Haunted
Summary: While Doflamingo is away on business, Shell sulks around the mansion and remembers some things in her past. Takes place a couple months before the oneshot More and it's co-chapters.
Anime/manga: One Piece
Category: slight romance
Pairing: DolfaxShell
...
The former captain of the Hartford Pirates stared out the window, her chin resting in her palm. It had been three days since Doflamingo had left for Shichibukai business, complaining about it at first and then going when Shell said he had to.
She pulled her knees to her chest and laid her chin on top of them, sighing heavily. She was bored beyond relief. She glanced down at the ring on her finger, remembering when the blonde bastard had slipped it on months ago.
Being only 30, it was a great age to get married.
I'm still far too young...Shell clutched her pants, Lillianne coming to her mind.
Ah, her unofficial adopted daughter.
Speaking of Lillianne, the captain saw the redhead poke her head from around the corner. "Captain-sama, you've been sitting there for two hours."
Shell huffed. "Thank you, captain obvious." she spoke sarcastically.
"It's quiet without Doflamingo here." Lillianne added, speaking of her father-figure. "I'm bored! Let's go to the amusement park!"
Shell shrugged and the two girls headed out to the amusement park on the island. As Shell watched the redhead talk about the rides, Shell's thoughts wandered somewhere else. She had been only 25, not engaged yet, when she found Lillianne half-dead in the Alabasta desert. Considering Lillianne was only 13-years old at the time and had raging hormones, Shell willingly took her in as her first crew mate.
Of course, with some help from Ivankov, who was more than willing to help with Lillianne. Coincidentally, that's when Shell found their ship, the SS Drake (coughtheyhadtomurdertheprevi ousownerscough). As the years went by, Shell gained more and more crewmates.
Doflamingo came onto her mind again and Lillianne saw the dazed look on her captain's face. "Captain-sama, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." her captain replied.
Lillianne knew her captain loved the man, no matter how sadistic or cruel he could be. He was hardly ever like that towards them and the only time Lillianne had seen the sadistic side of Doflamingo was during the Whitebeard War. He was even disrespectful towards his fellow Shichibukai.
Both girls sighed. "Let's get something to eat Lily." Shell spoke, hearing Lillianne cheer as she ran ahead to the food court. She only smiled a little and followed after Lillianne, her eyes narrowing a little as she remembered a specific event that happened when Shell was 17, 13 years ago.
13 years ago...
"This is your home island, right?"
Shell glanced over to her captain, Eustass Kidd. Funny thing was how they were the same age, yet he looked quite older than her. He was tall, around six feet.
Shell's eyes went back to the island ahead of them. "Yeah." She stretched her arm out straight, hearing her elbow crack. It was nice to finally be home again, after leaving Than Island when she was 16.
The ship docked and the crew stepped off the ship and went into the town. "This place looks quiet Captain." Killer spoke.
Shell glanced around, looking for her parents and sister. She finally spotted them and called out their names, running towards them. When her family saw her, their eyes widened. "My baby!" her mother called out, spreading her arms wide for a hug.
Shell grinned and was about to run into her mother's arms, but instead her mother's hand landed across her cheek harshly. Shell staggered backwards and held a hand to her reddened cheek. "Wha...?" she looked up at her mother, who had angry tears rolling down her face.
"How could you do that to us?!" her mother screamed, causing Shell to flinch. "How could you leave to be a fucking pirate?!"
"B-but..." Shell stammered and then she felt anger boil up inside. "I was sick of being on this island! As a pirate, I can travel the seas! I'm not a baby anymore! You can't tell me what to do!"
Her mother raised her hand to slap Shell again, but a hand grabbed Shell's shoulder and pulled her back. "Touch her again and I'll cut off your hand." Kidd snarled, glaring at the woman with dark red eyes.
Her mother backed away from Kidd as he brought out his katana and rose it above his head. "No!" A voice shouted angrily and a pale hand grabbed his wrist. Kidd looked over and saw Shell was the one who stopped him. "Don't kill them!"
"Why not? If they're dead, then you don't have to worry about them again."
She glared at him. "I don't care what my mother did, they're still my family."
He snarled. "Get out of my way!" he punched her right in the face and she staggered backwards, a trickle of blood flowing down from the corner of her mouth. "Now..." he turned to the family before him.
"I said STOP!" Shell's katana collided with his and he stepped backwards, glaring at her.
"You dare to defy me?!"
"I believe I just did." She glared back at him.
He growled. "You...little bitch!" he roared and then swung. Shell barely managed to block his attack, getting nicked on her left cheek deeply. She grabbed his wrist and with a swift move, plunged her blade into his side and cringed as he roared out in pain.
His blade cut into the flesh of her neck, but not deeply enough to nick any veins or arteries. Shell barely dodged again, this time the blade cut into the flesh of the left side of her forehead. Both of them breathed heavily and Kidd held a hand to his bleeding side. "You...you get lucky...this time." he snarled and then turned around, stalking back to his ship and his crew followed him.
Shell turned to her family, seeing the horrified looks on them. "Hun..." her mother whispered. "I'm so-."
"You've said that plenty of times." Shell interrupted her mother. "Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving and I'm never coming back." with that, she spun on her heel and walked away.
End flashback
Shell looked up at the sky, wondering how her family was doing. Her parents would be in their late 50's to early 60's by now and her sister would still be in her late twenties. She lightly crossed her arms over her chest and followed after Lillianne.
Lillianne didn't know what to pick! She made an expression of disgust when she saw cooked potatoes. How she hated potatoes!
"Are you glaring at the potatoes Lillianne?" Shell asked from behind the redhead.
"Yeah! I hate potatoes!"
Shell only smiled a little at her childish personality. "C'mon, we'll eat later. Let's go on a ride." she put her arm around Lillianne's neck in a motherly way, kissing the top of her head. The two went on a low roller coaster, which Shell liked because it wasn't too high.
Once they got off, Lillianne was dizzy from all the rattling the car made. "Let's go on that again!"
Shell then heard a voice scream/yell out her name.
"SHELL BELL!"
Shell just got enough time to turn around and immediately got tackled to the ground by a familiar pink blob that had its face buried in her chest. "Gahh! Get off Doflamingo! You're causing a scene!" she blushed as he basically straddled her waist...right in the middle of the road.
Lillianne only sweat-dropped as the blonde ignored Shell's protests and continued to straddle her waist. Lillianne noticed people were staring and she glared at them. "What the hell are ya'll staring at?!"
The people stopped staring and moved on. Shell was finally able to pry the overly-clingy Warlord off her and stood up. "Don't do that again!" she smacked him over the head and he only pouted. "Oh god, don't pout please..."
"But I missed you!" he threw his arms around her, nuzzling her face. "Do you know how lonely it gets without you around?"
"Very lonely I'm guessing." she replied, blushing a little. She nearly had to stop the man from kissing her out in public. "Oi!"
...
Shell gasped silently as she opened her eyes, feeling something warm and moist trickling down her face. She touched her face and pulled her hand back to see water.
"Shell," Doflamingo stirred and switched the lamp on the nightstand on. She was lying on her side, her back to him. Her shoulders were tensed, along with the rest of her muscles. He could clearly see the black angel wings tattoo poking out from her tank top.
She sniffled and quickly wiped the tears away, but he had already seen them. He laid a hand on her arm and she relaxed underneath his touch. "Why are you crying?"
Her greyish-green eyes met his cerulean blue ones. "I had a dream..." she replied quietly, looking away.
"A bad one?"
"No...it was a good one." She sniffled again and dried them before she rolled onto her back and sat up against the pillows. "It's been a long time since I came across that memory..."
"Which memory?" he traced a finger along her jawline, earning a small shiver from her.
"The first part was when we met and the second was when I found Lillianne in Alabasta." she answered. "They were good memories."
He pulled her to him, kissing the top of her head. "Good memories are better than bad ones."
She sighed and closed her eyes, relaxing into his hold.
