A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating, had family activities to deal with. Plus trying to figure out what I was going to do with this chapter, it's a bit longer than usual & I had to cut this day into two chapters since I have a lot going on here. So please enjoy!

Morning seemed to come too quick, Law sat alone on the couch of the common room with a book open on his lap but it might as well not even been there for as much attention he was giving it. His mind was stuck on Cora… She was acting oddly today; she did not get up first like always, instead he woke up with her laying closely beside him and cuddled up to him almost… She had never laid that close to him before and to be quite frank it startled him, her hand was wrapped around his and even now he could feel her warmth still tingling in his palm. He had asked if she was ok, maybe she had another bad nightmare, but her response was a simple 'I'm fine'. Now it was almost noon and she had not left her position on the piano bench for a few hours, she would play a song then pause before starting a new one. While it was relaxing to listen to her music the fact that she was staying out of trouble was… strangely unsettling.

Coracias touched the keys to the piano but it did not relax her like it had the day before, what Dracule had said last night was playing over and over in her mind. Why had he said those things to her, acting as if she was really the type of person that could protect anyone… She wasn't a swordsman like him, she wasn't super smart like Law and she certainly wasn't anything like Akianu… How could she protect the people she cared for…

"Oooooh, what beautiful music Hana-neeeee."

The new voice caused the two in the common area to jump from their respective thoughts, Coracias pushing down roughly on the keys that made a rather unpleasant pitch.

Law winced at the sound emitting from the piano and gave a glare to the ever annoying yellow glad Admiral. "What brings you here Kizaru-ya?" He asked blandly, it was almost odd not seeing the Fleet Admiral lurking about close by.

"Ooooh, no need to be so mean Law-kun. I just wanted to see our favored guest." He walked up to the girl sitting with an almost sad expression despite the smile she was doing her best to give. "I'd like to take you someplace, little Hana-neeee."

The younger man gave a scowl that blatantly said he was having none of it. "She's busy."

Borsalino walked up to the girl and handed her a package that was nicely wrapped. "Why don't you go to your room and open your present, neee." He gave her a smile as he pet her hair playfully.

She blinked a few times as she stared at the gift, she took it quizzically as she turned it over in her hands. It was wrapped so beautifully she almost didn't want to ruin it. Her eyes went to Law and held it up to show him as well as get permission to go and open it. He had been awfully strict since they came here.

Law took a deep breath which exhaled into an aggravated sigh. "Go ahead." The two men watched her leave with a little spring in her step, he could tell she was trying to contain her excitement… come to think of it that was the first proper present she had received… all things considering. "What are you doing Kizaru-ya?"

The taller man gave a lazy smile as he lit a cigarette. "How strange of you Law-kun, being so dotting over a girl you claim to not be a crew mate or lover." He teased.

"Tch!" He gave a grumble, not impressed by the other man's taunting.

"And how strange…" Once more a new voice emerged, the other two men looked to see Dracule standing in his doorway. "To see an Admiral taking such interest in this no name child." He had opened his door solely to investigate the unpleasantly abrupt stop to the piano music, which he was enjoying.

Law arched a brow, what in the world was he doing sticking his nose into this…

"Oooooh, this is also a surprise. How unlike like you to put an interest in this."

He swordsman stoic expression did not change as he reached back inside his room and produced his coat. "I have no such interest in your particular nonsense." He slipped into it and was adjusting it as the girl re-emerged from her room.

Coracias smiled brightly as she came back into the common room with a twirl to show off the new kimono she had received; it was short like her other one but the fabric was a soft yellow with a white flower pattern and orange obi. She absolutely loved it!

The corner of Law's mouth crept up into a hint of a smile before he repressed it, she did look good and it was nice that she had something other than that pink one she had been wearing all this time but he did not like where this gift had come from.

"Oooooh! How lovely hana-neeee." Borsalino smiled at her as the cigarette hung from his lips. "You look wonderful, neee."

She held up her notepad, her smile refusing to go away. 'Thank you so much!'

He smiled to her as her put out his smoke. "Oooh, I'm very glad you like it. Now how about we…"

"No."

The other three turned to Dracule, who had now adorned his hat and placed his sword upon his back. The fact that he voiced an objection before Law was a little shocking. "No?" Borsalino questioned the other man with a peeked brow.

Dracule closed the door to his temporary room and stepped in-between her and the Admiral. "The girl and I had a prior arrangement." He gave the boy a sideways glance then turned his attention to her. "You won't be needing this." He took her notebook and tossed it onto the couch beside the boy.

Coracias looked between all the faces, she wasn't sure what to do… She was supposed to go to this man's room later tonight with her answer but did this mean he wanted it now? And the nice Admiral was wanting her to go with him… would it be alright to receive this gift then not go with him? She frowned a little, and then there was Law… who didn't look happy at all.

"Oooooh, this is rather interesting." He gave a grin as he turned away. "Looks like I'll just have to wait till later, little hana-neeeee." He backed down with that lazy smile of his, he wasn't sure what the other man's game was but he was curious to see what would happen. Besides he, himself, wasn't the one who was wanting the young lady's time.

"Come, girl."

She looked up to see Dracule walking away, her eyes darted to Law but he wasn't arguing… she wondered what was going through his head.

Law just let out a sigh, at least Mihawk was a slightly safer choice than her running off with the Admiral… "Just go." What the hell was going on in this place? Why were these people showing such an interest in her when her being here was by sheer accident in the first place… He closed his eyes and reclined back into the couch. A better question was why he was being so concerned about her…

She gave a little smile and hugged him from behind as he sat there, he really was putting up with a lot because of her. There had to be something she could do to make it up to him…

He was startled by the sudden warmth and opened his eyes to see her face right next to his. "What are you doing?" Why did she have to be so clingy?

'Don't worry.' She signed as she gave him a kiss on the cheek before standing and going into a quick walk to catch up to Dracule, who was already well on his way out of the common area.

His cheeks flushed as his hand went to the spot where her lips touched. "I… I'm not worried!" He gave a little grumble as he watched her disappear out the door with that damn stupid smile of hers. He stood up, grabbing the book he was reading and the note pad that was left behind before retreating into his room with a slam of his door. What the hell was she thinking! Kissing people like that… she was too damn friendly. He fell onto the bed, tossing the books down beside him, with a grumble as he rubbed the spot she kissed… perhaps taking a nap would help… Another sigh as he rolled to one side, his eyes noting the soft pink on the bedsheet… her old kimono… he reached out and touched it, he'd never thought about it before but it really was a nice thing… and soft. His eyes went to her notebook and he moved it closer to him while sitting up on an elbow, he started flipping through the pages and stopped when he found some of her drawings… She had a habit of drawing everyone one smiling, even though he knew damn well that people like himself and Akainu wouldn't have such stupid grins on their faces… he flipped a page, looks like she had drawn a new one… and he couldn't help but smirk It was of him and her… It was the first time she had ever drawn herself, at least that face looked normal with a smile on it… and once again she drew him smiling. He let out a sigh as he stared at the picture, she just had to make them both look so damn happy being together… He grumbled at the choice of his own words and pushed the notebook away. What a foolish thought that was, as if those two would ever be together like that. She was far too annoying… and clingy… not to mention a klutz and complete airhead… and sweet… stupidly sweet in fact… and gentle…

Law gave a loud grumble as he sat up, shaking those thoughts right back out of his head… a nap was definitely out of the picture now… having a beer sounded about right though.

"What?" Sakazuki eyed his friend after hearing what happened where the Warlords were being housed, a distinct feeling of agitation was creeping up and turning into a headache.

Borsalino gave a little chuckle. "Perhaps it should have been you that brought her the gift then."

The other man gave a growl as he turned away and walked back out to the balcony of his office, like hell he would've done that. Presenting that girl with any sort of gift would've caused too much trouble for him, especially if it would be in front of those damn warlords…

"Oooooh, don't look so upset Sakazuki-kun. I'm sure you can see her shortly, after she's done having her date with Mihawk."

Another growl was the only response, as if he cared about how soon he saw the girl. That gift was merely a curtesy and she could stay out wandering with that swordsman all night for all he cared… he did, however, want to know why that man was out with her… what could Mihawk possibly want her for… perhaps it would be good to keep an eye on them… to make sure he wasn't up to anything.

Coracias kept pace with Dracule, it was a quite walk but she really didn't expect much else. Part of her wanted to ask where they were going but decided to leave it alone, she could only assume he wanted to get away from the people that had been staring at them… was that why he brought her out to the sea side?

"Girl." He stopped and looked out towards the ocean, this should be far enough away from prying ears. "Do you have an answer for me."

She blinked a few times as she climbed up onto the rock next to him. 'I thought I had more time.' She thought she did but… so many things had happened since she came to this place that she wasn't sure on how she felt about who.

"You are correct; I would have called you stupid if you had rushed to make your decision so quickly."

She pouted a little as she looked down at him. 'That wasn't very nice.'

That made him smirk. "I am not a nice person, girl."

'So why did you bring me out here?'

"Solely because I did not want you going with that man." He noted the confused expression on her face when he said that. "Why do you think he wanted you to accompany him?"

She lifted her hands to respond but paused, she never really thought about it before… she supposed it was because they like to spend time with her like she did with them… 'I really don't know.'

"Would you follow anyone blindly if all they did was spare a kind word and I smile?"

She frowned again, he was being awfully mean… 'Was I wrong to follow you then?'

He smiled at that. "I did not offer you any kind words or even a smile, girl." He leaned against the rock she was perched on as he directed his attention back out to the water. "Consider this, that man is an Admiral. One of the most powerful men in the service to the Marines and you are a simple girl with no abilities that should warrant a man's attention. Yet he brings you a gift and wishes to take you someplace? Why?"

She furrowed her brow as she leaned over to look at him, how did he expect to see her signing if he wasn't looking at her and he had that big funny hat on so he really couldn't see her at all… But what he said did need a little thought, she supposed… she really didn't realize how important that man was and to be honest she had never really spent any time with him when Akainu wasn't around… she reached down and swatted at the feathery thing sticking out of his hat to get his attention.

"I know full well what the answer is girl, you don't need to tell me." He ignored the swatting for a moment longer but she was being persistent. With a sigh he looked up to her since it seemed she wouldn't relent until he did, he shifted only enough to see her from the corner of his eye. "Can't you remain still, even for a little while?" She was leaning over rather far and with her flailing... "Be care…"

Before the words could finish coming out she felt the hand that was supporting her weight slipping, the rock was wet from sea spray and the algae did nothing to help. Her eyes got wide as she realized gravity was beginning to take effect.

"Tch!" He took a step back but it was too late, she was already too close before she started falling so he really didn't have time to move away before she collided into him and they both fell to the ground. He landed hard with her on top of him, he was just glad no one was around to see them like this. He sat up a little, she apparently hadn't noticed she was straddling his legs… He cleared his throat to get her attention.

She pouted a little and rubbed away the tears building in the corner of her eyes, that really hurt… He made a noise and she finally looked up… no, she looked down… and her cheeks flushed a little as she realized she was sitting on top of him. She hurriedly went to back away but winced as a sharp pain hit her, her eyes going to her hand where the palm was scraped up.

He let out a sigh as he sat up and crossed his legs, this girl was a troublesome one… "Let me see it." He held out his hand for her to give him hers.

She gave a little nod and put her hand in his, he barely touched her but it seemed soft… and warm. She could feel her cheeks getting flushed again as she gave him quick glances between her hand and his face… He certainly looked a bit scary with those piercing eyes of his but… he seemed to have a nice side… ah! Her eyes got a little wide as she felt a sharp pain again and she sat up straight with a shiver.

He smirked a bit, the finger he poked into her palm still pressed against the scrape. "You really don't make any sound do you."

She snatched back her hand and rubbed it tenderly with fresh tears building up, he really was a mean person! 'That wasn't nice!' She signed with her best angry face but it hurt to move her hand now.

That actually made him laugh. "I already told you, girl. I'm not nice." He stood up and brushed himself off as he looked down at her, she was an airheaded girl and completely useless… but… she was amusing. "Come, you've been away long enough. I'm certain your Master will be wondering where you are." He offered her a hand to help her stand up.

Having him refer to Law like that bothered her but she ignored it and took his hand, making sure to use the one that wasn't hurt so he didn't squeeze it again. As she stood she felt another sharp pain and stumbled a little forward into him.

"What are you doing?" He arched a brow as he looked down at the face buried in his chest, he shifted and took note of her knee where the skin had been scraped away as well. Such a troublesome girl… "Are you going to let that stop you from walking?"

She gave a little pout as she stepped away from him but still hung onto his arm for support. 'I'll be fine'

He gave her an unimpressed look; she might have claimed she was fine but she wouldn't still be clinging to him in such a manor… this was going to be a very long walk back into the compound…

Law grumbled to himself as he looked to the clock in the common area, those two had been gone for a few hours already… what was taking them?... Just as he thought that he heard the sound of boots in the hall. "Finally." He said with a sigh as he sat up, he kept saying he would keep a closer eye on her but she kept being led off by this person and that person… for sure, this time he'd not let her out of his sight… huh? "What the hell!"

Dracule entered the common area… alone. He gave the boy a blank look and continued on to his room without a word.

"Wait!" He stood up and called out to the man before he disappeared. "Where is Cora?! She left with you!" Damn it! This is what he got for trusting him!

Seeing the boys distress made him smirk. "She wished to be left in the arboretum as to not embarrass me by having to cling to me as we walked." He honestly did not care either way but it was a notion brought up by her, she apparently thought he would be bothered by such a triviality so he allowed her to think it. She would return on her own before long, she still needed to come to him tonight with her answer.

"Tch." Law let out a little growl. "And why would she need to 'cling' to you?"

"She fell and hurt her knee." He waved the boys outrage off before he could start yelling. "It's a minor wound, you would do well not to coddle her so much. How do you expect her to grow stronger if you shield her constantly?" With that he left the boy to his own devices, right now he desired a bath to rid him of the sand he acquired from taking the girl to the beach area.

Another growl, what did he know about her anyways. That man only just met her so he wouldn't know anything about them… er… her… he meant to say her… He let out a grumbled sigh and went to leave but he paused as he reached for his katana, her notebook was sitting beside it and still open to the picture she had drawn of them together. Instead of grabbing his sword he picked up the bundle of paper with a sigh… what was he supposed to do? He always complained about her being a burden but now when she was trying not to be one he wanted to rush to her… he still didn't understand why he was trying so hard with her. She was his patient… they weren't friends or anything, no matter how friendly she acted… but still… he wanted to protect her, at the very least keep the marines from getting a hold of her. He still didn't trust why the admirals were so interested in her… He let out a sigh and took his things… then returned to his room to wait. She'd come back to him… she always did; he'd just have to get used to it taking a little longer…

Coracias smiled contently from her spot leaning against a tree, the throbbing in her knee had subsided and she knew she should be finding her way back but she loved this place so much…

"Fufufufu…"

A noise caught her attention… was that someone laughing? She sat forward a little and looked around, where in the world was it coming from… she didn't see anyone.

"Look up, little dove."

Her eyes got a little wide as she did what the voice said, looking up she saw a really tall man laying along the limb of the tree she was sitting under. She had never seen him before, she would have definitely remembered that giant pink feather coat… She reached for her notepad… ah! She had forgotten that Dracule had her leave it! She didn't think about it at all when she asked him to leave her here, she had planned to ask people how to get back to where the warlords were but how was she supposed to talk to everyone now?

"What's the matter little dove?" He gave a broad smile as he slid off of the branch and landed to a crouched down position right next to her. "Are you shy?" He touched her chin and turned her face a bit to inspect her, this was the first time he really got to look her over… What a cute little thing.

She blushed a little and backed away, he was really really close… but she couldn't go anywhere with the tree right behind her. She bit her lip as she tried to figure out how to communicate… maybe he was like Dracule and knew sign language? She lifted her hands nervously and signed. 'I'm sorry, I don't speak.'

"Eh?" He watched her hands with a frown. "You don't talk?" That made his frown grow even deeper as his fingers went to her lips. "Are you sure?" He caressed her lips with his fingertips as he leaned in even closer. "My brother claimed not to speak as well… and I believed him because I loved him…"

Her heart started to pound, she didn't know what to think of this man and she wasn't even sure he understood what she had said or if he just made the observation because of her hand movements…

"I loved him…" He repeated. "Up until the very day he betrayed me…"

Her eyes grew wide when he said that last part and the scowl he had turned even deeper… she didn't know how to respond. She gave a little frown as she touched his cheek, with those glasses on she couldn't tell if he was looking at her or not.

"Eh?" The touch was gentle and caused him to grin widely. "That face makes it seem like you feel sorry for me, fufufufufu…" He chuckled at that, what a soft hearted girl. His fingers went to her cheek but left his thumb to continue rubbing her lips. "I don't need you to pity me…"

She blushed again, she never met someone who was as… hands on… as him. He honestly reminded her of herself with the way she was with Law… did he get this flustered when she held onto him like this man did to her now?... She bit her lip to try and get the tingling sensation to go away as she raised her hands in front of her as she shook her head 'no'. She didn't know how else to talk to him… She touched her throat and shook her head 'no' again.

He rested his chin on his fist, his grin growing ever wider. "Are you trying to convince me of your innocence?" He leaned in closer, enjoying the way she got so flustered by his closeness and touch. "Does such a thing really mean so much to you?"

She nodded her head, honestly she didn't know why she should care that much but for some reason she hated the idea of lying to him… well, anyone for that matter.

"Such a sweet little dove…" He touched her lips with his fingers again, his face very close to hers and he delighted as she winced at his breath near her ear. "I think that deserves a reward…"

She closed her eyes tightly as he inched closer, her heart was pounding and she didn't know what to do… This man… she had never met anyone like him and she could feel her cheeks burning. What should she do… what should she do?

"What are you doing?"

Her eyes snapped open as another voice sounded, a voice she was learning to recognize despite the man's lack of vocalization when they were together.

Standing at the entrance to the Arboretum, Akainu spied the girl sitting beside a tree and looking rather tense. His eyes scanned the area for gathering for the boy who was supposed to escort her around the facility but he was nowhere to be seen, what was she doing here unsupervised?

Coracias blinked a few times in confusion… where did the man in the feather coat go? She was certain he was just here, her body leaned forward as she touched her lips… she could still feel the warmth of his breath and the tingling sensation where he touched her face… it wasn't a dream or illusion… she knew he was just here a moment ago…

He gave a frustrated sigh; she was ignoring him again. Taking a deep breath in to calm his nerves he took a few steps towards her to close the distance and cleared his throat to get her attention.

She looked back to him with an apologetic look, he looked agitated again and no doubt it was her fault… again. She gave a little pout as she reached for her notepad… oh no! She gripped her face in frustration, what in the world was she supposed to do now? She knew full well that he didn't know sign language…

His brow arched upward as he noted her actions in looking for that pad of paper she always had with her. It was strange for her to not have it with her. "Come along." He turned slightly and waited for her to follow, this worked out well enough. He had planned to see her and this would save him the headache of dealing with Law.

She gave a nod and went to stand up, the action caused her to cringe as she was reminded of her knee. It was being such an inconvenience but what annoyed her the most is that her carelessness was causing trouble for others. Before this she had relied on Dracule to help her walk and she knew Law was going to be upset with her for getting hurt…

Akainu tilted his head a little as he saw her quick look of pain and the limp in her walk as she came to him, he scanned her over and noticed the crusted blood on her knee. "How did that happen?"

She gave a him a smirk as she crossed her arms as if to say 'Really?', he knew she had no way of talking to him right now to explain how she had fallen off of that rock.

It took him a moment to register her posture and he couldn't help but smirk himself at asking such a thing right now. If he left her to support herself then it would take the rest of the day to get to where he planned to go… He gave a little sigh and turned back to her, lifting her body easily and cradling her in his arms. He did not particularly want to be seen holding her in such a manner but if anyone spotted them he could always threaten their personal well-being into keeping their mouths shut.

Her eyes went wide as she felt her body being lifted into the air as if she weighed nothing, then she was wrapped in a warmth… her heart started to pound as her body tensed up. She certainly wasn't expecting this, she gripped onto his coat and closed her eyes tightly. This feeling of being held like this was a new one… plus, she was really high up now…

He began walking, his eyes occasionally looking down to the girl in his arms. She seemed scared… "I won't drop you." His words were firm but he meant to say it in a tone that reassured her… but speaking in such a way really wasn't something he was good at.

She peaked an eye open, still unsure of how to handle this… slowly her other eye opened as she tried to trust the man holding her. This feeling… she didn't know how to react to it… Her heart was racing and she knew her cheeks were flushed, being in this man's arms was… nice. He had this radiating warmth about him as she couldn't help but lean into his chest, the sound of his heartbeat was strong and steady. Akainu… he really is a great man…

Law tapped his fingers against the armrest of the couch, his eyes going back to the clock on the wall… Where was she?... What was taking her so long. He gave a sigh as he focused back on the book in his lap, he had been learning more sign language so he could talk to Cora easier but he planned to surprise her with it… but he couldn't very well do that if she wasn't here. He closed the book and rubbed the bridge of his nose, he was too damn distracted to focus on studying right now… His eyes shifted to the pad of paper beside him, it was still open to the drawing of them two together. He had been staring at ever since she left… "Cora… Where are you." He spoke her name softly as he touched the picture; half wishing it would come to life with an answer… he was really getting worried about her. There was no telling where she could be without a way for her to talk to people and her terrible sense of direction…

Suddenly his eyes got wide as he remembered what happened earlier, that damn Admiral was trying to get her to go with him… that must be what happened! Kizaru must have found her when she was wandering around, damn it! He stood quickly and grabbed her note pad, shoving it into the waist line of his jeans as he left the common area.

He had to find her, there was no way in hell he would allow them to sink their grubby claws into her and use her like they did to Cora-san. He'd be damned if he let them corrupt her.

Coracias blinked a few times, she wasn't quite sure when it happened but she found herself waking up on a futon. The last thing she remembered was Akainu carrying her… Did she fall asleep in his arms?

Almost on cue the older man entered the room, he had removed his jacket and shoes to get more comfortable and was carrying a tray. "Good, you woke up." He said plainly as he sat down cross legged beside her, placing the tray in front of him as he did. He was thankful she woke on her own, he was not looking forward to doing it himself and the fact that she even fell asleep was still rather astonishing. He had not even realized she did so until he had returned to his home… Such an odd girl, did she really feel so secure in his arms to fall asleep like that… No, she must have been fatigued from the day. There was no way this girl could possibly feel so relaxed around him.

She blushed a little, it was hard to believe she did such a thing… her eyes went to the tray he set down and noticed the rice balls and tea pot along with a steaming bowl of what looked like water and some smaller containers. She pointed to them and tilted her head in a questioning manner.

He poured the green tea into the cups and handed her one, setting his own aside for a moment as he placed the plate beside her. "I found dining with you to be… agreeable." He spoke without looking at her, it was almost embarrassing to admit such a thing but he could not deny that he found the previous events interesting. "I had sent Borsalino to retrieve you for lunch but it seemed you had other plans." He was still not happy when Kizaru returned without her and even less amused by who had interfered. He thought the only one he had to worry about was Law but now it seemed Mihawk wanted to stick his nose into things. Which was, honestly, a rather surprising turn of event considering how reclusive that warlord was… so why did he have interest in her now?

She gave him an apologetic look, her hands moved to sign 'I'm sorry' but flinched a little as she made the fist. Once again forgetting about the scrape on her hand.

"Let me see it." He removed his gloves and held out a hand while his other reached into the steaming water and squeezed the rag that was in it to get the excess water out.

She was hesitant at first but did as he requested and held out her hand, he pressed the cloth against her palm which made her cringe.

He gave a sigh as he dabbed at her hand to clean it. "I am not a gentle person; you'll just have to bare it." At least she wasn't making any whimpering noises. "Eat while I clean your wounds, you've been careless and they are covered in sand and dirt. At this rate you'll get an infection."

Her shoulders slumped at his admonishment, it sounded similar to what Law had told her countless times before. At least he was being nice enough to do this for her… but it did seem a bit rude to eat while he just sat there cleaning her cuts and scrapes… She thought for a moment before giving a little smile. She knew what she could do, she broke off a little bit of a rice ball and held it up to him.

He backed his head away as she lifted the bit of food towards his face. "What are you doing now?"

She pointed to the food, then her mouth and finally back to him. If he was going to take care of her than the least she could do was take care of him at the same time.

He gave a little frown. "I'm not a child, you do not need to feed me." He opened up a jar of salve and began to apply it to her hand. "Besides that, I am not hungry."

Her eyes squinted a bit as she gave him a 'You're lying' look and held up the bit of food again.

A grumbling growl escaped his lips and he gave an aggravated sigh at her pestering, she was being persistent again… with a frustrated sigh he opened his mouth just wide enough for her, he supposed he could indulge her little whimsy if it meant keeping her agreeable. Besides, there was no one to witness it aside from her and it wasn't like she thought of him as a terrifying man like the others… a fact that still bothered him.

She gave a wide smile as he allowed her to feed him then took a bit for herself, she might not have been able to talk to him right now but this was an enjoyable alternative.

"Give me your leg." His hand touched her calf to urge her to turn towards him so he could tend to her knee now, once again she complied with his order but he paused a little. She had moved in such a way that her kimono was dangerously close to exposing her… he cleared his throat to remove the thought from his head and laid her leg across his lap to allow her clothes to work as they were intended. "Your kimono… do you like it?" He asked before she fed him another bite of the rice ball and he began cleaning the scraped knee.

She tilted her head a little and looked down at her outfit, her lips curling into a little smile as she rubbed the fabric gently. It really was such a wonderful gift… and so soft!

His brow twitched, she did not give him a definitive answer which annoyed him slightly but her reaction would be well enough… he supposed. "I'm glad you like." He said plainly as he began to apply the cream to the cut, with any luck the salve would prevent these from scarring.

She blinked a few times as she thought about what he said… she thought it was the nice Admiral that gave her these but… She touched his arm to get his attention and tugged on the collar of her kimono with her other hand, the expression on her face asking 'Did you buy this?'

The feel of her hand was oddly warm against his arm and he watched it for a moment as it sat there, such a small thing when placed upon his arm… which only served to remind him how much gentler she was compared to him. His eyes met hers for a moment and he turned his gaze away just as quickly, he really did hate how she looked at him so softly. "Yes." Was the simplest answer he could give, he had no definitive explanation for buying her such a thing… it was nothing more than a whim.

She was honestly shocked, never in a million years did she think he would make such gesture. She smiled to him as she fed him another bite, a bit of rice stuck to the corner of his mouth so she cupped his check to brush it away with her thumb.

He stiffened at her touch, he could figure out what she was doing but after she brushed away whatever it was her hand stayed resting on his face. "What are you doing." He did not jerk away from her touch like he had done before, instead he let out a small sigh… what was she doing. Touching him like this, did she not realize what it felt like to him? Did she not realize what it could imply…

She gave him another soft smile as she took her hand back, the feel of his goatee with different but she didn't want to make him mad by touching him for so long. Law was always scolding her for being so clingy and she really was trying to get better at it… but she couldn't help it. She liked touching people. Her eyes went to her knee as he finished applying the cream, both of her wounds felt much better now. She signed 'Thank You' and mouthed the words silently so hopefully he would understand what she was saying.

His brow peaked a little, it was the first time she had tried to speak a word… granted she made no attempt to use her voice but still… it would at least easier to understand these small exchanges if she continued to mouth the words for him. This girl… what should he do about her? She was much too innocent to leave her in the hands of pirates…

There was a knock at his door, he turned with a grumble. Who the hell was bothering him? He moved her leg and stood up. "Stay here and finish eating." He ordered her as he left the bedroom and shut the sliding door behind him, outside of that boy he had assigned to watch her there was no one that knew of these little meetings and he wanted to keep it that way.

He left her and went to the front door with a grumble, unbuttoning the first few buttons of his shirt to open the collar. From the other side of his door came another knock that sounded more like a banging now along with a muffled whimpering sound.

Before he could get to the door it was kicked open, he could feel a vein throbbing in his forehead at this intrusion but when the man walked in holding a certain marine boy by the collar he could only assume what happened. He crossed his arms with a grumble. "I see your manners are just as lacking as usual, Law." He eyed the younger man with a glare.

Law just glared at the Admiral as he let go of the boy, he had run into Tucker on his way to find Kizaru. When he mentioned trying to find Cora the kid made a face like he knew what was going on and it only took a little… coercion to show him the way to the Fleet Admiral's home. "I'm here for Cora." He said plainly, he was in no mood for games right now.

"And what makes you think she's here?"

Law gave a heavy sigh. "Coracias!" He yelled her name loudly and in a tone that clearly stated he was not in a happy mood which was almost immediately followed by the sound of clattering from the other room. He crossed his arms and gave the Admiral a challenging look.

"Tch!" Akainu turned away slightly with a scowl, he had a feeling the tea set was scattered on his floor now. He went back to his room and slid the door open, exposing a red faced girl trying to desperately clean up spilled green tea. "Time to go."

Coracias gave him an apologetic look as she set down the rag she grabbed from the supplies he had brought in earlier, she didn't mean to make the spill but she wasn't expecting to hear Law's voice either. She tilted her head a little to see him glaring this way… oh, he was really really mad this time.

It took Law a moment to register but he noticed that room she was in… had a futon laid across the floor. His eyes went to the Admiral and how… dressed down he was now. What… the actual… fuck did he interrupt? His fists clenched as he took a deep breath, no… Cora wouldn't do that.

Sakazuki smirked as he saw the boy's expression, so he was jealous was he? It seemed the young warlord did have some feelings for the girl. He held out his hand to help her stand since he didn't doubt her knee would still be causing her pain but more importantly he wanted to put a wedge in between the girl and that boy.

She smiled a little as he helped her stand, she looked to the mess and signed 'Sorry' then began to straighten out her kimono.

He laid a large hand on her head then moved it down to cup her cheek. "I'll take care of the mess, you rest." He gave the boy a sideways glance to watch his reaction.

Law clenched his jaw, what the hell was that bastard trying to pull. "Cora, come on." He held out his hand and waved her over, he wanted to get her far away from that guy.

She blushed a little, it was the first time that Akainu touched her like that. She gave him a small smile and bowed a little to thank him for his hospitality than went to Law.

The younger man looked her over, why was she limping? His eyes stopped on her knee and third rate patch job… That's right, Dracule said she got hurt earlier... he gave a sigh as she came up next to him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Come on…" He said quietly to her and turned her away, shooting a glare at the Admiral.

Sakazuki only smirked at the boy's defiant look and watched them go then turned his gaze to the marine boy with a frown. "Clean that mess up." He ordered him as he went to sit on his terrace, lighting a cigar as he did. It was unfortunate that Law discovered them but it was bound to happen eventually, besides he did not have much time left to make his decision on separating the girl from him. Tomorrow the Snake Princess will arrive so they could get on with this gathering and afterwards he did not doubt the young Warlord would leave the headquarters as quickly as he could, especially after this… "Coracias…" He said her name with an exhale of smoke, such a strange girl and one they still knew nothing about…

Law gave a sigh as he looked her over while they walked, nothing really seemed out of place… aside from her knee and her hand… what the hell was going on today? First Kizaru tried to take her away, then Dracule actually did take her and now he had to retrieve her from Akainu of all people… Why were all these people taking such an interest in her? He felt her hand grab onto his sleeve and he paused to look at her. "What the matter?"

'My knee hurts.' She signed with a little pout, the cream that Akainu put on worked for a little bit but it was starting to throb now.

He gave a grumble as he poked her forehead. "Note…" He started to admonish her like usual but then remembered that she didn't have it, he reached inside his coat and pulled out the pad of paper then handing it to her. "Don't leave without it again."

She looked at the notebook with bright eyes and a wide smile before taking it back and hugging it to her chest, she'd definitely never go anywhere without it again. She wrote down her message and showed it to him, it felt so good to be able to communicate with people again.

"Ah." He gave a little sigh, at this rate they wouldn't get back to their room till after nightfall… with a sigh he knelt down, he supposed he could carry her… just this once. "Climb on my back…"

She blinked a few times, was he really offering to carry her? When people could see them?

"Hurry up!" He yelled at her which made her jump before doing as she was told, with yet another sigh he stood up with her legs resting in the crook of his arms. He could feel her lean into his back and wrap her arms around his neck… damn it Cora… what was he supposed to do about her? And what they hell were all these people doing showing such a concern for her? A part of him wanted to say to hell with this damn gathering, load up his sub and get the hell out of here with her before anyone else tried to take her away… That last part made him frown… when the hell did he start to care about her so much anyways? He still couldn't figure it out… all he knew right now was hat he wanted to get back to the room and far away from that damn Admiral.

To Be Continued…

A/N: Now that all the potential partners had have a chance to interact with Coracias I hope you all are getting a better feel for who you like to end up being her partner. So please continue to enjoy the story and who you'd like to see Coracias to end up with J