, the head prison mage, and a heart healer in the war room, immediately. Send for my brother as well.”

“Yes, Your Majesty—but I cannot send you alone.” Janus replied. Surveying the guards in their presence, and grimacing with impatience, he finally took a few steps down the corridor and flagged down another guard.

“You! Fetch the cadet from the graveyard patrol, now! I want him on the king's detail.”

Roman nodded his thanks, finally turning his attention back on Logan. Between those green eyes and the warm pressure enfolding his hand, ravaging his nerves and making his chest throb with pure emotion, he wasn't sure he could stand it much longer without losing his composure.

“Are you all right?” Roman asked quietly, stepping closer and into Logan's personal space. Strangely, Logan realized he could feel that as well, radiant heat and buzzing static crawling across his skin, too close and not enough and everything.

More. More. More.

“I am not.” he admitted. “Hardly unusual, given that touch starvation is a common condition among the Necromata, to say nothing of the Claim.”

“The Claim? What's that?”

Logan's mouth snapped shut, very real panic rising in his chest again.

“Whoah—Logan? Logan, breathe. Look at me, you need to breathe.”

The Claim. He knew, knew what Logan had done, was holding his hand and Logan could feel it, but now he'd spoken about the Claim, about his power, and he was going to die this time...

...two...three...four...hold for one...two...three...four...five...

“That's it, Logan. There you go, can you do it again?”

...good job, now again: in for one...two...three...four...

Pressure. Pressure, pressure, pressure, everywhere, pressure pressure unrelenting pressure...

“Hey!”

Logan blinked, attention snapping to the young man suddenly standing in front of him. He was nearly Logan's height, with straight black hair that hung in dark eyes, flinty as stone.

“Name five things you can see.”

“I...what?”

“Do it. Five things.”

Logan shook his head, and almost immediately his gaze was drawn back to Roman.

“Green Man.” he managed to reply. Roman smiled, and Logan felt that mantra start tattooing itself against the inside of his skull, blotting out the fear and panic.

“Okay, keep going. Let's keep going.”

Logan only realized they were moving because Roman still held his hand, was tugging him with the barest of pressure—and Logan's traitorous body followed. Between the cadet, demanding Logan name more things he could see, along with touch, smell, hear, and taste, and Roman's silent encouragement, he found himself moving out of his cell and towards the stairs of the dungeon.

Moving up each stair. Moving through the gate, and into the palace...moving, traveling, with only Roman's hand to restrain him.

Then he was in the palace, above the dungeons...and if he never saw the outside world again, Logan still felt like he could call himself a free man.

********** “Thank you.”

The cadet flinched a little, looking towards the king. “What?”

“Thank you.” King Roman repeated, still crouched motionless by the chair the prisoner had all but collapsed into. He'd basically passed out when they reached the war room, but didn't seem to be in any distress—just exhausted and overstimulated.

“That trick, focusing on his surroundings—it's greatly appreciated.” he went on, his gaze never leaving the sleeping man's face. He still held his hand, like he might vanish if he let him go. “How did you know it would work?”

The cadet had to grit his teeth for a second, finding himself watching the sleeping prisoner despite his best efforts not to. He looked...well, he looked like shit, and it was hard. It was so hard to watch, but he had to do it.

He was finally here, and he had to make sure that he didn't screw up again.

“I have anxiety.” he finally replied, keeping his tone even. “Nightmares, panic attacks, the works. My brother used to help me through them with tricks like that. He'd have me focus on my surroundings, or make me pick out colors—he even made me a special blanket to help me sleep. It, uh—it might be good for him? The guard who got me mentioned that this necromancer can feel your touch? If he's not used to contact, it could...”

“You'd be willing to do that?”

“Of course, sir.”

“Go and fetch it, then.”

“Sir, I was ordered to stay with you.”

“I'm the king. I overrule your orders.” King Roman replied.

The cadet lifted his gaze to the king's face, his stomach sinking when he realized he was being stared at. Hard.

Ohhhhh, shit.

“You don't call me 'Majesty.' Why?”

The cadet tried to be discreet about taking a steadying breath as he shrugged. “You have a pet necromancer now. All due respect, but I don't think you'll have the job long.”

“What do you know about necromancers?”

“I know they're not evil. Only reason I'm still here is that you seem to know it, too.”

King Roman nodded, gaze flicking down before it returned to the sleeping necromancer.

“Cadet...do you know what a Claim is?”

The cadet swallowed thickly. No...oh no.

“It's a binding ritual.” the cadet replied. “The Necromata are capable of manipulating death, but when they can't? They take it.”

“Away?”

“No—into themselves. They take the victim's dying breath, infuse it with their blood, and return it to the person it belongs to. That way, when the victim's time comes, they survive it.”

The cadet looked to the necromancer again.

Gods, Loganberry—what did you do?

“And the necromancer dies in their place.”

To his credit, the king paled, his free hand lifting to touch Logan's hair like the cadet itched to—so close for the first time in ten years, but he couldn't even comfort him.

He had to stay put. By the door, protecting the king and his charge.

After a decade, Virgil was finally, finally within reach of Logan in every way that mattered, and he would die before he jeopardized his one chance to save him.

Virgil was the one who got his big brother caught and imprisoned in the first place—he was damn well going to make sure that he was the one to set things right.

[soul-music-is-life]

Good morning! I was wondering if you could write a little Sam and Pam and the twins interaction? Or maybe Pam meeting the baby and learning his middle name is Wayne?? Or something? Por favor??? Gracias

Enjoy

******

Even though it had been a long night, Emily couldn’t stop staring at her son. It had only been hours since his birth. And she was so insanely in love that she couldn’t stand it. His birth had been different than the twins.

Emily and Alison had been wrestling with some wildly conflicting emotions when Lily and Grace had been born. The only people who knew the origins of Alison’s first pregnancy were their best friends. Emily had never told her mother the truth about what Alex Drake had done to her and Alison.

The pregnancy had been tough on both of them. They’d had lives thrust upon them that neither one of them asked for…against their consent. Deciding to have the babies had been a difficult choice.

But after months of depression and hours of labor they fell in love with them. That was the thing about babies. They had a way of making the entire world stop for just a moment. The idea that life could create something so amazing and innocent was an incredible notion. Babies were so pure and malleable. Watching a child seeing the world around them for the very first time was eye-opening.

The moment Lily took her first breath Alison felt like the world fell away, and her baby girl was the only thing she saw. The moment that Grace had latched on to Emily’s finger Emily didn’t care about anything else in the world.

The day their twins had been born their mothers had become putty in their hands.

Emily’s mother fell in love with them the instant she met them. She was the only grandparent they would ever have. And she spoiled the hell out of them.

Pam loved her granddaughters. She loved them when they snuggled up to her. She loved them when they made macaroni crafts for her in school. She loved them when they begged her to let them help her bake, even if it got a little messy. She even loved them when they were sullen and moody.

Emily and Alison knew that she would love her grandson just as much. There was nothing different about the love that they had for their baby boy. The only difference is that he had been a conscious choice. In fact, they had tried for him, several times. So the pregnancy hadn’t been as emotionally distressing.

The labor had been tough on Alison. Emily had stayed up with her all night…rubbing her back to help with the contractions, bringing her ice chips for the hunger pains and to cool her down, and wiping away her sweat and tears when it came time to push.

Alison had squeezed Emily’s hand so hard that her fingernails had drawn blood. She’d sprained Emily’s wrist, but Emily hadn’t said a word to her about it.

The hospital room was quiet now, which was a stark contrast to the madhouse it had been earlier. Emily looked at her wife, who was quietly sleeping in her hospital bed. Emily was sitting next to her, their son in her arms.

She reached up and swiped a tendril of Alison’s hair out of her face, her knuckles sweeping her skin. She looked beautiful even after the entire night of labor.

Hours ago Alison had been screaming at Emily, telling her she couldn’t do it. But when it came time to bring their baby boy into the world she was determined.

She’d pushed through. And when she held his tiny naked body against her bare chest for the first time she’d openly wept while kissing his head. He’d been wriggling at first, but when he felt the warmth of his mother’s bosom he’d stilled in her arms.

Alison had reached for Emily, weeping in joy…and in exhaustion. She’d kissed her bruised fingers and told her she loved her. Emily had kissed Alison’s sweaty forehead and put her other hand against their son’s belly. He’d been perfectly calm, like he knew he was safe.

Emily stared at the sleeping blonde. Her love for her was beyond eternal. She couldn’t imagine having a family with anyone else. They had wavered through hard times, but they always found their way back to each other. Because true love meant not letting the darkness drag them down. True love meant that even if they were apart…their hearts were still intertwined, and they always would be. They didn’t care what other people thought. What mattered was their connection. What mattered was their family.

Their son squirmed in Emily’s arms. His eyelids flickered and fluttered as he dreamed. She thought she saw a tiny smile.

She traced her index finger across his impossibly small fingers. In an unconscious reflex his palm flipped over and grasped Emily’s finger. Emily felt a warmth flowing through her entire body. She never wanted to let him go.

He puckered his lips and started sucking against the air. He opened his eyes, looking up at her curiously, as if he knew exactly who she was.

“Hey, sweet boy.” Emily cooed quietly. She gently rose to her feet, rocking him softly.

His wide eyes scanned Emily’s face. He furrowed his little brows and opened his mouth and a tiny little squeak came out.

Emily smiled. He was so perfect. She kissed his little button nose and watched as he scrunched his face up. It looked like he was thinking…like he was trying to figure something out.

“Hi, Sammy. Hi, baby.” She was mesmerized.

She heard soft footsteps approaching. She assumed it was the nurse coming to check in on them. She didn’t even bother looking up, because looking away meant that she’d miss a moment of her child’s life. She knew how quickly it went by. The girls had grown up in the blink of an eye.

“Em?”

Emily looked up when she heard her mother’s voice. She had a gift basket in her arms. It didn’t surprise Emily. Her mother was always ready for any occasion. The basket had a teddy bear, several plush toys, booties, blankets, hats, and some lotions and diaper creams. She’d also put in two bottles of chardonnay for the new mommies. It was her own personal touch. She quietly put the basket down on the chair near the door.

“Hey, honey.” Pam said quietly, her eyes darting to a sleeping Alison in the bed.

“Mom. Hi.” 

“Is this a bad time? I tried calling.”

“Oh…” Emily reached in her back pocket. “I turned my phone off when he fell asleep.”

Pam walked over to her daughter. She looked down at the baby in her arms.

“God, he’s beautiful.” Pam caressed his cheek with her index finger. “You girls did a good job.”

“This was all Alison.” Emily glanced back at her wife. “She amazes me every day.” She slowly faced her mother again. She was trying to maintain eye contact, but it was hard to look anywhere but at her son. “His mommy is the strongest person I know.”

“Both of his mommies.” Pam put her hand on Emily’s shoulder. She looked at her grandson. He looked up at her, his neck twisting as he tried to scope out the new person staring down at him. “He is precious. You two must be so in love with him.” She ran her hand over the top of his head.

“We are.” Emily’s nose started to burn. She had cried several times already. She couldn’t contain her emotions. “You want to hold him?”

“He looks content right where he is right now.” In his mom’s arms.

Emily gently rocked him. He quietly babbled and made gurgling noises. Emily smiled down at him.

“Everyone always says that you can’t entirely understand what it’s like to love someone more than you love yourself…that you can’t get the love that a mother has for their child until you see them the first time. But something no one ever tells you is how much it hurts to love them.”

She felt like wrapping him up in a blanket and holding him close to her chest forever. She wanted to protect him from the world.

“You know, when Lily and Grace were born it was like our entire world changed. I didn’t realize how much of yourself that you lose in your children…and that you would willingly do it…that you willingly give them every part of your heart and your soul.” She lifted her son up so she could kiss his head. “I would do it a thousand times over.”

“I am so proud of you, Emmy. Of both of you.” Pam touched her cheek. She had seen her daughter grow from a shy insecure little girl to a beautiful woman with a beautiful family. And they were flourishing. “I know I made some mistakes…”

“I wouldn’t be who I am today without you and dad. I wouldn’t be here if things hadn’t gone exactly the way they’d gone when I was younger. The mistakes didn’t break me. They taught me. I know no one is perfect, not even parents.” Emily smiled at her. “Hell, I turned away from Lily and Grace one day and they crawled off in different directions and I thought I’d lost them forever. I found Grace in a pile of laundry and Lily in the kitchen cabinet. They both thought nearly giving me a heart attack was hysterical.”

“Babies are resilient.” Pam assured her.

“I know that now.” She looked down at the infant in her arms.

She couldn’t believe that they were going to go through it all over again. The girls were so old and independent now. It was a little intimidating to think about going through the baby stages again.

Emily had a weary look on her face. She hadn’t slept since they’d gotten to the hospital. It felt more important to let Alison get her rest. Her mother didn’t miss her exhaustion.

“You look so tired.”

“It was a long night.” Emily admitted.

“I can come back another time. I know Alison must be exhausted. I don’t want to wake her.”

“She’s awake.” The blonde said from behind them.

They both turned around and saw Alison slowly sitting up in the bed. She looked at Emily holding their son and she smiled. Seeing Emily with their babies made her heart swell. She looked at her mother-in-law.

“Hello, Pam.”

“Alison, how are you feeling, honey?” Pam walked over to her side. She sat down against the edge of the bed.

“I’ll be in good shape if you tell me that’s Russian River Valley.” She eyed the alcohol in the basket. She couldn’t wait to have a drink. She’d missed her wine during the pregnancy.

“I know what you like.” Pam nodded.

“Best Mother-in-law ever.” Alison reached out and touched her hand. Pam squeezed it.

“How’s the pain?”

“Not so bad. The worst part was the actual labor. It was longer than my first. And I waited too long and couldn’t get the epidural. I felt everything.”

“I hear that. Emily ripped me to shreds…” She glanced at her daughter.

“Mom.” Emily made a face.

Emily groaned in disgust. She hated hearing her mother talk about bodily functions. It was so very un-Pam Fields-like. But she’d mellowed out in her old age.

After Emily’s dad died her mother had changed quite a bit. She’d loosened up. Some of the more strict aspects of her personality fell away. Her husband’s death had softened her. And the birth of her grandchildren had made her think she was some kind of comedian. The twins thought she was oh-so-funny because she told them stories about their mom being a kid. Embarrassing stories.

“I still pee when I sneeze because of you.” Pam teased.

“The twins already bestowed that honor on me.” Alison admitted.

“Kegels help. It’s the only thing that got me back up and running down there after Emily…”  

“This is an awesome conversation,” Emily uttered dryly.

“They never apologize for ruining your body.” Pam winked at Alison. They glanced at each other, as if they were in on some kind of joke. Pam’s face softened. “I’m kidding, of course. Childbirth only makes our bodies more beautiful. They change, but the imperfections are worth it, because when you look at your babies…you realize you wouldn’t have it any other way.” Pam gave her daughter a warm smile.

“Tell that to the stitches in my vagina.” Alison scoffed.

“Okay, on that note…I’m taking my boy and leaving, because he certainly shouldn’t have to hear about his mother’s and his grandmother’s body parts.” She bounced the baby in her arms. “Let’s wait a little while before we warp him.”

“Lily and Grace will have him warped by the end of the week.” Alison reminded her.

“Where are the girls?” Pam questioned.

“Shit. I thought they were with you.” Alison raised her brows. “Emily…”

“They’re fine. They’re at home.” Emily walked towards the bed, joining her mother and Alison.

“The last time we left them alone Grace set the kitchen on fire.” She reached for her phone.

“And Lily put it out. They balance each other. It’s fine. Lily knows where the fire extinguisher is. She knows the number to the poison control hotline. And she knows better than to leave Grace unattended.” Emily tried to calm Alison’s nerves.

“Forget baby-proofing the house. We’re going to need to Lily-and-Grace proof the baby. Get some durable bubble wrap and a tiny little helmet.” Alison was only semi-joking.

“He’ll be fine. His mothers are tough.” Pam reached down to play with his fingers.

He cooed. He reached out and latched on to Pam’s finger.

“I think he wants his Grandma.” Alison smiled.

She turned the phone towards Pam, Emily, and the baby and snapped a picture, capturing the moment that Pam fell indefinitely in love with her grandson. All it had taken was his tiny little fingers latching on to her. He had her heart.

“You know ‘Grandma’ makes me feel so old.” Pam made a face.

“We could go back to Pam-ma.” Emily snickered. When Lily was little she’d declared that Pam was Pam-ma, because she couldn’t pronounce the ‘G’ correctly.

“No.” Pam smiled down at the little boy as Emily slowly passed him over to her. “We’re going to go old school with this sweet one. Filipino style.” She carefully cradled his head and wrapped her arms protectively around her grandson. “Hi, bubby. I’m your Lola. Just like I called my Grandma.”

He scrunched his face up and kicked his feet out, trying to readjust to being moved out of his mom’s arms. Pam lifted him up, moving him so that his face was in front of hers. His mouth fell open in a little ‘o’ and he blinked several times. She readjusted him, letting him curl against her body until he was comfortable. He smacked his lips together and then settled in her arms.

Pam had been a natural with the twins, too. She was great with babies. All of their friends’ babies had loved her, too. Sometimes Hanna would call Pam when she was overwhelmed and her mother was out of town. She’d gotten Hanna through colic with her daughter.

“I know I’m biased here, but I think he might be the most handsome little baby I’ve ever seen.” She tickled his nose.

“The calm nature is all Emily.” Alison reached for her wife’s hand. Emily took it. “The girls got my attitude, but with him…” Alison touched her son’s foot, “…I can tell he’s going to be more laid-back. And he definitely didn’t get that from me. I imagine all those late night talks and lullabies you sang to him got through to him.” Alison peered at the brunette.  

“Your father did that when I was pregnant with you.” Pam looked up at her daughter, tearing her eyes away from her grandson for a fraction of a second. “You were a calm baby. Your eyes were so bright. You were always watching…observing…like you were afraid you might miss something.”

“You’ve always been good at seeing things that no one else can see.” Alison rubbed Emily’s arm. After all, the brunette had seen the best in her.

“You got that from your dad, too.” Pam put her free hand on top of Emily’s hand. “He’d be so proud. I wish he was here…” She sighed sadly.

Emily and Alison glanced at one another, sharing a loving smile. Pam missed the exchange. She was too enamored with her new grandbaby.

“Dad is here.” Emily squeezed her mom’s hand, gently calling for her attention. “In a way.”

Emily looked down at her baby boy. She could only imagine how her father would have reacted to having a grandson. He would have loved it.

Pam looked up at her daughter and daughter-in-law, perplexed. Emily smiled at her.

Sam squeaked and then curled his head and pushed himself against Pam’s body.

“Your grandson here will always have a part of dad.” Emily blinked back tears. She could see the confusion on her mother’s face. “Did you see the name on his bracelet?”

Pam gripped the little hospital bracelet. She made out the name Samuel ‘W’ D-F.

“Samuel Wayne DiLaurentis-Fields.” Emily touched her son’s hands. “Meet your Lola, Samuel Wayne…”

Pam tore her eyes away from the baby and looked up at Emily, tears in her eyes. Hearing her husband’s name stirred a plethora of emotions inside of her. It had been years since she lost him, but she still slipped into the stages of grief quite easily.

“You named him after your father?” Pam’s voice trembled.

“It was Alison’s idea.” Emily grasped her wife’s hand.

Emily had wanted to name him after her dad, but she didn’t want to pressure Alison into it. She hadn’t had to say a word, because Alison suggested it the second they found out they were having a boy.

All Alison could think about was how big of a void her father’s death had left in Emily’s life. She remembered Emily crying before their wedding because he wasn’t there to walk her down the aisle. She’d tried to hide the pain. Alison and Pam had been able to see it, but she’d ended up looking beautiful anyway.

Jason had walked Alison down the aisle. Toby had walked Emily. But it wasn’t the same, and Alison knew it wasn’t the same. She knew because her parents weren’t around either. The difference for her was that she didn’t want her parents around.

Alison felt Wayne's absence, too, and she didn’t even know him very well. She wanted their son to have the best parts of their blended family.

“I want him to know his grandfather was a great man.” Alison reached up and touched her son’s cheek. “Wayne was a wonderful human being and I don’t doubt that his spirit lives on in him.”

Wayne Fields had been a kind man. A decent man. He loved his family more than anything, and Alison knew his grandson would be able to carry out his legacy.

They had entertained the twins with stories of their grandfather, and they wanted their son to feel connected to him, too.  

“We wanted him to hear stories about how his namesake saved lives and made the world a better place for his grandchildren to play in.” Her fingertip landed against Sam’s lips. He suckled against it.

“We want Sam to know about dad’s kind heart. And his corny dad jokes.” Emily laughed, though she had a tear slipping down her cheek, which Pam automatically reached up and wiped away. “And his obsession with going overboard on Christmas...”

“That man and his Christmas lights, I swear…” Pam said with a sad smile.

“He’s going to know dad’s love. Just like the girls.” Emily leaned her head against her mother’s shoulder.

There had been a time when Emily had pulled away from her mother. But after her dad died she’d gotten closer to her than she ever imagined possible. They wouldn’t have gotten through it without each other.

“I don’t know what to say, girls.” Pam looked between Emily and Alison and then back down at her grandson.

When she looked into his wide wandering eyes she could see an old soul. The soul of her late husband. It’s as if though he was destined to be in their lives.

“You don’t have to say anything.” Alison smiled at her mother-in-law.

Sam spoke for all of them when he let out a squeaky grunt and kicked his feet.

“I am so glad those little soccer legs aren’t kicking me anymore.” Alison chuckled, tickling the bottom of his foot.

“Dad liked soccer. He played it with the kids overseas, didn’t he?” Emily asked.

“He did.” Pam nodded. “Are you going to be a soccer star, Sammy?” She pulled his blanket up around him, making sure he was snug. “Or football? Whatever you want to do, your Lola will be on the sidelines cheering for you and embarrassing you in front of all your friends. Because that’s what grandparents do.”

She leaned down and rubbed her nose against his cheek. He cooed. She sniffed his hair. He had that beautiful new baby smell. She wished she could bottle it up and save it forever.

She glanced at Alison and Emily, who were sharing a quiet look of adoration.

“Why don’t you let me look after him for a little while?” Pam slowly got to her feet. “You two get some rest.”

Emily nodded as her mother walked out of the room to take her grandson on the tour of the hospital hallways. Even after she’d disappeared, Emily’s eyes were fixed on the door.

“Hey…” Alison gripped her wrist, trying to get her attention. She had seen the look in Emily’s eyes when she was talking about her father. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Emily squeezed into the bed next to Alison carefully. She was trying to be mindful of her tender body. She knew she was sore. “I just miss him.”

Alison curled against her. She kissed her. She could taste the sorrow that Emily was hiding, but there was also a burst of joy. Their son couldn’t completely mend her broken heart, but he was certainly filling the gap that her father’s death had left there.

They laid in bed silently, Emily rubbing Alison’s back until the exhausted blonde fell asleep again. Emily wasn’t far behind her, as she dozed off right after. They knew their son was in good hands.

Sam had Pam’s heart completely. He made her feel connected to her husband again. She could feel Wayne’s energy surrounding them as she walked the hospital with her grandson.

Sam bonded with her in the same way that he’d bonded with his mothers. He never cried when he was in Pam’s arms.

She babysat several times the first few weeks while his exhausted mothers tried to get a balance back in their lives.

She offered to watch Sam and the twins one Sunday night so Alison and Emily could have some time to reconnect. They jumped at the chance.

Sam had woken up in the wee hours that Monday morning and Pam went to get him from his bassinet. The twins weren’t far behind. When their baby brother cried they always rushed to his side. But Pam was already there, rocking him in a rocking chair, soothing him and giving him a bottle.

“Is he okay?” Lily asked quietly as she crept into the room in concern.

“He’s fine. He was just hungry.”

“As long as he stays away from my Cheetos.” Grace walked in behind her sister.

“I don’t think Cheetos are good for babies.” Lily frowned.

They walked over to Pam and their baby brother.

“He’s so tiny.” Grace played with his foot. “And cute. Nothing like Lily was when she was a baby. I’ve seen pictures. She looked like a little gremlin.”

“We’re identical, gremlin.” Lily reminded her. “But you are very cute, Sammy.” She reached down and slid her index finger into his palm. He immediately latched on to her.

He glanced at them as he chewed on the nipple of the bottle.

“He’s a good little eater.” Lily smiled in pride. “Bottles and mom’s boob.”

“Gross. Can we not talk about mom’s boob this early in the morning? Or…ever.” Grace frowned.

“Breastfeeding is perfectly natural.”

“I get that. But I’d prefer not to think of mom’s boobs when I have a Chem test to get to. It’ll distract me.”

“Grace, you got distracted by a scuff in the floor last week.”  

“That’s because it was shaped like a dick…” She suddenly realized her grandmother was in the room and quickly added, “tator. A dictator’s…um…” She squirmed awkwardly. “Hitler’s mustache.” She blurted out. “It was ugly. He was a very bad man.”  

Lily smacked Grace on the back of her head. Grace let out a sheepish laugh.

“You girls need to go get ready for school.” Pam glanced at the clock.

“Yes. School.” Grace nodded.

Grace and Lily rushed out of the room.

“A dick? What were you thinking?” Lily growled in a hushed toned.

“It slipped out!” Grace answered back.

Pam couldn’t help but chuckle at her two crazy granddaughters. They were a mess. They always kept things interesting.

After they left for school the house was quiet. Pam sat with Sam for nearly an hour, rocking him, talking to him, singing to him.

She glanced at a picture of her husband all decked out in his dress blues. Keeping pictures of Wayne near Sam was Emily’s idea. She wanted him to know his grandfather’s face.

Pam sighed. She missed her husband more than anything. She hadn’t just lost a spouse. She’d lost a best friend. It had left a void in her life, a pain that was always there, like a window opening to let in a chill from which you couldn’t escape. But her grandson helped with the pain.

“Look what our daughter and her wife did.” Pam said quietly, smiling at the image of Wayne.

She looked down at the sleeping infant in her arms. He looked so peaceful. She felt a shift in the room. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

Sometimes if she closed her eyes she could picture him standing next to her, his hand on her shoulder, looking down at their grandbaby.

“Our girls…” Pam said, “They did good, Wayne.”

She knew he could hear her. She knew he was there. She could feel him. She was afraid to open her eyes, afraid to let go of the image she’d conjured up. But she did, because she knew that her grandbaby would be there when she did. So she opened her eyes and she looked down.

Sam’s eyes were open. He was looking up, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was looking beyond her, like he could see something that she couldn’t. He cooed and his mouth fell open in a gummy grin for a fraction of a second. If she didn’t know any better she would have thought he was laughing at one of Wayne’s corny jokes.

Pam would never forget the first joke Wayne had ever told Emily when she was little.

“How do you get an astronaut’s baby to sleep?” He’d lifted Emily up like a little astronaut in space and made her squeal and giggle, “You rocket it!”

It was little moments like that that kept her husband’s memory alive for her. She knew Sam would have loved him. She rubbed his cheek with her knuckle and his eyes started to droop closed again. Minutes later he was asleep.

“Samuel Wayne,” she whispered quietly as the baby slept soundly in her arms.

He would be everything his grandfather had taught their daughter to be. It had been years since he died, but his legacy lived on. He was a hero. He was a gentleman. He was a beautiful soul. He was everything Alison and Emily wanted their son to be.

[xxrainbow-princessxx]

No Expectations

Can Leo, Liam and Drake get the answers to their questions? Will Isabella’s state dinner bring something or someone new into her life?

Warnings: Cursing, Violence, Premonition of Death, Sexual innuendo

Chapter listing!

Chapter 1: Enough

Chapter 2: Homeward Bound

Chapter 3: Band of Brothers

Chapter 4: Dearest Sympathies

Tag list: @lorirwritesfanfic @drakewalkerfantasy @desireepow-1986 @rainbowsinthestorm @lorircreates @liam-rhys @rafasgirl23415 @kimmiedoo5 @hopefulmoonobject @kingliam2019 @itslaniquelove @texaskitten30 @mom2000aggie

“Maxwell and Bertrand...” Liam grinned, “So glad you could join us!” The Valtorian countryside provided a stunning backdrop for a day of relaxation and bonding a week after Leo, Drake and Liam concocted their plan to take down the brothers Beaumont. Drake took a deep breath, taking in the scenery, “Nothing better than a little fishing and beers to take our minds off of things...” before placing the bottle of beer to his lips, taking a refreshing drink. Liam looked down, kicking the dirt and stones with his shoe. “Your Majesty...” Bertrand sighed, “Liam... is everything ok?” Licking his lips, Liam then bit down on his lower lip. He wanted to scream, he wanted to stop pretending but he knew how important it was to lull Maxwell and Bertrand into a false sense of security. “Sorry...” he tried to smile, a smile that never truly reached his eyes, “I was miles away...” all Liam could think about was how much he wanted to make the Beaumont Brother’s feel pain as much as they made him suffer. Watching Liam carefully, Leo’s sea green eyes narrowed as his brother clenched his jaw; quickly interjecting as he threw his arm around Liam’s shoulder to diffuse a potential flaw with their plan, “Brother...” he chuckled with a mischievous grin, “Should we head back to the Estate for lunch? I have a bottle of Dalmore 62 with our names on it!” Drake slowly began to smirk as he teased, “That’s some goddamn good scotch Leo... but I thought Sánchez cut you off?” Leo began to laugh heartily, “Don’t you be worrying about me Drake, I kept a piggy bank to save for a rainy day...” Drake slowly shook his head, smiling, “You’re the only guy I know who actively plans for a batchelor fund...” Leo’s sea green eyes rolled to the left towards Bertrand and Maxwell as he ran his fingers through his sandy blonde hair, “Always best to prepare Walker... you never know when someone’s ready to shit on your doorstep...”

“Do you know the most interesting thing about the Valtorian Estate’s library?” Liam quizzed his guests as he swirled around the caramel hued liquid, “Where we stand right now is where the treaties between the Five Kingdoms were signed...” Bertrand began to nod, “Yes...” before he straightened his blazer jacket, “quite historically significant...” Liam took a deep breath, the scent of the single malt tickled his nose as the smell of orange and chocolate filled his senses before taking a sip, holding it momentarily as he warmly smiled savouring the taste, “It was where our houses came together to agree to protect Cordonia at all costs... and right now...” Liam sucked in his cheeks, “...we need to be united...” As each man nodded, Leo raised his crystal tumbler, “To Cordonia!” he roared triumphantly followed thereafter by the chorus of gathered men, “To Cordonia!” Leo and Liam looked at one another, both grinning mischievously. Like a lion, both brothers had their prey in their sights, they could smell their fear, their anxiety as every second passed. Leo and Liam toyed with the Beaumont brothers relishing in their unknowing; it was imperative that not only physically they were in jeopardy but also their psychological well-being wanting them to doubt themselves. Liam’s steel blue eyes glistened as he glanced left towards Leo and Drake with a barely noticeable nod, his patience was thinning; it was time.

Leo and Liam manoeuvred themselves behind both Maxwell and Bertrand with Drake directing them both. With a sharp nod, Liam took Maxwell and Leo took Bertrand into a chokehold, keeping the pressure on as they struggled. Bertrand passed out with anxiety but Maxwell put on more of a struggle. Drake clenched his hand tightly and his lips curled upwards into a smirk, “I’ve waited a lifetime for this...” slamming his fist against Maxwell’s jaw knocking him out. Whilst dragging both of the Beaumont’s unconscious bodies across the floor Liam grinned, “Another fact about this Library...” he kicked the bottom shelf, and a hidden door slowly opened, “The hidden passageway leads to the dungeons...” Their hearts raced, bodies filled with adrenaline as they shackled both Maxwell and Bertrand to the chains on the walls. “Wake the fuck up!” Drake roared throwing freezing cold water over both of the brothers. Bertrand gasped, his chest heaving, “where... what? Where am I?!” Leo had both Bertrand and Maxwell exactly where he wanted them. With a growling authority in his voice, he finally broke his silence, “I think pinky and the brain here have a lot of fucking explaining to do...”

“Please... please...” Bertrand begged as Liam held Maxwell by the throat, his nostrils were flaring, his whole body shaking with anger squeezing as Maxwell turned redder and redder, his eyes straining as he struggled to breathe. Liam seethed, angrily roaring, “You taunt me with my daughter you sick son of a bitch! I will kill you with my bare hands!” Bertrand watched in horror as Liam flipped and Leo held a dagger placing the sharp tip on his Adam’s apple. Every swallow Bertrand made reminded him that he was millimetres from death , “Stop... I beg... you!” Bertrand cried, “Please! I’ll tell you what you need to know!” Leo pressed a little more, “Remember Beaumont... each lie will be costly...” grabbing his hand and slamming it against the stone wall, “You stole from us...” he seethed as Leo’s sea green eyes burned with pure hatred driving the dagger right through the middle of his hand. Bertrand let out a blood chilling scream as the former Crown Prince of Cordonia’s lips curled upwards, “You better start fucking talking!” Liam finally let go of Maxwell’s throat, the younger Beaumont gasped greedily for air. “When we finally got a hold of our father’s documents; he and Godfrey planned for a new Cordonia; a better Cordonia... Queen Hélène knew she was in danger and ran but as always everything was brushed under the carpet until Constantine...” Bertrand snorted, “...was that idiotic he remarried and Eleanor had Liam... they had another opportunity...” Drake glared at both of the brothers, “Another opportunity?” As both Bertrand and Maxwell began to laugh, Drake clenched his teeth, “Another opportunity for what?!”

Even in Leo’s absence, Royal engagements still had to go ahead, no matter how Isabella felt. The petite brunette took a deep breath as she entered the state dinner. Her yellow gown complimented her olive sun kissed skin, her make up was simple but elegant as the Queen took her seat. Isabella immediately placed her right hand on the table but instead of feeling the warmth of her husband’s fingers encapsulating hers, Isabella felt only the linen tablecloth. Turning her head, it wasn’t her husband she found beside her but the Laurentian Prime Minister. There was no sweet nothings whispered into her ear, no promises made. In a room full of people, the young Monarch had never left so alone. The stares she could deal with, but the whispering and speculations; not so much. Isabella’s signature bright, dazzling smile was nowhere to be seen as she withdrew in herself counting down the minutes until she could leave. In present circumstance, no one dared approach the Laurentian Queen as Isabella’s absent expression kept those at arms length. With the lights lowering, the string quartet’s soft murmurs brought those in attendance to the dancefloor giving Isabella her opportunity to leave as the petite brunette gracefully exited the hall into the landscaped Laurentian Royal gardens.

Isabella turned, staring back at the Palace wondering how she and Leo could have gotten everything so wrong. Right now, she would have given up everything to feel happy again. The chill in the evening air made Isabella shiver until she felt a jacket being draped over her shoulders causing Isabella to jump, “Please forgive me Your Majesty...” a tall, stunningly handsome man bowed to her, “But you seemed cold...” Isabella wrapped the dinner blazer around her a little more embracing the heat, allowing her stony expression slowly relax into a smile, “Thank you... I’m sorry...” Isabella’s eyes narrowed slightly trying to place the blonde haired, blue eyed stranger, “Do I know you from somewhere?” The stranger began to chuckle as he spoke in an English accent, “Once again I apologise for my brashness Your Majesty... Lord Matthew Devereaux...” he bowed again, “I am a guest of The Duke and Duchess of Lorien this evening...” Isabella raised her brow as she tapped her finger against her lip, “And renowned Laurentian Law expert from London... Your reputation precedes you...” Isabella twisted her mouth slightly at the aggravation, “How... convenient...” as she began to remove his jacket, Matthew shook his head politely s as he began to laugh, “I’m afraid divorce law is not my forte Your Majesty, I have no other reason to be here than to be a guest... please...” he gestured to his jacket, “It’s cold...” Isabella’s stern expression softened as her eyes met Matthew’s. It was like looking into a serene lagoon, they were the palest blue she had ever seen. “You seemed a little down at dinner...” he continued, “...and when I saw you out here afterwards... I didn’t want you to be alone, you seemed like you could do with the company... at least this way...” he began to smile warmly towards the Laurentian beauty, “If anyone were to ask, you could always say you wanted counsel...”

Isabella slowly began to grin, her almond shaped eyes narrowed as she laughed, “Yes... I suppose you are right Lord Devereaux, I could...” it felt good to laugh after the past few weeks. Isabella appreciated the sentiment that someone would be more interested in her wellbeing right now that winning her affections like many others had already tried. The music echoed through the quiet evening air all she wanted was to dance and feel somewhat carefree. “As unorthodox that this may be...” Isabella began to giggle putting out her hand, “May I ask if you would kindly accept my invitation to dance with me?” Bowing, Matthew looked up at her smiling, “It would be my honour Your Majesty...” Isabella was pleasantly surprised, “You know the Laurentian Waltz?” Lord Devereaux nodded, “Yes... my grandmother taught me... she once was a lady’s maid in this very Palace before your grandmother Queen Thérèse introduced her to what would be my grandfather...” as they swayed from side to side rather formally Matthew caught a glimpse into Isabella’s dark chocolate brown eyes, the moonlight capturing those honey and gold little specs that glittered with hope and solace, “Very touching...” Isabella smiled sweetly as Matthew continued, “She taught me many Laurentian values and traditions, thus the interest... I’m sure you can’t paint the rest of the picture...” Isabella began to laugh, “Yes... I’m sure I can Lord Devereaux...” With a flick of the wrist, Matthew spun her gently, “Please Your Majesty... no need for formalities, Matthew will suffice...” Isabella didn’t know what it was about him that drew her closer to him but he peaked her interest, “In that case, you can grant me the same luxury, please... call me Isabella...”

[sweetwriting]

TimKon Week 2020 Day 6: Au Temps des Cerises

Category: Gen or Pre-slash

Genre: Angst/Fluff, 

Fandoms: DC Comics, Red Robin, Teamverse

Continuity: Post-Crisis/Pre-Flashpoint Future AU

Summary:   I mixed both prompts, you get canon era Bakery and Coffeeshop AU. I'm proud of what I did in just 2 hours

Word Count: 1840

AN: Hey everyone! hope you enjoy this. Warning, the beginning might be a bit hard.

PS: I know lots of this could be solved by going to the authorities but I didn’t want to

PPS: I might actually go in more depth later.

Prompt: Canon AU – Coffeeshop/Bakery

Can be read on AO3

Conner had been living in California for 2 weeks now. He was going to start his classes there next week and had mostly used that time to settle in his apartment, his neighborhood and his job.

He was working at a small bakery near his apartment and thanks to everything Ma had taught him he could do something other than just staying near the register.

Truthfully he didn’t need it, Bruce Wayne and later on Dick Grayson made sure every young hero who wanted to study got a scholarship so they wouldn’t be burdened by having to work in addition to studying and heroing.

But Conner needed it. He needed to keep busy.

Because when he had been brought back to life, it was to the news that Tim Drake had died while looking for a flimsy hope that Bruce Wayne was still alive.

That had been about 5 months ago.

At first he had tried to follow his trail and find his voice but his powers were nowhere near Clark’s and after three months he finally gave in.

Tim was dead.

But he couldn’t accept that and move on. He tried to bury himself in heroing, in catching up on homework, on helping Ma. But in order to really bury everything he had to use his powers and that meant he was done very quickly with high school and he needed something new and time consuming.

He chose to study both Law and Psychology. Tim had told him once that he was too emotional to take a step back when he needed it but that he also had the uncanny ability to perceive parts of people no one else noticed. Tim would talk to him about it sometimes. Or about how he and Batman dealt with the law in Gotham. About a lot of things really, but he had once told him it could be useful in their line of work, in knowing how to deal with victims and criminal.

So Conner was pursuing it.

Partly because Tim’s advice had been sound, partly because it was one of the last talks he had had with Tim.

He didn’t really hang out with the Teen Titans. He was there when he wasn’t busy but…he had tried for a bit. Got back together with Cassie, hung out with Bart. But he couldn’t do that in hero form and as Titans…Well even if they called themselves family they didn’t hang out together the way they had done in Young Justice. When they’d just play ping-pong and other dumb things. Now him and Bart still tried but Conner wouldn’t be able to actually do that until he at least managed to accept Tim’s death.

But no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

It was his third week at Au Temps des Cerises, the little bakery and he would start his classes in two days. His boss, a sweet middle aged woman called Samantha had just asked him to go deliver some of their baked goods to a coffee shop and a restaurant for a taste test. If they liked it well enough then they sign a contract to sell them.

He was just finished with the restaurant manager and their chef and was heading toward the Café Culturel et Solidaire, a small café not far from Conner’s campus. Not that he’d ever gotten anywhere near close to it before. He liked coffee but not more than any other drink. Apparently that coffee shop was not very well known but pretty cheap and with quite a few regulars.

As he was nearing it however, he started losing his focus which meant he lost control of his super hearing. And he heard him.

His voice was coming from the coffee shop.

Before he knew what was happening, Conner was running toward it and opened the doors with a bang yelling Tim’s name.

Which obviously meant that he scared more than half of the people in the shop, including the staff. Including the boy at the register, who looked so much like Tim. Probably the source of the voice. He walked toward him.

“Have we met?”

- - - - - - - - - -

Conner was waiting in the Café Culturel et Solidaire’s kitchen. After being shocked silent by Tim’s -he knew he was Tim…he didn’t know how he knew it but he did- answer he screamed again.

“Of course! How dare you say that to your best friend!”

Tim startled. “Wha- No! I meant that literally I… Look…Are you part of the Bakery that was supposed to drop by?”

Conner stopped for a second, reminded that he had a big bag with the name and logo of his workplace in his arms. He nodded and Tim sighed.

“Ok, go wait in the kitchen, I’m gonna get the manager and I’ll be off soon just…Stop making a scene.”

So Conner had followed the instructions and was now waiting for the manager to taste test the bakeries.

He didn’t have to wait more than five minutes before a man who seemed to be in his early 60’s came in and after a good 20 minutes, the Au Temps des Cerises bakery had a new deal. The old man did look at him in a slightly distrustful way though.

When he got out, most of the clients that had been there when he had entered were gone and he let out a relieved sigh. Especially when he saw Tim waiting for him.

The young man looked up at that moment and it allowed Conner to see how nervous he was. He sighed. He didn’t like the idea of Tim being nervous because of him. And he knew there was something wrong. Or at least he hoped. It was a horrible thing to say but he hoped that there was a good reason for Tim just leaving like that.

They got out of the shop and started walking. From what Conner could guess, they were going toward the big parc near the campus.

They spent the first couple of minutes in silence. It seemed longer. Then Tim breathed in and said:

“I meant what I said when I asked if we had met before. It wasn’t to be mean or anything but I was comatose for 5 months when I was in Paris and when I woke up I had lost all my memories. I only knew my first name and that I was from the US. Granted that was deduced from my accent and the fact that I didn’t speak a work of French. I worked there for two months in a small toy shop because the owner was the brother of my doctor and took pity on me.

When they found me I only had a book and some money on me. Turns out my passport was hidden in it so after two months I took the first flight I could afford. Now I’m working in that café because I needed the money to go to the address on the passport and coffee shop will accept pretty much anyone who asks and can handle the rhythm.

You…You knew my name. You just saw me through the window and you recognized me so I just…I was surprised.”

Conner was relieved. Of course it was awful for Tim and that meant his best friend had forgotten him but he hadn’t avoided him on purpose. Now how would he be able to manage that was a different question entirely.

But he didn’t care. It was Tim. Tim was alive and there was a chance he could get his best friend back.

So he hugged him. Also he cried on his shoulder but that was just a detail.

 AN: As always, Tim will never be a coffee addict in my fics. For one thing he drank like 3 cups of coffee in canon overall. So while he can enjoy it, that's pretty much all there's to it, so, when compared to Dick and Barbara who are often, often often seen with a mug of coffee in hand, it's even more laughable to me. Also the guy loves to sleep. He's not gonna force himself to stay awake if he doesn't absolutely have to. That's why he falls asleep on a roller coaster, he just changed his sleep schedule.

Anyway, the idea is that Tim will remember things after a while in Gotham. Dick's been crying for months and now that his baby brother is back he won't leave him alone. They don't bring up the reason why Tim left. Things explode, which help Tim get the last of his memories back, they get Bruce back. Tim and Dick are mending things. Meanwhile Conner is happily baking for Tim and he's learning how to be around people again after shutting everybody out. Bart also gets lots of Cake. Ma's happy Conner's feeling better. Did I say Conner baked for Tim? 'Cause it's important.

[anubislover]

“Welcome to the Heart Pirates, Nami-ya” Chapter 13: The Lesser Evil

Nami awoke slowly, her fogged brain sluggishly processing her strange surroundings. A high-pitched beeping noise. Low, muttered voices. Scratchy sheets against her skin and a stiff mattress beneath her back. Her eyes cracked open only to immediately shut again in pain from the blinding white light. She attempted to shield them but was startled to find her wrists bound with thick leather straps to a metal headboard.

Memories of Jinzo and the club snapped to the forefront of her mind. Had she been captured? Was this that creep’s brothel? Where was Ikkaku? Was she still bleeding out in the alley? Where was Law?!

Panicked and disoriented, she screamed and struggled helplessly until a pair of large, gloved hands firmly but gently grabbed her shoulders, pinning her down as Law’s hard face blocked out the bright light, allowing Nami to finally see.

“Nami-ya, calm down; you’re in my infirmary.”

“What?”

He neglected to answer as he inspected her eyes, his stern expression softening with relief. “No blue in the iris—looks like I got all of the drug out. Do you remember last night?”

“Of course I remember! Law, you need to get Ikkaku—”

“Right here, Nami,” a voice from one of the other beds groaned. The redhead breathed a deep sigh of relief when she saw Bepo unshackling the engineer before gingerly helping her sit up. There was an IV full of fluids hooked to her arm and she was in one of the Tang’s hospital gowns, but she was alive. “Neptune’s beard, I never want to see another martini again.”

Nausea bubbled in her stomach as Nami recalled Hypnotique and the state she’d had to leave the other woman in. “Those men…they didn’t—”

“They tried.” Penguin’s face was dark as he leaned against the wall. Tension and quiet rage radiated from every pore as he stared at his shipmate, latex gloves squeaking softly as he clenched and unclenched his hands. “We barely got there in time.”

“I was out of bullets, and Mandōreku had me pinned…” Ikkaku trailed off with a shudder.

“Penguin pulled him off you,” Law said quietly, though Nami could see the angry tic in his jaw as he ground his teeth and the way his tattooed knuckles were white with rage as he released the straps around her wrists. “Shot him point-blank in the family jewels.”

“Did you kill him?” Ikkaku asked, turning to the first mate.

“Not right away,” he replied coldly, the brim of his hat casting his eyes in shadow. “You’d lost a lot of blood and the uranos needed to be dealt with immediately, but once Law had you unconscious and in the infirmary, I took care of him.”

“Good. I only wish I could have done it myself,” she snarled. “Apparently, that son of a bitch was the one who spiked our drinks and supplied the drug in the first place.”

“If I’d known that, I’d have let him bleed out from the hole in his crotch instead of finishing him quickly,” Penguin growled. “I thought he was just a regular scumbag.”

“What’s important is that we got the drug out of you both in time,” Law cut in as he helped Nami sit up. “Uranos basically acts as a stimulant and aphrodisiac. If not treated quickly, it can cause enough brain damage to turn even the most level-headed person into a pleasure-addicted zombie. To say nothing of how much it fucks up your liver, kidneys, and reproductive organs.”

“At least your powers could get it out of us,” Nami stated, remembering how he’d managed to remove the birth control from her system.

“Yes, but given how many vital parts it effects and how fast it works, it takes a lot more concentration and energy than usual—especially since I couldn’t afford to treat you one at a time. I also find it’s easier when the patient’s unconscious; a slowed heart rate means the drug’s processed less quickly, plus it lessens the amount of distracting moaning and writhing from the patient. Not that it stops entirely,” he stated, nodding at the leather restraints.

She flushed. So that’s why he knocked her out. She could now clearly remember how she threw herself at him, practically begging him to fuck her. God, how humiliating! And to think she’d been so overwhelmed by need that she nearly hadn’t told Law about Ikkaku. If he hadn’t managed to trick the answer out of her…

“Thanks for getting us, Boss,” Ikkaku said, breaking the tense silence that fell upon the room.

Bepo gave her a faint smile as he rubbed her back, carefully avoiding scratching her with his claws. “Law’d never leave you two behind.”

“Jinzo didn’t think so,” she replied sourly, hands tightening into fists. “Planned on making Nami his star attraction, and he was going to hand me over to the bartender as a bonus for his ‘services’. Knew there was something off about that guy, especially when he wouldn’t get us water.”

“I’m sorry I left you alone with him,” Nami whispered guiltily, drawing her knees against her chest. Mandōreku had seemed so nice, but behind that charming smile had been utter scum. To think, she’d even encouraged her friend to give that creep a chance!

Ikkaku shook her head insistently. “Nami, I specifically told you to go to the bathroom because I had the feeling something was up, and I wanted you safely out of the way in case things turned violent. Which they did, and you ended up coming out and saving my ass anyway, so no harm, no foul.”

“What’s ‘foul’ is the fact that that bastard had enough uranos to spike the drinks of an entire bar,” Penguin snapped. Despite the girls being safe and sound, his scowl hadn’t eased up, and his posture still implied that he’d like to go out and kill something. But even though anger radiated off of him, he stayed put, not moving so much as an inch from his place by Ikkaku’s bed.

Gloved hand rubbing his goatee, Law nodded in agreement. “Uranos is extracted from a berry that only grows on a single island in the South Blue—Jinzo must have sunk a fortune into getting enough juice to dose a whole bar full of women. Just 15ml costs at least 50,000 belli.”

“If he got the shipment in recently, plus factoring in buying property, remodeling, paying his guards, and all his other expenses, no wonder he didn’t have the money to pay you and Drake,” Nami said, tallying up the rough costs of everything Jinzo had likely been spending in the past month.

Frown deepening, the surgeon looked at her in consideration. “He and Kimo-ya had always done well in the black market trade, but I guess with so many upstart pirates moving on to the New World to take advantage of the chaos, he wanted a fallback in case his normal clientele dried up. It’s not a bad plan, but he should never have tried to muscle in on Haiko-ya’s territory; she may be married to his partner, but she’s basically the unofficial ruler of Grimm’s nightlife.”

“Haiko’s that powerful?”

“She’s established quite the foothold over the past two years. Hiroshi once told me that, before she married Kimo-ya, Grimm was even worse; the dead bodies of whores were regularly found on street corners, drug lords ran rampant, you never knew if you were drinking alcohol or formaldehyde, and the slave trade was out of control. When Haiko-ya arrived, she used her influence to start cleaning things up. The first thing she did was reform the brothels; because of her, they’re now run like legitimate businesses with willing employees that are treated well.”

“Yeah? Jinzo seemed to have had other ideas,” Nami said softly. “He had us all drugged so he could cut down labor costs. No need to pay whores if they’re mindless sex slaves.”

Law scoffed. “Idiot. Women who take uranos have a life expectancy of a month, tops, and that’s still longer than men. Aside from the organ damage the drug can cause, being in a constant state of arousal like that typically results in dehydration, puts a massive strain on the heart, and when you’re only focused on fulfilling your sexual desires, basic human needs like eating and sleeping fall by the wayside. Most wither away to nothing.”

Penguin took off his hat to rub his forehead, scowl deepening. “So, even if he’d succeeded, once those girls died, he’d have to pay out again for a new batch of brain-fucked prostitutes.”

Nami shuddered at the thought. That could have been them. She would have died a mindless sex slave. Despite her life of servitude and the dangers she’d faced as a woman on the Grand Line, such a fate had never even occurred to her. Even when Absalom had kidnapped her and tried to marry her, she’d never even considered it—mainly because she’d been unconscious, but also because she never doubted that Sanji or Luffy or Zoro would save her. Those three always seemed to show up when she was in trouble. But Law…

She had far more faith in the Surgeon of Death than she used to, but it wasn’t the same instinctive trust that she had with her nakama—if she hadn’t gone looking for him, would he have shown up in time to get her and Ikkaku out of there? Luffy would drop everything if he even thought one of his friends was in trouble. Zoro, for all his terrible direction sense, never failed to stumble across her in the nick of time. Sanji had a sixth sense for women in danger. Even Usopp and Chopper, her fellow scaredy-cats, could be relied on to overcome their own fears if she were in trouble.

But Law had been on his own mission. The man had his own goals and priorities that wouldn’t always line up with hers. She couldn’t always rely on him to save her. She shouldn’t always rely on others.

Ignorant to the navigator’s inner turmoil, Law shook his head. “You’re assuming Haiko-ya would let him live that long. She already knew he was opening a brothel, so the second she caught even a whiff of uranos being used on the girls, she’d burn the place to the ground.”

“Unless…” Bepo began before stopping himself. “Sorry.”

“Unless what, Bepo?” Ikkaku asked curiously.

“Speak,” Law ordered, eyes narrowed.

The bear looked nervous as he twiddled his claws. “Well, what if Jinzo planned on getting Miss Haiko out of the way? With Mr. Kimo out of commission, it would be a lot easier for him to take over and drive her out. Or kill her. Or,” he swallowed harshly, “maybe even drug her and add her to the brothel.”

It made a sick amount of sense, and Nami watched Law’s gold eyes burn with understanding. “Haiko-ya probably suspected Jinzo was looking to take her out before his new business opened. That’s why she asked me to go after him last night.” Glare deepening, Law stalked towards the door, motioning for Penguin to follow. The first mate reluctantly left his post, tossing a concerned glance at Ikkaku before leaving the infirmary.

The room was filled with an uncomfortable silence until Nami uttered, “Bepo?”

“Yes, Nami?”

“What happened to the other girls? The ones in the club that were also drugged?”

Her fellow navigator seemed reluctant to answer, glancing around as if hoping someone would pop out to answer the unpleasant question for him. “Well…Captain’s primary concern was you two, but he did order us to sedate and deliver them to Miss Haiko. Once he was sure you would be alright, he went to see what he could do for them, but given how far gone most of them looked…” He bowed his head sadly. “I’m sorry.”

Nami bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes as she stared down at the white tiled floor. Given all that she’d heard about the drug, she felt overwhelming pity for those girls. What would happen to them? What kind of lives could they expect? Did they have husbands or boyfriends or families? Would they ever know the girls’ fates? Were they better off not knowing?

“I’m so sorry, Nami,” Ikkaku murmured, catching her attention. The Heart Pirate looked utterly devastated, tears welling up in her dark eyes. “I was so, so stupid. I figured since Haiko’d been cleaning up the clubs and bars, it was safe to have a night out.”

“You couldn’t have known this would happen,” Nami replied weakly.

Bepo nodded emphatically as he pulled his crewmate into a tight hug. “Don’t blame yourself; even Law thought it was safe enough for you two to go out alone! New bars don’t open without Miss Haiko’s approval, after all. And with the way she’s been running things, it’s more dangerous to go out alone during the day than at night!”

“Really?” Nami asked, surprised.

“Oh yeah. Since Miss Haiko pretty much runs the island at night, she doesn’t get involved with things during the day. It’s the compromise she made with Mr. Kimo and Jinzo. So, slavers and stuff are still a problem while the sun’s up, but once things get dark, it’s a lot safer.”

“Kimo’s really ok with stuff like that?”

“Yeah,” Bepo said nervously, round ears drooping. “He may be more honorable than Jinzo, but he’s still pretty ruthless—wouldn’t be in the black market organ trade otherwise. Handing over control of the island at night to Miss Haiko was basically his wedding gift to her. Jinzo really hadn’t liked that—the red light district had been his domain.”

Frowning, Nami considered his words. Since arriving on Grimm, she’d assumed that Kimo was the lesser of the two evils between himself and Jinzo. But something wasn’t quite right; considering all the work that went into opening a new business, Jinzo must have been planning on starting the brothel for at least a month, if not two. Yet if Kimo had handed control of Grimm’s evening affairs over to Haiko, there was no way Jinzo would have dared disrespected his partner like that, right? And Kimo would have had to be completely stupid not to notice his partner muscling in on his wife’s territory.

Stupid, or in on it, Nami thought, eyes widening as she remembered her brief encounter with Haiko. The club owner had seemed pretty pissed about what had happened to her husband, but not nearly as distraught as one would expect from a woman whose beloved had been possibly assaulted by his long-time partner. And she’d been so quick to point the finger at Jinzo. More than eager to push a slighted Law in his direction. To step back and let someone else get their hands dirty.

It was all conjecture, and she had no proof, but Nami’s gut had told her when they first met that she was the kind of woman who could slit a man’s throat with a smile. And now her gut was saying Haiko was far more involved in this whole mess than she’d let on.

Lost in thought, Nami didn’t realize Law had returned until she heard a low, rapid thumping inches from her face. Looking up, she jumped back like a startled cat as she found herself staring at a beating heart in a translucent cube.

“What the hell is that?!” she screeched.

“I think that’s pretty obvious, Nami-ya; a heart. Specifically, Jinzo’s.”

“Why do you even have that?!”

Tossing the disembodied organ causally into the air and catching it with one hand, he replied, “Well, because I was a bit preoccupied with saving your life, I didn’t have the time to make that bastard suffer like I wanted to. So, I took his heart and handed the rest of him over to Drake-ya.” His grin was cruel and pleased, especially as the organ in his hand beat faster, clearly under some kind of distress. “When I explained the situation to him, he was more than happy to deliver justice in my stead. Especially since Haiko-ya agreed to pay him the money he’s owed, plus a bonus for taking care of this disgusting pest problem.”

“What’s Drake doing with him?” Ikkaku asked, glaring at the heart with cold determination.

“Torture. He promised to use every trick the Marines and his father ever taught him. Broken bones, waterboarding, hot pokers, acid in open wounds, bamboo shards under his nails—but he’s not allowed to kill him.” Gold eyes landed on Nami. “That’ll be my pleasure. Unless you’d like that honor for yourself?” he asked, offering the organ to the navigator like a macabre Valentine.

She gasped in horror. “I’m not killing anyone!”

“You sure? After what he did to you? Think about what would have happened, Nami-ya; he tried to make you a sex slave. He would have profited off your body and laughed as you served every sick scumbag willing to pay. You’d be used, abused, and at the mercy of men who’d only see you as a notch on their belts and a warm hole to fuck,” he sneered, grip on the fragile organ tightening unconsciously.

She shuddered. The picture Law painted wasn’t pretty. Just the thought of what she would have been reduced to made her want to vomit. She and Ikkaku and all those other girls…

Swallowing hard, Nami nervously met his cold eyes. “Law, did you manage to cure the other girls?” Bepo had been doubtful, but a small part of her prayed for a miracle from the doctor.

Law ran a hand through his dark hair. “Haiko-ya’s familiar with uranos—she had some anaphrodisiac on hand to hold back the effects, but not enough for everyone. Some I was able to fully cure. Others will likely be nymphomaniacs for the rest of their lives, but at least still have their higher reasoning intact. Several unfortunately succumbed to the permanent effect before I even got to them. And a few had been taking other drugs that didn’t play well with the addition of uranos and alcohol—needless to say, they died.”

Her throat tightened like a fist had wrapped around it. “Oh my god.”

Holding the rapidly-beating heart out towards her like a rose or box of chocolates, he asked coaxingly, “So, considering the number of lives Jinzo ruined tonight, are you sure you don’t want to give it a little squeeze?”

Fingers twitching, Nami was tempted to take him up on his offer. To grab that fragile organ and crush it between her fingers. To make Jinzo suffer in a way he never could have prepared for in the name of the women he’d been willing to use for his own ends.

But her conscience won out. She wasn’t a murderer. Maybe if it had been Arlong’s heart, she would have done it. This Fishman had spent nearly a decade pushing her to the breaking point. Hell, she’d tried to kill him at least a dozen different ways before resigning herself to the fragile glimmer of hope that he’d honor their deal and free her village.

She had no doubt that Jinzo was just as bad as Arlong, and he’d certainly wronged her and her friend, but as far as personal stakes went, Jinzo paled in comparison. So, even though he deserved it, she couldn’t bring herself to kill him in such a callous, ignoble way. Luffy would never approve. None of her nakama would. She didn’t give a damn about honor or fair fights, but killing him like this, when the man had no chance to fight back, was a slippery slope she didn’t want to go down.

Gingerly, Nami pushed Law’s hand away. “I’m sure. It just…I could never…”

The Surgeon of Death seemed disgruntled that she refused his macabre gift, but he got over it quickly. “Suit yourself. Ikkaku?”

The engineer seemed to consider it, but one look at Nami’s ashen face changed her mind. “Better take that somewhere else, Boss—I don’t give a shit what you do to that bastard, but Nami doesn’t need to see it.”

Law glanced at the woman in question before shrugging and tossing the heart onto an empty bed. Casually, he checked Ikkaku’s IV and stitches along her side as he said, “Fine. I should call Drake-ya first and see if he’s gotten bored of ripping chunks of flesh off of the bastard, anyway. Hate to interfere with his fun. Penguin’s getting your breakfast—eat up, then get dressed. The log pose has reset and we’re leaving Grimm no later than sunset. This visit has been an absolute shit show.” Satisfied with his engineer’s condition, Law retrieved Jinzo’s heart, tossing it up and down like a beanbag as he ordered, “If you have anything you wanted to pick up before we head off, this is your last chance—though you’re both wearing the uniforms. No arguments.”

“Fine by me,” Nami murmured, refusing to look at the vulnerable red organ.

Her chin was lifted gently, and she was forced to meet Law’s tired eyes. “Nami-ya, I promise the next island we land on will be much more relaxing. No black markets, drugs, or creepy psychopaths.”

“That…that sounds great, Law,” she replied uncomfortably.

“That’s it? No complaining? No demands for monetary compensation? No insults?” His frown deepened as he took a step back, taking care to keep Jinzo’s heart just out of her line of sight. “What’s on your mind, Nami-ya?

She worried her lip. Haiko was Law’s friend, or at least they were on good terms. Should she really risk inciting his anger by making accusations against her without proof?

Then again, Law was an intelligent man, and he knew the woman better than Nami did. If anyone could put her mind at ease and prove her theory right or wrong, it was him.

For better or worse, she’d trust his judgment.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Nami asked, “Did Haiko ever tell you what kind of accident her husband was in?”

A dark blue eyebrow raised in bemusement. “No. We were a bit preoccupied with brainstorming ways of making Jinzo pay for his transgressions. I assume it was something pretty serious, though.”

“But she knows how good a doctor you are. You completely repaired Hiroshi’s hands. You can pull drugs and poison out of people and find out exactly what’s wrong with someone with your powers. Why wouldn’t she ask you to look Kimo over and see if you could help him?”

“Because—” Law paused, quickly realizing he had no answer. “That’s a very good question, Nami-ya.” Brow furrowing, he stood before her in deep thought for a few minutes, idly running his thumb over the heart in his hand. It continued to beat at a dizzying speed—Jinzo was terrified, in agony, or both.

Finally, with a dark glint in his golden eyes, the Dark Doctor stated, “I’ll look into it. As for you two; rest, eat, and be ready to set sail by tonight.”

“Aye-aye, Captain,” Ikkaku replied while Nami nodded mutely.

Without another word, Law stalked out of the infirmary, leaving the two women and the Mink alone.

Determined not to endure any more awkward silences, Bepo walked over to Nami, lifted her up like she weighed nothing, and carried her over to Ikkaku’s cot. The bear sat down and pulled both women onto his lap, hugging them close like they were a pair of dolls.

“You had us all worried,” he whimpered, rubbing his muzzle against Ikkaku’s tangled hair. After six hours and all the craziness that had ensued during that time, the dark strands were regaining their natural curl. “I thought we were going to lose you.”

Despite the stress and trauma she’d endured over the past few days, Nami couldn’t help but feel the need to reassure the sweet bear. “We’re ok, Bepo. You guys got to us just in time,” she promised, patting his soft fur comfortingly.

“We knew you’d never let us down,” Ikkaku agreed, smiling softly at the way the Mink nuzzled her.

“But what if we hadn’t—”

“If you’re worried, next time you’re coming with us on Ladies’ Night,” she offered.

“Yeah,” Nami chimed in. “No one would dare mess with us if we had our fierce Mink bodyguard with us!”

“I don’t think you’re getting a choice on the whole ‘bodyguard’ thing,” Bepo admitted. “Law was a wreck. Pretty sure he’s not going to let either of you off the ship for a while without either him or a whole entourage for protection. Sorry.”

As much as Nami wanted to be annoyed at this, she couldn’t blame the dark captain for such a precaution. Grimm had taught her that, if she wanted to get through the rest of the year in one piece, she was going to have to adapt to her situation better. Life with the Straw Hats had made her forget just how much danger a woman faced.

Ikkaku had said she was lucky to have kept her virginity for so long—that she had the chance to choose who to give her first time to—but she hadn’t fully realized just how lucky. Absalom, Jinzo, Harpin—she could have been raped by any one of them. And though she was fortunate enough to have powerful people looking after her, she needed to be better prepared to defend herself in the future. As it was, she was a liability, and she couldn’t always count on others to rescue her.

Resting her head against Bepo’s furry neck, she made a decision. “Hey, Ikkaku?”

“Yeah?”

“Think you could take a look at my Clima-Tact later? Maybe see if there’s a way to bulk up its attacks, or give me some tips on how to utilize it better? I…I don’t want you to feel like I’d be in the way of a fight again.” Usopp would probably freak that she’d let someone other than him mess around with his invention, but Nami was sure he’d understand that it was for the sake of survival.

“I didn’t exactly think you’d be in the way,” Ikkaku replied, though there was a hint of hesitation in her tone. “I just didn’t want you getting hurt. I mean, if it turned out Mandōreku had a gun, I couldn’t risk him shooting you.”

“I get it, but if I’m going to stand a chance in the New World, I need to up my game. I’m never going to be a great fighter like Luffy or Sanji-kun, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try to get stronger.”

The engineer smiled sympathetically. “Then sure, I’ll look at it. Honestly, I’ve been dying to study that thing for a while but didn’t want to overstep.”

“I appreciate it,” Nami said. She meant it, too; Ikkaku might have been blunt and a bit pushy at times, but it was good to hear that she really did respect Nami’s boundaries.

“If you want some combat training, I can teach you a few of my moves,” Bepo offered, turning to rub his fuzzy cheek against her forehead affectionately.

“That’d probably be a good idea. Law said it was time to start some combat training, but I’ve been avoiding it. Guess it’s time to bite the bullet.”

“You want to learn to catch a bullet with your teeth?!” the Mink asked, shocked. “Not even Law can do that!”

Neither Ikkaku nor Nami bothered to correct him. Not that they could have; both women were laughing too hard.

XXX

Several hours later, Nami, Law, Jean Bart, Shachi, Ikkaku, and Penguin were loading the last of the supplies onto the submarine. The two women weren’t really in any condition to do any heavy lifting, but Nami was determined to spend as much time outside as she could before they submerged, as she had no idea when she’d get the chance to enjoy fresh air again. Ikkaku had decided to keep her company while the men did most of the work, and Law had agreed to let them lounge on the docks as it allowed him to supervise the men and watch over the women at the same time.

Normally, Nami would be on edge from his scrutiny, but she barely noticed as she was more interested in the amount of attention Penguin was giving them. Or rather, Ikkaku. The first mate had come up with practically every excuse under the sun to come over to check on them, mostly under the guise of ensuring his crewmate didn’t do anything to pull her stiches.

“I swear, he thinks I’m an invalid,” Ikkaku scoffed as Penguin scuttled off to help Shachi load up the supplies for the greenhouse Clione had ordered. “I’m not going to tear my stiches getting a drink.”

“Give the guy a break—he was freaking out when he realized you were in danger last night,” Nami replied, sipping her tea as she reclined in her deck chair. Penguin had insisted on fetching them some from the galley to ward off the gloomy island’s chill. It was definitely appreciated; a thick fog had settled over the Fall island since mid-morning and, combined with the chilly ocean spray, even the normally warm navigator was getting goosebumps.

“I guess. He’s a good guy like that,” she acquiesced with a small, affectionate smile. “He’s always looking after the crew. Speaking of, how’re you holding up in the uniform? You’re not getting overheated again, are you?”

The navigator gave the beige jumpsuit she’d once again been saddled with a brief scowl. “I’m fine—just trying to think of ways to make this damn thing palatable without Law freaking out.”

“Maybe we could modify it or something—make you a custom version. So long as it’s got the Heart Pirate emblem on it, I’m sure Law wouldn’t mind if we made it a bit sexier,” she said with a suggestive wink. “Especially if he gets to parade you about like his very own mikan arm-candy.”

Before Nami could tell her off for such an absurd suggestion, the man in question approached as if sensing the girls were talking about him. “And how are the two princesses doing?” he asked, tone teasing as he leaned Kikoku against his shoulder. “Has Penguin started feeding you grapes and offering foot massages?”

“Sadly, not yet,” Ikkaku snickered. “Need something, Boss?”

“I’m going to go run an errand. I won’t be gone long, but until I get back, stay close to the ship.”

The two women shrugged. Law had been popping out to run various errands all day; at this point, none of the Heart Pirates gave it much thought anymore.

“Don’t worry,” Nami replied, waving away his concern as she sipped her tea. “If I never set foot on Grimm’s shores again, I’ll be a happy woman. The docks are as far as I plan to go.”

“Good to hear it. Anything you two want me to pick up while I’m out?”

“Being awful magnanimous there, Boss,” Ikkaku drawled, an eyebrow raising suspiciously. “You trying to butter us up? Bribe us?”

He gave an insincere, too-wide smile. “Maybe I just feel like spoiling my two most beautiful subordinates.”

“And now I know you’re up to something. Well, if you insist on buying our silence, you can get me a huge box of gourmet chocolates or something,” she quipped, smirking up at her captain challengingly.

“Make that two boxes,” Nami giggled. “One for each of us. And a case of the most expensive sake the island sells.”

Law rolled his eyes, exasperated. “Greedy wench. Should have known you wouldn’t settle for a coffee or something.”

“If you don’t like it, I take cash, too.”

“Speaking of, you still owe me—”

“Nope!” she cut him off. “You said I could pay you back in cash, or with a kiss. And guess what, oh Surgeon of Death? I distinctly recall kissing you last night.”

“Under the influence of a sex drug.”

“You never specified the circumstances of the kiss. As far as I’m concerned, we’re even.”

Law let out an annoyed tch, and it took Nami a ridiculous amount of willpower to keep from commenting on the fact that the infamous Supernova was basically pouting. “Fine. I should be back in a half-hour. If I’m not, avenge my death.”

“Will do, Boss,” Ikkaku replied as she reclined in her seat, unbothered by the concept of her captain’s grisly demise. Not that she had reason to be—word had quickly spread about what had happened to Jinzo, so even if any of his former subordinates wanted revenge, only the truly stupid would risk their boss’ fate.

A blue bubble encased him and Law vanished before their eyes. Not wasting any time, the engineer turned to her companion. “So, you kissed him, huh?”

Nami scowled half-heartedly at her. “Because of the uranos.”

“Sure, sure,” Ikkaku chuckled but didn’t press the topic any further. It was good that she was feeling comfortable enough to make the occasional joke about last night’s debacle, but Nami could tell she didn’t wish to dwell on it longer than needed. There was a moment of comfortable silence between them before Ikkaku sighed. “Damn, now that he’s mentioned it, I kinda do want that foot massage. I’m getting a little cold, too; I’m gonna see if I can talk Penguin into giving one inside. You in?”

“Nah, I’m good. I think I’ll stay here and enjoy the fresh air a little longer. Go treat yourself!” she laughed, shooing the engineer away.

Normally, Nami rarely said no to a free foot massage, but she had the sneaking suspicion that Penguin wouldn’t mind doting on just Ikkaku for a while. With all his hovering, concern, and fury towards her attacker, Nami was beginning to theorize that the first mate might just have a burgeoning crush on the beautiful engineer. And even if she was completely off-base, Ikkaku deserved a little extra pampering after the night she’d had.

As Ikkaku meandered back into the sub, Nami wandered over to the edge of the pier, giving Jean Bart and Shachi a reassuring wave when they made to get up from where they were resting atop a stack of crates. Making sure to stay in their line of sight and within shouting distance, she stood there for several peaceful moments and relished the feel of the ocean spray on her face. She hoped the journey to the next island wasn’t too long—Grimm was damp and chilly and grey and an overall miserable experience, but she certainly hadn’t been bored.

“You seem to be doing well.”

Nami whirled around to find herself face-to-chest with Drake. Instinctively, her hand went to her Clima-Tact—Law had practically strapped it to her leg himself, though she doubted she’d risk leaving the submarine without it again.

Drake looked down at her critically, blue eyes lingering briefly upon the Heart Pirate insignia on her breast pocket before snapping back up to her face, a faint blush rising to his cheeks as he realized exactly where he’d been staring. He coughed into his fist awkwardly, waiting a moment for his composure to return. “I heard you ran amuck of some uranos. I suppose it’s a good thing you had Trafalgar for a temporary captain. I loathe the man, but his medical skills are beyond compare,” he spat as if giving Law even the slightest bit of praise filled his mouth with a foul taste.

“Y-yeah, he really came through for me,” Nami said nervously, fingers twitching above her batons.

Drake noticed her disquiet and took a half-step back, putting a respectable amount of distance between them. “I’m not here to kidnap you, Miss Nami—especially not with your companions ready to attack if I so much as blink at you wrong.”

Her anxiety eased up at the reminder. Glancing at her shipmates over her shoulder, she noticed Shachi glaring daggers at the rival captain through his sunglasses as he polished his rifle. Next to him, Jean Bart cracked his knuckles meaningfully. Confidence returning with the knowledge that she had good people watching her back, she returned her attention to Drake, hand retreating from her weapon to rest elegantly on her hip. “Smart man, though if abduction’s not on the agenda, why are you here?”

“Partially to check up on you. I was concerned Trafalgar would want to take advantage of you in your drug-addled state.”

“Law would never!” she snapped, instantly offended on the Dark Doctor’s behalf. The man may have been a sadistic, flirty bastard, but she instinctively knew he had never considered using her like Jinzo had intended. After all, she’d basically offered herself up on a silver platter, and when he’d kissed her back, it had been for the sake of distracting her. Law was a lot of terrible things, but “rapist” was not among them.

Holding up his hands in surrender, Drake raised an eyebrow at her outburst. “You’ve certainly changed your tune. Just two days ago you told me you didn’t even like him and literally begged me to help you strip off his uniform. I’d hoped you’d be smart enough not to fall for his seduction techniques so easily.”

“I haven’t fallen for anything—I’ve just realized that, even if he is a creepy asshole, he’s at least got enough honor to keep me safe from other scumbags. He’s the lesser of the evils out there.” Biting her lip, she reluctantly brought up, “By the way, I heard that you’re the one who…took care of Jinzo.”

With a nonchalant shrug he replied, “Normally, doing anything that benefits Trafalgar turns my stomach, but I was willing to make an exception in this case. The lesser of the evils and whatnot. That, and Haiko offered me a rather impressive sum of belli in exchange. I certainly wasn’t going to turn down that kind of deal—especially when I found out what Jinzo had done.”

“You…said he owed you a lot of money for something. What was it?” she asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

Piercing blue eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms. “You’re not accusing me of selling him uranos, are you?”

“Jinzo did sink a small fortune into getting his hands on enough to drug a whole bar. Maybe it wasn’t the only thing you sold him, but you did say he owed you 600 million belli,” she countered, though her heart wasn’t in it. Drake may have been a dangerous Supernova and attempted kidnapper but considering how he’d seemed rather shy around unclothed women, she highly doubted that he’d supply a drug that would turn girls into sex-slaves. Still, it didn’t hurt to check.

His answering glower put doubt into that thought, though. “Miss Nami, I understand you’ve been through a traumatic ordeal, and thus I’ll humor your idiotic accusation—no,” he stated, voice barely more than a deep, threatening growl. “What he and Kimo owed me money for was a job they requested assistance on, plus I had raided a merchant ship full of uncut diamonds, platinum, and silk. And considering how you relieved Jinzo of his cash, even if I did bring in the uranos, do you really think I’d hand it over without getting paid?”

Ice water ran though her veins at his tone. Drake was deeply offended at her allegation. She couldn’t blame him—despite the near-abduction, he’d been remarkably courteous to her since they’d first met. Besides that, even if he wasn’t a Marine anymore, it was clear he was far more honorable than most pirates. But every man had his limits, and if she didn’t lighten the mood fast, she might end up sharing Jinzo’s fate. Backing up a half-step and holding out her hands as if to calm down an angry beast, Nami simpered, “Hey, I’m sorry! You’re right—it was stupid of me to think you had anything to do with this. I-I’ve been through a lot over the past couple days and wasn’t thinking straight!”

Drake took a deep breath, and the tension eased from his shoulders as his hands fell to his sides. Behind her, Nami could hear the safety of a gun clicking, and she suspected her bodyguards had something to do with his new calm. “I may be a pirate, Miss Nami, but I don’t care for my honor being questioned.”

“I’ll remember that.”

His stern expression softened at her obvious fear. A large hand rubbed the back of his neck with a hint of embarrassment. “I confess, though, I do now feel a bit guilty for even considering selling you to that madman. Uranos is nasty business—rumor has it that the Navy briefly considered using it as a form of torture for female pirates in Impel Down, but Sengoku shot it down.”

Bile burned the back of her throat at the mere thought. “Dare I ask who proposed that option?”

“I believe you robbed his mansion last month.”

A disgusted shudder wracked her body. Of course that perverted psychopath would suggest such a thing. Considering Harpin’s low view of women and shady dealings, she wouldn’t have been surprised if he suggested it so he could get his hands on some for his own depraved use.

“God, the Navy employs the sickest people,” she groused. “How can they even look at themselves in the mirror?”

“People will go to quite the extremes in the name of Justice,” Drake answered, tilting his head down so his face was cast in shadow. “You can’t always stop evil by playing by the rules.”

Nami bit her lip. She probably shouldn’t be discussing such things with a former Rear-Admiral. Even if he had no love for his former leaders, she doubted such a conversation would go anywhere pleasant. She was trying to keep the mood light, after all. “Right. So, where are you heading next? Off to the New World?”

“No, not yet. It’s still too chaotic on the other side. Perhaps in a few months, when the waves of idiots looking to make a name for themselves have all killed each other. If I hope to stand out, I can’t just be another voice screaming for attention.”

“Not the worst plan in the world, I guess.” In fact, it was pretty similar to Law’s. Perhaps all North Blue pirates were this pragmatic—it seemed they were the only ones willing to wait for the best moment to strike instead of recklessly rushing into certain death.

“So glad you approve,” he replied sarcastically, though there was an amused tilt to his lips. “I may also be staying on this side for the sake of enjoying Paradise while it’s unusually peaceful—it’s almost like a vacation.”

Just like that, the rest of the tension between them dissolved like sugar in hot tea, and Nami found herself able to relax. Drake was an intimidating man, especially when he was angry, but like Law, he didn’t seem the type to cause trouble unless he could gain from it. Especially not with the Heart Pirates so close by.

That in mind, Nami gave him a small smile, intent of staying in his good graces. “By the way, thank you for…what you did to Jinzo. I’m sure getting payback on my behalf wasn’t a factor in your decision, but it’s good to have the peace of mind knowing he won’t be coming after me again.” Death and torture were never things she’d be able to condone, but it seemed smarter to praise Drake rather than condemn him.

Broad shoulders lifted in a mild shrug, but the large captain seemed pleased enough at her gratitude. “Honestly, while it wasn’t at the top of my list of reasons, when I was informed that he’d drugged you, it did help sway my decision. I thought perhaps my act of chivalry might help you see sense and convince you to join me instead of Trafalgar.”

A wry smile curled her lips and she jutted out her hip as she replied sassily, “Torturing a guy isn’t a great way to earn a lady’s affections, though points for creativity.”

Drake blushed slightly at the mild teasing in her tone, pulling the brim of his hat a bit further down to hide it the damning tinge of pink. “Perhaps not my preferred way to win you over, but I work with what I have.”

Intent on keeping the mood light, she teased, “Well, Captain Drake, how would you prefer to ‘win me over’, as you put it? A shopping trip? Candlelit dinner? A long stroll on the beach under the stars?”

“I’d rather appeal to your sense of reason—you’re an intelligent woman from what I’ve seen, and surely by this point Trafalgar would have shown you his true colors. While he might not be the absolute worst piece of scum sailing the ocean, you’re better off without him. That insane bastard will bring you nothing but trouble.”

Part of her appreciated the fact that Drake seemed even the slightest bit concerned for her safety—it was always good to have allies, after all. “Law’s a little unhinged, I’ll admit, but still far from the worst captain I’ve ever served under. He’s loyal and protective of his crew, and I guess that includes me now. That, and I have this sneaking suspicion that you only want me because I’m his.” She blinked before smacking her forehead with her palm, cheeks burning bright red. “That didn’t come out right.”

Drake let out a faint chuckle as he closed the distance between them with a few casual steps. “Whether or not you meant it that way, you’re not wrong. Considering all the times he’s gone out of his way just to screw me over, I wouldn’t mind the chance for some payback.” He leaned in, his voice a seductive growl in her ear as he continued, “And what better way to do it than to steal away the woman he clearly plans to fuck?”

“Wha—”

“Back it up there, Drake,” Shachi snapped as he audibly clicked the safety of his gun off again, raising the rifle meaningfully. “We cut you some slack when you badmouthed the boss, but trying to seduce our Cat Thief is a big no-no.”

Nami shivered as a puff of Drake’s hot breath danced against her neck when he scoffed. “Oh? Don’t you have faith in her loyalty to your captain? Or do you think she’d be so easily seduced?”

“Like you said, Miss Nami’s a smart woman,” Jean Bart replied, once more cracking his knuckles, ready to fight. “Smart enough not to fall for such an obvious ploy from a guy who tried to kidnap her just two days ago.”

“Then you boys have no reason to worry.” His attention returned to the woman in question when he felt her small hand lightly press against his torso. “So, what will it be, Miss Nami? Surely such a gorgeous, intelligent woman knows she deserves a better captain than an unhinged scoundrel like Trafalgar. Someone like me. Perhaps I could convince you over a bottle of wine in my cabin.”

Memories of the fantasy she’d shared with Ikkaku about how she’d seduce Drake popped into her head. She certainly hadn’t imagined he’d try to beat her to the punch like this. But while his attempt was admirable, the execution was unrefined. He had the proximity and the low, coaxing tone down, but he wasn’t even trying to touch her. He was smart to compliment her looks and intelligence, but he wasn’t quite making her feel wanted. Or maybe she’d just gotten used to Law’s much more patient, methodical approach. In fact, she couldn’t help but wonder if Drake was trying to imitate him but wasn’t quite comfortable enough to commit.

And too bad for him, when a Cat Thief like her sensed weakness, she took advantage.

“Hmm, I admit it’s a tempting offer,” Nami cooed, playfully running her fingers along the fur trim of his bolero. Large brown eyes gazed up at him through long lashes as she continued, “Having the famous X Drake so interested in little old me is certainly doing wonders for my ego. And what woman wouldn’t want to serve under such a big, strong, handsome captain?” For extra measure, she blew a light stream of air against the bare skin of his sternum as she drew a little heart on his prominent abdominal muscles.

Drake’s face turned the same shade as his hair, prompting Nami to laugh and drop the act, stepping away from him. “Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure that if I ran off with one of his rivals, Law wouldn’t take too kindly to it. But I’ll keep it in mind.”

Growling faintly in annoyance at how easily she’d gotten under his skin, Drake sought to compose himself by dusting off imaginary dirt from his sleeves. “Hmph. Well, in case you do come to your senses, just know the offer expires when I leave for the New World.”

“Fair. Now, unless you were looking to say goodbye to Law…” she trailed off, suggestively wagging her eyebrows.

Any composure Drake might have regained fell away instantly. “It was bad enough dealing with that smarmy bastard over the phone,” he snapped, ears burning brightly. Given what she knew of their interactions, Nami could guess that call had been utterly dripping with Law’s smug, suggestive flirtations. No wonder Drake had waited until he was gone to approach her. “All I have to say to him is ‘burn in Hell’!”

“Well, unless you plan on telling him that yourself, you should get going—he’s due back any minute,” she warned with a teasing smile. She’d never admit it out loud, but Law had been right—the best way to deal with Drake was to lean into the sexual tension to knock him off balance.

“Fine,” he growled, shoving his hands into his pockets and marching away with his head held deceptively high. “One last bit of advice, Miss Nami—I know it’s inevitable, but at least make him work for it before you sleep with him.”

Her jaw dropped in shock and outrage. “You—I’m not going to sleep with that jerk!”

“That’s the spirit,” he replied dryly over his shoulder, his large silhouette fading into the fog.

Once the former Marine was out of sight, Shachi was at her side, leaning his elbow on her shoulder. “You ok, Nami?”

The red haired thief was grateful for the cool air, as it helped her blush fade more quickly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for having my back.”

“No problem. Glad we didn’t have to fight him, though. I hate to say it, but Drake’s got a higher bounty than Law for a good reason—guy turns into a total monster during a fight.”

“Literally or figuratively?”

“Yes.”

“Of course,” she sighed. Not that she was surprised—she’d seen his hand become a green scaled claw back in the alley, and she’d heard rumors that he could transform into carnivorous dinosaur of some kind. “How long until we plan on leaving?”

“Probably no more than an hour,” Jean Bart replied, hoisting up one of the larger supply crates. “Why? Need to get anything before we go?”

A cat-like smirk curled her lips as she fanned herself with a wad of cash. “Nah. I’d just rather we be on our way before Drake realizes he’s missing a few thousand belli.”

Shachi immediately doubled over laughing. “Holy fuck! When did you pull that off?!”

“When you two were distracting him with your chivalrous display,” she said evenly, tucking the money into her breast pocket. Even if Drake did realize his wallet was suddenly empty, there was no chance he’d dare let his hand go anywhere near her cleavage.

“Seems you three are having fun,” Law said, appearing like a specter from the thick fog, Room dissipating around him. “What did I miss?”

“Just Miss Nami picking Drake’s pocket,” Jean Bart said with a chuckle, picking up the crate of sake that had appeared with his captain and hauling it towards the submarine.

“Dumbass tried to seduce her and got robbed for his troubles,” Shachi explained gleefully, though it was replaced with a low grunt as two massive boxes of assorted gourmet chocolate were dropped into his arms. He let out another oof as Kikoku unceremoniously landed on top of them.

“Drake-ya tried to seduce you?” the captain asked Nami, lips curling into a smirk. “Without my permission? I’m not sure if I should be pissed at him or proud.”

“Does he need your permission to seduce me?” Nami scoffed lightly. “Maybe I should have gone with him; having an actual gentleman for a captain would make a nice change.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t try to appeal to your desire for a more flattering uniform.”

“Wait, they have better uniforms? Drake, come back!” she called mockingly, making a show of trying to run off in the older captain’s direction.

Chuckling, Law caught her arm and pulled her back against him. “Shachi, bring those boxes to the girls’ room and check the cargo hold to make sure we have all the provisions we need.”

“Aye-aye, Captain,” Shachi replied, already halfway to the sub. He knew Law was just giving him busywork to get some alone time with the beautiful thief, but he wasn’t going to argue—if Law wanted to, he could easily just Shambles him to the other side of the island to get rid of him.

The Dark Doctor didn’t get to enjoy that alone time for long, though, as his second mate was quickly replaced by a second redhead, though this one was far more beautiful and curvaceous.

“Hello Law,” Haiko purred, her ruby lips curled upwards in a satisfied smile. In stark contrast to the sexy silver dress she’d preformed in, today she wore a smart black blazer with a tight pencil skirt, though her generous cleavage was tactically on display. “Your work last night was exemplary. I’m going to have to think of new VIP perks to give you. Maybe have Hiroshi write another song.”

Nami tensed at the appearance of the seductive club owner. She still had no idea what was up with her—if Haiko could be fully trusted. Law had said he’d look into it, but had he? Or had he just said that to appease his suspicious shipmate?

“Thank you, Haiko-ya,” Law replied casually, though it didn’t escape Nami’s notice that he placed himself deliberately between the two women. “How are Jinzo’s victims?”

The assured smile fell slightly. “I sent the ones you cured home to their families. The dead will hopefully be identified and given proper burials.”

“And the nymphos?”

“A few are going to try and return to their normal lives. The others…I’ve offered them employment at one of my brothels—if they’re going to crave sex for the rest of their lives, they might as well get paid for it. And at least with me they’ll be safe.”

“Very generous of you.”

Though she waved off the comment, Nami could see the subtle stiffness in her posture—as if she were an actress not entirely comfortable with the character she had to portray. “It’s the least I can do. If I’d taken care of Jinzo earlier, none of this would have happened.”

“I can’t argue with that. Though he must have done a great job covering his tracks to keep both you and Kimo-ya from realizing he intended to muscle in on your territory. What will happen to the black market trade now?”

Her easy confidence returned—when it came to talking business, Haiko was clearly in her element. “Well, since I’ll have my hands full keeping that from imploding, I’m entrusting Oscar with running the red light district. Hiroshi can manage Ruby 8 until things settle down. I admit, since so many of your peers have run off to the New World, the black market’s taken a bit of a dip in profits.”

“And with fewer pirates around, the island’s entertainment and legitimate businesses must have been more accessible to citizens and other visitors.”

“All the more reason to clean this town up, I suppose.”

“Kimo-ya won’t be happy about that,” Law said casually, studying his nails.

She shrugged, though her red lips turned in a subtle frown. “My husband’s a crime lord—to him, rampant rape, drugs, and murder meant that his clientele were happy. But when such a thing is the norm, it’s only a matter of time before you fall victim to it yourself.”

“Of course. It’s easy to rule the underworld when everyone else is a good, law-abiding citizen.”

Seductive smirk returning to her face, Haiko playfully stroked Law’s goatee. “Oh, don’t worry, Dr. Heart Stealer; you’ll still have a place to sell of your ill-gotten goods, and after last night, you can expect VIP treatment at any of Grimm’s fine establishments.”

The Surgeon of Death flashed a devilish smirk. “Good to hear. And without the risk of drugging, rape, and kidnapping, maybe next time we visit, Nami-ya will be able to actually enjoy herself.”

Pulling her hand away from Law’s face, Haiko turned to Nami, green eyes apologetic. “Yes, I heard you were one of the girls Jinzo’s goons drugged. It’s good to see you’re doing well. No one hurt you, did they?”

“I’m fine,” Nami replied, shifting uncomfortably. Though her concern over the thief’s welfare felt sincere, she still wasn’t sure if the island’s new Queenpin had a hand in the island’s drastic power shift, or if she was just taking advantage of the opportunity she’d been presented with her husband and Jinzo’s removal. Her goals at least appeared admirable.

“If you’re ever back in Grimm, you’re welcome at Ruby 8 anytime. In fact, next visit your meals and drinks are on the house.”

Law stepped between them again, and for a brief moment, Nami felt him run a reassuring hand over her back. “Perhaps by that point, Kimo-ya will have recovered—we can make it a double date.”

“Oh, I doubt that,” Haiko stated, a nearly imperceptible tightness in her jaw. “My medical staff says that with the damage he suffered, even if he does wake up, he’ll be confined to his bed for the rest of his life. He took a tremendous fall down the stairs and broke his neck, you see.”

“Was that before or after he was stabbed in the liver?”

Green eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”

This time, Law blatantly pushed Nami behind him, looming dangerously over the older businesswoman as they stared each other down. “Well, since I seemed to be in the habit of doing you favors, I thought I’d add to my good karma and stop by your house to see if I could do anything to heal your beloved husband. He certainly has a broken neck, and the bruises and cracked skull line up with your story, but that stab wound sticks out like a sore thumb.”

Haiko’s stone-cold expression would put a professional poker player’s to shame. “Well, the fall did break a few steps—perhaps he landed on a sharp piece of wood.”

Law’s own face was just as unreadable. “No, the size and shape clearly indicate that it was a knife. A small one that a lady could easily hide under her dress. I also noticed that your home doesn’t have any stairs.”

Her expression hardened, a fierce green fire flickering in her eyes. “Are you accusing me of harming my husband, Captain Trafalgar?”

“Haiko-ya, you’re a woman I genuinely admire—you’re cunning and determined, yet you still have standards higher than most of the criminal underworld. You’ve come a long way from that underground gin joint you started in the North Blue. You’ve spent years cleaning up the brothels and bars on Grimm; I’d certainly be upset to find my husband was conspiring to undo all of my hard work simply because he couldn’t adapt to the changing times.”

Nami held her breath as she and Law awaited her answer. This was the moment of truth.

“That’s quite the theory you have,” Haiko replied coolly, crossing her arms and raising an auburn eyebrow. The anger in her gaze dimmed down into a tranquil simmer. “Do you have any proof?”

“Nothing physical, nor do I really care—if you stabbed Kimo, I have no doubt it was well-deserved. Perhaps it was even an accident, or in self-defense.”

“Or perhaps you’re just making baseless accusations.”

“Haiko-ya, it doesn’t matter to me what really happened. If anything, I imagine you’ll be a better business partner than either of them. I simply don’t appreciate being used and lied to.”

When she gave no reply, Law gave Nami a meaningful look, gold eyes flicking down to her Clima-Tact before holding her gaze intently. “Nami-ya, why don’t you disappear for a bit? I think this is a conversation Haiko-ya and I should have without an audience.”

Catching on, she nodded, ducking inside the Polar Tang just out of sight. While Law distracted the club owner by leading her towards the edge of the pier, Nami quickly cast her Mirage Tempo, rendering herself invisible so she could sneak back over, footsteps silent as a cat’s paws. For extra measure, she crouched behind a nearby crate, peaking her head over the top so she could watch the duo’s interactions.

Law casually slung his arm over Haiko’s narrow shoulders, dropping his voice so only Nami could eavesdrop. “Look, I know power struggles are common in the underworld, and innocents getting caught in the middle happens. However, this little spat hurt two of my subordinates. I’m sure you understand that, if something like this were to happen again, I’d take it upon myself to wipe out both sides of the conflict in revenge, correct?”

The redhead stiffened. “Of course, Law.”

“Good. Because I respect your reasons—Kimo and Jinzo betrayed you. Tried to undo all your hard work because their own profits were down. Potentially even planned to slip you a little uranos out of spite. But I won’t stand for someone else’s grudge putting my crew in danger. Nor do I tolerate being used—if you want me to kill someone for you in the future, I expect you to be straight with me instead of treating me like a pawn.”

For a moment, Haiko stood in silence, staring out at the churning waves as they slapped against the pier. Finally, she spoke, voice tight and minutely vulnerable. “A few nights ago…Kimo came to Ruby 8 with a few of his thugs after closing. We argued about him helping Jinzo open a brothel under my nose—he said if I didn’t give the red light district back, he’d burn my club to the ground and put me to work as one of the whores.”

“Is that when you stabbed him?” Law asked, tone even and calm.

“Of course. Oscar and the band overheard the commotion and took care of the thugs while I ran, but Kimo followed me to the top of the stairs…”

“Well, that lines up with what Hiroshi told me. I appreciate your honesty.”

“You questioned Hiroshi?” she asked, angered at the musician’s betrayal.

“You forget—he owes me. I guess he also figured I’d be more lenient with you if I knew how you’d been backed into a corner.” Law paused, letting the tension between them simmer before he admitted, “He was right. Kimo deserved what you gave him, and if I hear he’s tragically succumbed to his wounds, well, I won’t shed any tears.”

Haiko sighed, shoulders sagging in relief. “I wanted to trust you, but you had a profitable partnership with Kimo. I couldn’t be sure whose side you’d be on—I just knew it wouldn’t be Jinzo’s.”

“A common enemy is a good hook for an alliance—I just hope you plan to be more honest with me if you intend on maintaining our partnership.”

“Of course.”

A shadow fell across his eyes as he turned the woman so she fully faced him. “Did you know about the uranos shipment?”

“No. Nor was I aware that Venus would be used to distribute it,” Haiko explained, looking him straight in the eye. “The owner was new but on the level; he had my full permission to host a Ladies Night to attract customers. When I went to confront him this morning, I found his body—he’s been dead for at least a few days.”

Nodding at her answer, Law’s somber expression relaxed. “Good. Because not telling me about Kimo and Jinzo’s betrayal is forgivable. Not warning me about the uranos…”

“I am truly sorry your girlfriend and engineer were subjected to that.”

Nami had to physically slap a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming “I’m not his girlfriend!” She doubted Haiko would appreciate it if she found out she was being spied on, and Law would be pissed that she’d ruined his plan.

Perhaps he could feel her rage, because Nami caught Law’s amber eyes glance in her general direction before returning to Haiko. “Pretty words aren’t the kind of apology I’m interested in. I expect compensation.”

Haiko’s confident, naturally seductive grim returned as she leaned in, running a finger along the Heart Pirate insignia on his sweatshirt. “Oh? And what exactly did you have in mind?”

“I’m sure you’ve already thought of something—I doubt you would have come all this way just to say goodbye.”

“That I have; in fact, it’s exactly why I came down here. Two weeks ago, a man named Dira tried to sell Kimo and Jinzo some items. Most of it was junk, but there were a few things that stood out. One of them was a lovely white vase.”

“Are you seriously offering me a vase as reparations for Nami-ya and Ikkaku nearly becoming sex slaves?” he sneered, eyes narrowing in offense. Nami bristled in solidarity. She didn’t care how drop-dead gorgeous Haiko was; unless said vase was made of platinum and filled to the brim with belli and gems, she’d kick the older woman’s ass for being so cheap!

“Oh, no—the vase isn’t even here!” Haiko replied, smile never wavering despite the anger radiating from the Dark Doctor. “Once he realized what it was made from, Kimo turned it down and told the man to take his wares elsewhere.”

“And what, pray tell, was it made of?” Law asked sarcastically, patience wearing thin.

Her manicured hands reached up to smooth out the wrinkles in his sweatshirt. “At first, they thought it was marble or alabaster, but upon closer inspection, Jinzo realized that the white was just paint. It took a little arm-twisting, but Dira admitted that the vase originated from a certain tragic island in the North Blue.”

That immediately caught the surgeon’s attention, and the full focus of those golden eyes was fixated on the club owner. The hostility vanished, replaced by cool intent. “Where did he go?”

“Atifakuto. None of us wanted something coated in Amber Lead, of course, but I remembered you once mentioning that you had an interest in such items. In fact, I even have an eternal pose to the island—I took my last vacation there.” Reaching into her generous cleavage, she pulled out the hourglass-shaped device. As she handed it to the pirate captain, she fluttered her long lashes sweetly. “So, am I forgiven?”

“…for the most part. You’d better not be playing me, Haiko-ya,” Law replied, studying the magnetic compass intently, looking for anything that might give away whether or not it was fake.

“I think I’ve learned my lesson about leading on The Surgeon of Death. You did me a favor, so I’m returning in kind.” Standing up on her tip-toes, she brushed a kiss to his jaw. “I do hope you visit again soon. And treat that Cat Thief of yours right—maybe it’s the red hair, but she reminds me of myself at that age.”

“Unscrupulous and greedy?” he asked, taking her hand and pressing his own farewell kiss to her knuckles.

“And a magnet for dangerous men,” she purred as she flounced away. “Safe travels, Captain Trafalgar. Always a pleasure doing business with you.”

When the new Queenpin of Grimm was out of sight, Nami dropped her illusion, jogging over to Law. “Well, that was…quite the conversation.” Part of her was relieved—Haiko had done some shady things, but she couldn’t fault her reasons. Another part was flattered. She was a dangerous, stunning, formidable woman—someone Nami could certainly admire and wouldn’t mind becoming someday. Though, she hoped she’d manage to avoid marrying someone who’d betray her.

And one tiny, sneaky part of her burned with irrational jealousy over the fact that Haiko had kissed him. It shouldn’t matter—Law was obnoxious and arrogant and certainly not someone she had any intention of kissing when not under duress. But for some reason, she had been really tempted to use her Cyclone Tempo to knock her into the water.

“That it was. Seems a trip to Atifakuto is in order,” Law said lowly, the brim of his hat casting a shadow across his eyes as his tips twisted in a sullen frown.

Nami’s brow furrowed. She knew Law had some kind of interest in Amber Lead, but why would he want to hunt some down? “Is that our next destination?”

He rubbed his goatee in brooding thought as his eyes fixated on the delicate needle pointing towards the horizon. Nami could practically see the wheels in his head turning, an internal argument raging in his mind. His body was as stiff as a cadaver’s, the tendons in his neck straining as he held in whatever powerful emotions he was feeling.

Finally, he shoved the eternal pose into his pocket and answered, “Not yet. I promised you the next island we landed on would be far more relaxing, and I need time to plan, anyway. But don’t expect a long vacation; I can’t let the trail grow cold.”

She sighed in relief. After the horrors of Grimm, she was in desperate need of a breather. Especially if they ended up going after an artifact from Flevance; she’d only heard tragic stories about that place. How they’d once been prosperous and highly-renowned, until the whole country had come down with a horrible, incurable disease. A disease that, if Law was to be believed, hadn’t been as contagious as the World Government had claimed.

Before she could ask any questions, Law pressed his hand between her shoulders, gently but insistently leading her towards the Polar Tang. The darkness in his expression had faded significantly, and his sly smirk was back in place. It felt phony, though—like a mask. “By the way, I appreciate you staying close. Considering what she did to her husband, I half expected Haiko-ya to stab me and push me off the pier.”

“Yeah, I figured you only wanted me there so I could save your ass,” she snipped, though her heart wasn’t quite in it. Law had berated Haiko about being honest with him, yet it felt like he was putting up a front with her. Sure, it wasn’t quite the same—Haiko had been using him, while Law seemed to be just keeping his thoughts to himself—but the slight hypocrisy grated at her.

At the same time, she couldn’t entirely fault him for it. Their relationship and sense of trust in each other had certainly improved over the past twenty-four hours, but she couldn’t blame him for not enlightening her to his troubled thoughts. She only hoped he’d confide in Penguin or Bepo.

“The singular pitfall of wielding the awesome power of a Devil Fruit—water is your nemesis,” he replied sourly.

“Then why’d you lead her so close to the dock’s edge?”

“To make her feel less threatened. Her husband attacked in her own bar. Ruby 8 is as much home to her as the Tang is to us. People value that illusion of safety; when it’s compromised, especially by someone we should trust, it can turn someone into a skittish, feral animal.”

“Ah. Yeah, makes sense,” she replied as they stepped through the submarine door. He definitely had a point—if she’d been attacked on the Thousand Sunny, a place she’d always felt safe and secure in, she’d probably be on-edge for months. “It was still a risky move, though.”

“But a calculated one. Did you really think I’d accuse a woman as cunning and dangerous as her without a plan, or at least a basic understanding of how her mind works?” he asked, dark blue eyebrow raised in annoyance.

“No, but are you confident enough in that understanding to guarantee she’s not sending us to our deaths?”

“Another reason to take a slight detour and recover our strength before heading to Atifakuto,” he said nonchalantly, smirk becoming darker but more genuine. “I’m not particularly worried, though. Haiko and I think alike in many ways; she values long-term planning. She knows she only has one shot at killing me, so she wouldn’t risk it all on a scheme she threw together in a day. She’d wait until I least expected it, even if it took years, all the while carefully moving the pieces into place. And when she struck, she’d get the outcome she wanted no matter how the cards fell.”

“Do you…have someone you’re planning to kill?” Nami asked, a hint of nervousness bleeding into her voice. “Because you sound like you’re speaking from experience.”

“No one you’ve met, and no one you’d miss,” he said vaguely, his hand finally moving from her back so he could climb down the ladder to the next level. “You should worry more about getting stronger and preparing for the New World; Bepo tells me you’re finally ready to start combat training.”

“Let’s just say Grimm’s been a bit of an eye-opener,” she replied, carefully climbing down after him. Her heeled sandals made a reverberating clank as she stepped down onto the metal floor. “Luffy can’t risk me being a liability—if I can’t handle myself in Paradise, I’ll stand no chance on the other side of the Red Line.”

“Exactly why I’m willing to train you—I’d hate to have put in all that effort into saving Mugiwara just for his crew to bring him down.”

Nami glared at him, but he ignored her all the way to his quarters. Upon realizing she’d followed him, his eyebrow arched upwards again, though this time in amusement. “Were you looking for something, Nami-ya? A private tour of the captain’s bedroom, maybe?”

She blushed slightly at his suggestive tone but held her ground. “You gave me crap about keeping secrets from you, and yet you spew out the most irritating non-answers when I ask you a simple question. Your hypocrisy is infuriating.”

“I gave you crap about keeping secrets relevant to your well-being,” he countered easily, slipping inside his room. “Your tenure as a Heart Pirate will be long done by the time I enact my revenge, so it’s nothing you need to worry your pretty little head over, sweetheart.”

Before she could reply or even get a good look at the inside of his quarters, he shut the door in her face.

Staring at the steel barrier, Nami felt her stomach twist uncomfortably.

She trusted Law. She knew he was sincere in his desire to help her train for the New World. That he would protect her until she returned to Weatheria at the end of the year.

She also trusted her gut, and it was screaming that he had ulterior motives. That this generosity, along with his rescue of Luffy, had something to do with some long-term plan.

Trafalgar Law was the lesser evil now, but how long until that changed?

[notforgottcn]

⧼    sophia bush, cis female, she/her   / when the bell tolls by anthony ramos   +   taking a leap even though you don’t know how far the fall is, hot coffee and ballet shoes, filling out late night paperwork because you don’t want to go home yet    ⧽   ━━   let me tell you a thing or two about ADELLA ROBBINS. the THIRTY SIX year old daughter of BRUCE WAYNE is a POLICE OFFICER in town, and has sometimes been referred to as THE PHOENIX. they’ve always seemed very DRIVEN & PHILANTHROPIC, though i’ve heard that they can be pretty ALOOF & UNFORGIVING, too. it’s common knowledge that they have NO ABILITY ; guess we shouldn’t get on their bad side, huh? 

tw: death, 

BIOGRAPHY ::

you’re more alike to your birthmother than you will ever know, you have her smile, her walk. that’s what bruce would tell you if you were to ever ask him. you don’t. you feel enough of her ghost on your shoulders without having more information about her. you know a name that is all you want from the woman who left you first.

you are left on the steps to wayne manor. sometimes when you’re sad you like to picture what alfred’s face looked like when he found you out there in january cold. you stay with there for two months. there are photos of you with your siblings. dick kept one for years it would seem. still even here where you’re supposed to be safe, you only last for so long before you’re sent away again.

mr and mrs robbins gave you the best childhood that they could, and for awhile the pain of your origins are tucked away neatly in a draw that you don’t open very much. instead you excel at your education, throwing yourself into dance lessons enjoying the moments you could snag with your parents (they were busy people, you learnt very quickly not to hold it against them).

still things become harder as you get older, you’re the odd one out at that fancy school  you attend. thought you’re not sure how they first found out. here is the first appearance of the fighter inside of you. it will be harder for you to ignore things now. your parents are called several times because you had lashed out at the people who had refused to leave you alone. you are told that were it not for your parents standing in the school community you would have likely been expelled. you are still incredibly proud of that black eye.

you take up martial arts as a compromise, with the understanding that you will behave in a manner more befitting your station in public. the fighting doesn’t really stop you just learn to mask your behaviour. a real sign that you are your fathers daughter.

at sixteen you’re sneaking into clubs making a name for yourself in the new york club scene. you only learn later that photos of you drunk and throwing up into a gutter are only going to undermine you later.

your parents passing in a mutant rights demonstration changes everything, throwing you into a world you’re not ready for. people want you to be an adult, but your nothing more than a child in your mother’s shoes. trying so hard but failing so fast. you easily see the bad sad of humanity, despite the fact that you come out relatively unscathed. it changes you, your angry and most importantly lonely. feelings that really wouldn’t go away.

the loneliness of being alone opens up things you had tidied away years ago. who were your birth parents? why did they give you up ? stupidly it would seem in hindsight you were trying to fill the space left by your parents with people you didn’t even know.

when the name on the test reads bruce wayne it stops everything. the first emotion you really remember is confusion. it was supposed to be someone you didn’t know, someone you could put behind you rather than someone who had been in the background for your entire life.

the first time you go to the mansion after the reveal you yell and scream as loud as your lungs could manage. how could he do this to you?? give you up to people who would manage to rip you apart. he hadn’t known, he couldn’t have, but you blame him for it anyway. him and them, the mutants that cause the accident, they’re the only ones you could, even as your brain tells you it’s stupid.

you remember telling him that you want nothing to do with him but even that doesn’t last too long. you move into the manor eventually, after digging your heels in and demanding to know everything. you find out about batman around the same time. the truth about your father, and as much as he knew about your mother.

that first year is hard, you are ripped from your life in new york and placed in a home that isn’t yours. the people in it are aching doing their best to heal from things that don’t involve you, and yet again you are unwanted by the majority a complication they don’t need.

still not everything in your life is bad, you are alive and for what it’s worth you have more family then you’ve ever had before. jason is the first to really make you feel at home. alfred assures you that the others will come around in time, you aren’t so sure.

taking up the cowl was technically dick’s idea, though you couldn’t become batgirl without permission from babs. just like everyone else in your family the bat becomes an outlet for your anger, a way to enact change and for a year you love it. you make the mantel your own and in some ways you’ve never felt more alive then you do in gotham at night.

just like everything else in life however it is possible to outgrow the hero antics and at nineteen you are more than ready to be something more than just batman’s sidekick. so you follow your heart and you leave. the next few years are a bit of lost time. you travel a lot (you parent’s money lets you) never really staying in one place for too long. still that doesn’t mean you don’t try for some form of stability. england is your favorite, grey skies and cups of tea, but somehow you always end up back in the states. especially after things there end badly. you get your heart broke and you can’t see the direction your pointing in anymore.

how predictable that you’d end up in new york again, some days feeling like you’d never even really left at all. still this time your not some wealthy girl. you’re enrolled in the police academy, you work your ass off and you’re on the streets by the time your twenty seven. it’s the perfect balance for you between the rush you used to get as batgirl but also working within the law. you can’t help but enjoy the fact you don’t need to cover your face.

still you’ve picked up a habit of moving on: new york, star city, gotham you’ve worked in each of them. paragon was an odder choice, after so long running from your family, your birth father’s legacy, but at the same time it feels like a good way of touching base for a while. besides, with everything that goes on in town, it’s probably a good idea to have a cop on hand who actually knows how the hero gig works.

FACTS ::

addy still dances but it’s more as a stress relief than anything close to professional.

her entire life goal (when it comes to the batkids) is to be considered the cool aunt though the extent to which that actually is questionable.

she has two cats toodles (x) and watson (x) and they’re her favorite thing in her whole world.

she functions entirely on caffeine, yes she knows it’s bad but it’s not a habit that she can see herself breaking.

a massive disney nerd!! she’s not sorry for it.

RELATIONSHIPS ::

family ;;

bruce wayne - father/ sperm donor. she doesn’t want this thanks.

alfred pennyworth - grandfather figure / secret keeper. they’re very close.

dick grayson - adopted brother / mentor. brings out the best in her.

jason todd - adopted brother / best friend. jason understands more than most.

tim drake - adopted brother / confidant. they go for coffee it’s cute.

cassandra cain - adopted sister / favorite batman. strong girls supporting strong girls

damian wayne - brother / terror. their dynamic is interesting at the best of times.

important ;;

adrian trevor - lost love / once in a lifetime. think luke and lorelai with extra angst.

friends ;;

andrea hill - close friend / ride or die. the person addy would call with a body.

ziva mizrahi - work friends / . someone addy trusts to have her back.

wanted connections ;;

travel buddies!! - anyone that she could have traveled with or met when travelling.

all the brotps: honestly give her friends.

anyone she could have interacted with as a cop good or bad.

league kids she’s keeping an eye on.

league kids her own age she likes to get a drink with.

any other kid she might feel protective of because lbr that’s all of them.

[missingblink]

Geck is a lifelong firend og Taren Dukh, He was hired as a personal bodyguard to the young nobleman when, he was but a child. Geck at the time was a ten year veternan of the vigil, an independent peacekeeping organisation in Dragon City. He has been at Tarens’ side his whole life, watched him grow into a young man. So of course he is also an accomplice of the bobcat.

He stood in the open door of the transport ship, looking, waiting, they should be there soon. His gaunt wiry frame was tense with anticipation, his slender face, usually open and smiling was creased with concern his large amber colored eyes narrow and sharp. Something was off. he had a bad feeling churning in his gut. And his gut usually never lied. He and the others had made good their escape when the alarm went off. But in the tumult, bobcat had been separated from the group, and had been forced to make his way to the roof, where the others could pick him up. But something else seemed out of sorts to Geck, his years of law enforcement service in the vigil had given him a keen sense of circumstance and situations, and this one was wonky. The alarm had been triggered out of nowhere and the place had been crawling with well armed security forces. Far more than could reasonably be expected to guard a small reliquary like this one.

The top of the building rapidly crawled down toward them. Geck readied himself and drew his pistol. ”everybody get ready” he shouted over his shoulder to the crew in the ship, they numbered four besides him. Drake and Draco, a pair of exiled knights formerly of the dragon order. Drake a female dragonoid, athletically built with soft curves and fluid movements almost liquid in nature, around her eyes were the traditional tattoos of the sword dancer chapter of the dragon order, which made her eyes stand out in her face. Which was okay, since she had very pretty eyes Geck thought. Alive with imminent mischief and a sharp intelligence, one might easily get lost in those eyes. Geck had caught himself casting glances at her more than once.

Draco also a dragonoid, male he seemed almost the complete opposite. Large burly and powerful he wielded a large hefty one handed axe in one arm,  his grass green hide was covered in scars from years of combat and his head was covered by a mask of synthetic skin, the result of some battle years ago where his face had been destroyed in a fire. This gave him a strange featureless look. But his eyes held a charming  warmth.

The third of the group.

Raid was the one known as Snowcat, He was the consummate professional of their crew. Also a dragonoid, he was the oldest of them. Muscled without being big, square featured and serious faced, he was a lifelong soldier and a veteran of countless wars most of them off-world. He was a specialist in infiltration and sabotage, and his expertise had been invaluable to the group. He had a quietness about him and there was a depth to his eyes that revealed wisdom.

Lastly there was Smart, yet another a dragonoid. He was piloting the small transport vehicle, he liked to boast, that there was no vehicle ground or air that he could not pilot, and as with most of the things he liked to boast about, so far it seemed true. His name was well deserved, as smart was the first descriptor anyone gave when asked to describe him. He seemed to know something about everything. He’d spent time in the armed forces as an information agent (a soldier tasked with acquiring and relaying information) and he had been the best at it, a fact he was anything but shy about. He was narrow of hip and broad shouldered, his head was adorned with a large Mohawk, which he wore proudly, (as head hair is rare among dragonoid males)

His large blue eyes left no doubt among those who looked into them that he was just as intelligent as his reputation claimed. His weapon of choice was a large two handed sword, heavy and broad bladed it curved forward and broadened towards the tip making it look like a giant kukri.

The crew tensed up and readied themselves.

It had taken a while to get to the ship since Smart had parked discreetly a while away to avoid suspiscion. They had hurriedly stowed their stolen goods in the transport ship and taken off towards Taren. As the small transport ship crested the roof they brought up their weapons, but  since Bobcat had not contacted them via the commset they were not prepared for the sight that met them.

Taren and his brother Errhon stood in the middle of the roof. Taren with his brothers’ blade sticking out from his head, and just as they saw this terrible sight, Taren jerked his sword arm up and caught his brother in the side of the head. Then chaos ensued. Geck leapt blindly towards the roof easily clearing gap between the rooftop and the transport, his gun firing all the way. He hit the ground running and kept firing, two guards went down immediately, then the others sprang into action. Behind Geck the derelicts had gotten onto the roof and were shooting as well.

Geck sprinted across the roof, bullets whizzing past his head as he ducked weaved and rolled in a furious display of acrobatics, he reached and dropped down besides bobcat to check his vitals giving no thought to the firefight taking place around him. He gingerly felt for signs of life from bobcat there was a pulse, although weak, and a faint groaning sound escaped him as Geck wasting no time heaved him onto a shoulder. He started dragging tarens lifeless form towards a corner of the roof where smart had put the transport down. The derelicts moved up and closed rank around him. The fighting had stopped, the guards were dead, and bobcats crew had miraculously not suffered any casualties. Draco rushed over, and helped Geck drag Taren into the transport. The large vehicle was built for power, not speed, and the engines whined in high pitched complaint as Smart pressed the machine to the full extend of its capacity. They rose lazily up into the city night. Slowly making good their escape. Drake had taken position at the  open side door, with an automatic rifle poised, ready to fight pursuers. Inside the cab of the transport, chaos reigned. Taren half conscious screamed in delirious pain as blood gushed from his open head wound. Draco even with his considerable strength strained to control the trhashing patient, as Geck attempted to dress the wound. Smart sat at the controls, skillfully weaving in and out of the night traffic, around buildings and other vehicles, the transport heaved itself in lazy arcs up down and around the obstacles of the night sky. For what seemed like an eternity, he maneuvered through traffic, heading south and towards the outskirts of the city, throwing the bulky ship into maneuvers that seemed to defy the laws of gravity.

Down on the roof a second wave of soldiers arrive at the scene, this time led by Scylar, friend and confidant of Errhon Dukh. A large creature covered in short bristly fur. He is stout and powerfully built, his head is crested by a full luxurious mane, giving him an appearance of a lion on two legs.

He looked around at the carnage of the roof, a handful of corpses scattered around. His eyes darted from one to the next giving each a cursory glance until he found was he was searching for. “Over here!” he roared as he started moving “bring a medic! Quick!” he added as he darted across the roof animated by powerful feline muscles. He kneeled by Errhon and his fierce mask of authority melted away for a brief moment as he tenderly placed a thick furry paw like hand on Errhons chest. “can You hear me?” he asked softly his voice thick and bassy. Errhon moaned softly and weakly lifted a hand up. Scylar clasped it in between his massive paws completely engulfing it. “it's all right lad” he softly murmurred “it'll all be allright help is on the way. He looked at the young man on the ground, a young man he had raised since childhood. The right half of Errhons face looked horrific, it was  a sticky bloodied mess. In this state it was difficult to gauge the extent of the damage but Scylar could already tell that Errhon had lost an eye. For a moment that seemed an eternity he knelt there Errhons hand gripped tight in his paws. His mind reeled with thoughts and clouded with fear. “what will we do without him” he thought “ what will I do” then finally a medic came rushing up to his side and wrested him from his thoughts.

Meanwhile in the air bobcats’ crew are in a heated debate about what to do with their wounded leader.

”it’s the only way” Geck shouted over the engine noise, he was sitting with Tarens head in his lap, trying to stop the bleeding. ”no! It’s not” Raid shouted back ”dragonoids aren’t welcome in the slums, let alone wanted ones”

”what else would you have Us do” Geck screamed ”he can’t make it all the way back to camp in his condition”  ”I know”  Raid replied ”but that don’t change things. No dragonoids in the slums” ”then drop us off and move on” Geck shouted. ”this vehicle was just involved in a massive robbery, and the possible murder of Errhon Dukh. We get near the slums, we’ll be dusted before we hit dirt” Draco interrupted.

Geck uttered a long string of curses through gritted teeth, most of which were thankfully drowned out by the engine noise. Smart turned his head and shouted over his shoulder “we’ll set down near the slums, you boost a ride and go alone from there. No dragonoids no fuss”

[petite-neko]

Boyhood Blues - 07

Fanfiction: Boyhood Blues Story Summary: Actions, and inactions, have their repercussions. It may not be immediate but somewhere down the line, the effect will be seen. Chapter Characters: Law, Luffy, Ace Pairing: LawLu Rating: T Warnings: Swearing, Universe Alteration, canon-typical violence, angst, A/N: RIP, another ‘filler’ chapter. Hopefully the next chapter I’ll get back to the stuff I already had written down.

.xxx. > Time/scene skip

.+++. > PoV change

Read on Ao3

Chapter 6  || Chapter 7: Dreams|| Chapter 8

Due to Luffy’s habit of babbling on, Law really was only paying half attention to what the other captain was saying.

He started where he left off, talking about Logue Town and Smoker, and having to run away due to the fact that the other was a Logia-type user. He also mentioned something about Smoker strangely abandoning his chase before his crew ran off to Reverse Mountain in the middle of a storm. He then mentioned something about a whale and a doctor. About Bounty-Hunters turned poachers.

…Or something along those lines.

There was also a mention of an ambush, or a party. (Or both, he wasn’t exactly paying attention completely. Mostly musing about the doctor – wouldn’t he be a vet? But then again, he was a doctor but he treated a bear every now and then… so what did that make him?) What had caught his attention, however, was the change in the other captain. Luffy’s pace had significantly slowed down. In fact, it almost seemed like the boy was stuttering.

Apparently he was talking about one of those bounty hunter-poachers that attacked the whale.

“…apparently she was a princess under cover?” Luffy sounded uncertain. “And she, uh, had a lot of posters. Wanted posters I mean. Ya know. Like my crappy one with Strawhat on it. And uhh… well…” Now he was laughing. Nervously. “She had yours too. I mean… we thought you had become a pirate but… we never found out for sure…” And now the kid was glancing away, rubbing at the back of his head.

….He was hiding something, wasn’t he? God, he was as translucent as ever…

“Luffy-ya, give me my book back.”

Law had put down his book for a moment when he excused himself to use the bathroom, and by the time he had returned the book was not where he put it. He could only remember that brat’s insistence on playing with them before and had, logically, come to the conclusion that Luffy had moved his book or taken it. So that ‘Torao’ wouldn’t be distracted by his ‘stupid books’ and ‘play’ with them.

There was a moment of silence before Luffy looked to the side, lips pursing out as he whistled ‘innocently’. “I didn’t touch your book.”

Law groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I know you’re lying. Give. Me. My. Book. Back.”

However, there was this glint in Luffy’s eyes now when he turned to Law. (And Law could hear Ace groaning in the background. Something along the lines of ‘you shouldn’t have done that’.) “Or what?”

…Was this brat challenging him? Law grinned before pulling back a sleeve. “Or I’ll beat it out of you.”

…Maybe Sengoku would finally stop insisting that he hang out with these brats after this.

Law wasn’t going to press however. He didn’t exactly care whatever it was that Luffy was hiding. Instead, he just furthered the conversation in hopes that Luffy would just continue to babble on some more.

“Let me guess, seeing my poster confirmed your suspicions?”

And, with that prompt, Luffy had nodded rather enthusiastically. “I was happy, ya know?” There was more laughter, but this time it was less nervous, less strained. “That you were still out there and doing well.” Again, there it was: that laughter. It was happier. Carefree. “And soon we ended up at this really awesome island with dinosaurs and giants and…”

Restraining a smile, Law sighed and shook his head at Luffy’s predictability as he went off on his story again. And so he just listened to the story and Baroque Works, about this ‘amazing’ island, about Nami falling ill and about Drum Island. (Here, he paid a bit more attention, considering that the Drum Kingdom was considered a paragon of medicinal knowledge, and he made a note to converse with Luffy’s doctor if ever an opportunity arose.)

And then, Luffy told him about meeting Smoker, and consequently Ace, at Alabasta.

The tale made him smile ever so slightly this time. As he heard Luffy gush over his older brother. Talking about the Spade pirates, and how he learned that Ace was part of the Whitebeard crew. As he told Law that Ace had invited him to join that pirate crew, but also how he refused because the pirate king has to be the captain. Talking about the vivre card that Ace gave him, and how he didn’t learn about it until Nami’s friend told him about it just before Sabaody. About how it was a compass of a sort towards whomever the owner was, and how it indicated the life force of them as well. That the smaller it was, the more in danger they were.

That tale however quickly turned into a hastily blubber mess that Law could barely make sense of. It was something along the lines of Luffy telling Ace about him and Ace promising to let Luffy know if he found anything else out.

…Law wasn’t going to ask for clarification.

And so he let Luffy continue on with his tale about Alabasta and Crocodile. Smoker popped into question a few times, and apparently a close friend of his. Bon Clay or something like that. Hina, too, was also a subject of conversation.

(Law remembered the names of Hina and Smoker from his time at the Marines, but he never met them in person. They were still relatively rookies during that time, and the only reason their names came up was due to Sengoku’s complaints and platitudes. Those two were on the opposite ends of the spectrum: with Smoker being a mischief causer and often in brawls, while Hina was a protégé of sorts. Granted, not a lot of marines had met him anyway, or even knew of his existence for that matter. The last thing he needed was for Vergo, and consequently Doflamingo, to learn of his hideout within the Navy after all…)

From what he had heard however, was that Smoker had renewed his vendetta against the Strawhats, and more specifically: Luffy.

But he supposed a Marine like Smoker, who was vehemently against the Seven Warlords system, would most definitely be against a boy who was raised by the Marines becoming a pirate.

(It only made him wonder just what Smoker would think of him; being under Sengoku’s care and all…)

“Hey, Torao, do you wanna become a doctor or something?”

Luffy was peeking at him above the book again; face a bit too close for comfort.

Law sighed and pushed Luffy’s face away, putting down the book – only for a few moments. He had begun to learn that unless he indulged Luffy with some sort of answer, he wouldn’t cease to annoy him.

“I guess you could say that.”

“You guess? So being a doctor isn’t your dream? So why are you always reading these doctor-y books?”

…While Law wanted to protest that ‘doctor-y’ was not a word, he decided against it. Instead he just glared at Luffy before responding. “I have my reasons, and besides, it’s something I’m good at.”

Luffy made a strange expression. “Well, what’s your dream then Torao?”

…Arg, could this boy just shut up already? And what was with him and inquiring about him? Law sighed and looked at the book. “I want to see a certain man punished. Right now, sticking with the Marines and studying medicine are ways to further my goal. If either becomes a hindrance, I’ll find my own way.”

There was another strange expression on Luffy’s face and he turned to Ace before standing up, and screaming.

“I want to be the Pirate King!”

Law only shook his head before picking up his book and resumed ignoring the two in front of him, who were laughing and chasing one another. He had heard the boy mumble it enough times in his sleep or blubbering it out through tears that it really hadn’t phased him. This, really, was the first time he had said it so enthusiastically but, regardless, he was ever so close to finally figuring out this Amber Lead problem that had been weighing him down…

That was, actually, the last time he had ever seen those two. It wasn’t long after that when Doflamingo had been ‘promoted’ to a Warlord and…

Law shook his head at that, and looked back at Luffy with his sparkling eyes. Yes, Pirate King. That’s what he screamed.

He wondered how much the Marines actually knew. Did they know Luffy wanted to be the Pirate King? And what about Ace? Certainly the guy had some motivation to become a pirate; he recalled something about infamy being uttered from Ace’s lips from time to time. And considering how sullen the boys had been, that one occasion was probably the only time they had screamed out their desires like that.

Obviously, they didn’t know about Ace’s heritage. If anything, it was probably solely on Garp’s shoulders.

(And, he figured, that he was the only person that was closest to those boys as well, hence why he knew and why they felt comfortable doing what they did. Which, probably was also why Sengoku always had left him in Garp’s care or vice-versa. In fact, those boys were probably the only ones he really interacted with as well. The few other occasions hadn’t panned out all so well. Mostly because Law had ended up beating up those that had tried to get close to him against his will. Even when he spent time with Drake, it was mostly just sullen silence that was more awkward than anything. And while Luffy and Ace had been, well, pests, they seemed to get along well enough that neither of their guardians saw fit to cease the ‘visits’ - or as Luffy liked to call them: ‘play dates.’ Even despite some of Law’s efforts in brawling with those brats, but mostly because neither of them went crying to Garp about it like any of the others. Not to mention, well, they actually held their own and gave Law quite the challenge – some of which he only lost due to the Amber Lead thriving throughout his body.)

And Luffy just continued to babble on as Law mulled on the past and the Marines. About a spring guy, a liar, Blackbeard (which made Luffy’s voice tremor with anger) and about an island in the sky.

(At this point, Law wasn’t about to doubt it. Considering everything that he had experienced on the Grand Line, anything was possible.)

He listened to those tales with a bit of amusement. Surprising, how Luffy managed to defeat two Logia users in a row. The first one, Crocodile, was sheer ingenuity, while the second one being sheer luck. To meet an enemy he was completely immune to? Apparently them D.’s had it in droves. (And, it only painfully reminded him of Cora-san, merely based on the fact that Enel had called himself a God.)

But it seemed that Luffy’s successes with the Logia-types ended there with a meeting from Aokiji.

“He said something about Gramps.” Luffy’s face was surly. “Something about how much I looked like him now. Then decided that that was good enough excuse to start attacking everybody.” And pouty. “Why didn’t he just listen to me and take his walk elsewhere?”

…Did Luffy seriously believe…?

“An admiral isn’t about to take orders from a pirate. You should know that by now Luffy-ya.” Law shook his head at this nonsense. At least that stubbornness was visible back then as well. So this wasn’t too much of a surprise.

“But if he walked away none of that would have happened!” He huffed. Mugiwara no Luffy huffed.

Law could only shake his head again. Just how Luffy lasted this long was a miracle…

“Well, what else did he say?”

(Might as well indulge him; it wasn’t like he had anything else to do.)

And Luffy looked long and hard as he tried to remember. “Um… I don’t know. Something else about Gramps, and how dangerous I was. Like he was scolding Gramps?”

Law’s eyebrow rose as he remembered what Luffy told him about Garp and his wanted poster. So the Admirals knew that Garp was pulling some strings? …Or at least Aokiji anyway.

“Oh, was it something to do with the fact that Garp was hiding your true name from the papers?”

And Luffy’s eyes widened. “Yeah!” He was smiling now, nodding. “Something like that anyway. He didn’t exactly say it like that, but now that you say that…”

“So I’m presuming you somehow escaped his clutches considering that you’re still alive now…” Law prompted. He was curious just how Luffy survived against Aokiji.

And there that laughter was – Law was starting to recognise the different laughs that Luffy had by now – this one was the one as if Luffy had been caught red-handed. Or he had done something truly idiotic.

(It was the latter he suspected.)

“Kinda? Basically I made a deal with him so he couldn’t harm my nakama, and then Chopper saved me after he froze me solid.”

…Why did he even save this idiot?

[dlwngadventures]

02/26/18, BALI!!!!

click to view the BALI PHOTOS :))

Let me tell you about Bali though...

A lot of people (at least I definitely did) think Bali is this beautiful oasis. First thing that comes to mind is yoga retreat, vegan heaven, crystal blue water, zen type vibes, but our experience was very different. There were 10 of us so if that doesn’t already set the scene for how crazy it was... traveling with that many people just makes it a mission to make any decisions or get anything done. 

On Friday we flew into Denpasar (Brittney and I were on a separate flight bc we of our spontaneous booking lol) and we went from the airport to our Airbnb. The roads are wild!!! There are basically no traffic laws and everyone rides their scooters and just goes. We drove through so many different areas to get to our Airbnb. It was so interesting to see the mix of the very poor, developing areas contrasted with the modern, hip shops you see on Instagram etc. Even just the contrast of our very cute Airbnb to the housing around it. Our Airbnb was hostel style kind of with multiple rooms. Our room was 2 double beds and a bathroom. It was super cute with the owner’s house right by it -- filled with loud roosters and dogs. From the Airbnb we walked to Batu Bolong beach to meet the others. First impressions: It was so so hot and the water was a nasty brown. The sun is crazy bright there. The sand was literally too hot to walk on barefoot. I don’t ever burn tbh but my shoulder burned a little this trip and that was crazy to me. I experienced peeling skin from a sunburn for the first time and for sure lathering on the sunscreen from now on!!!!!! Always!!!! We paid for a couple lounge chairs and umbrellas in front of a restaurant on the beach because there was no way we would be able to just lay out on the sand. This beach is a prime surfing location, aka the waves will knock you flat on your back (which admittedly happened to me multiple times). For some reason all of us still loved it. It was fun just to run into the water and being KO’ed by the wave idk. This first day was our chill day. We spent majority of the day by the beach and then we chilled at our group’s villa. The villa was wild. It had an incredible pool, open concept roof business, right by all the shops and restaurants, about 5 min walk from the beach. We showered and went out for food. We ate at a ‘warung’ as it’s called in Indonesia. It’s basically a small, family style restaurant. I got so much food and I can’t remember that last time I’ve been that full. I could barely stand up straight. Yet, we walked by a vegan ice cream place and of course I had to get one. I got tumeric ice cream and it was so good. Worth every inch of bloated belly lol. We spent the night chilling in the villa -- drinking, catching up, in the pool etc. 

Saturday was our busy, busy day. We hired a private driver who took us around to all our different locations. We visited the Ubud Monkey Forest (Sacred Monkey Sanctuary) and it was our first close experience with monkeys in South East Asia (at the tree top walk I only really saw them from afar). These monkeys were so clever and quick!!! If you had food they would just snag them from you. The sanctuary had a bunch of rules to follow to help prevent monkey attacks -- ex. don’t look them in the eyes!! We saw the monkeys pick out bugs from each others fur (including around the butt area) and eat it. You could pay to feed them bananas and they absolutely devoured them. The monkeys just roam freely around the park so if you’re not careful they’ll just snatch things from you. At one point we were in this open area and we were all taking turns feeding the monkeys. This girl just got peed on by a monkey and I had just fed another monkey. I was backing out of the circle of monkeys eating when I accidentally stepped on a baby monkey’s tail and lemme tell ya, commotion ensued. There was an AWFUL awful scream from the baby monkey and then literally everyone else who was in the area backed away until it was just me and the monkey, and the big daddy monkey. He looked so pissed I was so scared. He started punching my leg, of course it didn’t hurt, but I really was terrified he was about to bite my leg off. I apologized but of course it didn’t understand...it was so scary alright. 

After the monkey forest we went to the Tegalalang Rice Terrace. We had lunch along the rice terrace and hiked in after. The restaurant had this super cute swing that you could take a photo with and then when we walked in it was so cool to see how far the rice terraces extended. Honestly, so beautiful. We visited the Tegenungan Waterfall after. It wasn’t the waterfall that we wanted to visit, but our driver took us to the wrong one (lol ty driver). It was really brown because it was winter so there was a ton of water and took a lot of mud with it. We didn’t end up swimming in the big waterfall because of time, and because the water was just flowing too fast, it was kind of dangerous. There was a baby version before you reached the big one and we spent some time in that. It was so refreshing!!! But I also think this is where I got my worst mosquito bite /: (which I am convinced is how I got mild dengue fever bc I had a mild fever that made me skip all my classes and sleep for a day two days after we got back. Prian scared us all about dengue and that was all I could think about for a lot of the trip tbh)

We wanted to catch sunset at the Tanah Lot temple so we were rushed for time from the waterfall. We ended up getting there a little early and snagging some food. I tried this sticky coconut rice snack that was so delicious. The temple itself was honestly not that impressive. There were way too many people, it made it really hard to enjoy our time. There were too many clouds so the sunset was eh as well. The temple is supposed to be really cool because you walk on this sort of natural bridge path to the actual temple that is surrounded by water, but we couldn’t reach it because water levels were too high (aka not really ideal time to visit Bali tbh). That night we were beat but I will say I had a dank meal that night. Mi goreng!! Mi goreng is an Indonesian fried noodle dish that we got for nearly every meal and was so good. 

The next day a couple of us wanted to rent scooters and ride around. The area that we were staying in was pretty mellow so we figured it wouldn’t be too dangerous to ride them around. However, the rental guy wouldn’t even let us get them. It was actually really sweet of him. He said that if he rented them to us he would make a bunch of money and if we got injured or ruined the bike he would make even more, but he didn’t care about the monkey, he didn’t want us to get hurt. In the end we tried the scooters in an alley way but didn’t get to rent them /: probably smart though...definitely smart actually.

We hired a driver that the other part of the group (everyone minus me and brittney) had from the airport for the rest of the day. Apparently he was really cool and would Facebook live their journey (kinda weird tbh), let them hotspot his wifi in the car, and was just a cool guy??? We didn’t spend that much time with him this day so I don’t really know. We were leaving this day but we wanted to spend the morning seeing a beautiful temple and experiencing some actual clear blue water. We drove to Uluwatu Temple which was so beautiful. It was a temple on this rocky cliff with amazing blue water below. One of the most stunning views I’ve experienced if I’m being honest. Before we walked into the temple though, there were these SAVAGE monkeys on the outside parking lot. I’m telling you, these monkeys are so feisty and conniving!!! The monkey came and snatched this women’s glasses out of her hands and then proceeded to snap them in half. Two people in my group also had glasses and immediately became super cautious, but even still, one of the monkey’s jumped on Prian’s back and swiped his glasses off his face. He was just biting and playing with the glasses for awhile and we were all praying that he wouldn’t snap them in half. Eventually, our driver called over one of the local temple workers and she gave the monkey a banana bunch and he finally dropped the glasses, unharmed (minus a couple bite marks). Strong start to the day ya know. For the rest of the time at the temple, we all clutched on to our stuff to make sure it wouldn’t happen again. Also, random fact but the temples have weird rules like if you’re pregnant or on your period you can’t go in...

After the temple, we ventured to Dreamland Beach. All we wanted was a beautiful clear blue water beach like we saw from the temple. Dreamland was a resort, private beach and we decided to splurge (when I say splurge I mean it was $3 entrance fee instead of free basically lol) on this private beach. From the outside it really did look incredible, but once you looked closer there was trash everywhere. We didn’t even spend time in the water because we ended up just swimming in trash. It was really sad actually. There was a river type deal that the ocean ran into and it was FILLED with trash. The sustainability side of me was really torn up by it, I almost got a bag to help clean up, no lie. It was heartbreaking. The worst part was people at the resort who were just tanning in the sun, taking these Insta photos with no regard to the trash around. Insta vs real life has never been more real. Post beach we drove to the airport, blasting some Canadian jams (Drake and “Out for a rip”) and listened to Prian belt some Jackson 5. 

Bali, man. Definitely not what I expected, but also as always no regrets. 

There were just a lot of annoying admission fees. The people weren’t the nicest. Dengue fever paranoia. I was just overall on edge because it was my first trip out in the real Southeast Asian area and people kept freaking me out about getting hit by a scooter or getting cholera from the water or dengue from the mosquitoes (mossies!!!), it made it hard to enjoy the trip. But Bali was still very beautiful. We didn’t have time to see Heaven’s gates or climb Mount Agung but I would for sure come back to do a more retreat type trip and do those things :-)

an eye opening experience to say the least. first trip done and I am STOKED for more