Special Guests

Neo tightened her arms around Law's waist when she felt his heart take a sharp jolt and giggled.

"What's so funny?" Law asked upon giving her a playful squeeze.

"I've never felt you so nervous before," Neo replied. She turned her shining eyes up to him. He was trying to hide his nervousness from her, but it was obvious he wasn't having much luck in doing that. "I think you're even more nervous now than you were when we got married. It's a bit of an odd feeling. I'm the one who's always nervous about new things. You've always been the rock in our relationship."

Law's lips curled into a smile. "Well, that was a very special occasion and a very big step for both of us. It's the same right now. It's natural for people to be nervous in situations like this. Besides, you're just as nervous, if not more, than I am."

"I know." Neo nodded. "I'm trying my hardest not to get sick from being so nervous. I don't want to worry you any more than I already have."

"I know you are," Law said. He rubbed his hands over her back. "I'm very proud of how you're handling yourself here."

"And I'm very proud of how you're handling yourself here," Neo replied back. She giggled again when Law lifted a confused eyebrow at her. "You haven't tried to kill Luffy at all."

"I'm still tempted to do just that," Law grumbled. He glanced back over to the mountains and how much danger the Straw Hat captain put them all in.

"Tempted, trying, and doing are three different things, my love," Neo said, pulling back from him a bit. "Come on. Let's go see how everyone is doing. I bet Healer Zinnia really did put the sea prism stone chains on Luffy herself."

"I hope she wrapped them around his neck," Law said just as a small group of Snow Fairies flew by. They laughed at his words before heading off for some winter fun of their own.

"Don't give her any ideas," Neo said as she pulled him towards the house. For a few seconds the only sound between them was the crunching snow under their boots. "Are you sure about feeding everyone as soon as your guests arrive? Wouldn't they like to rest for a while?"

"Yes, I'm sure. They'll be tired and hungry after such a long trip," Law replied. "They can eat and rest at the same time. Besides, I don't think the Straw Hats and our own crew will be able to wait much longer to eat themselves."

"I suppose you are correct," Neo said thoughtfully. "I'm surprised they haven't already tried to sneak more food than they have. They're being so wonder. We're going to have to do something for them after this. I know it's not easy for them to behave for so long, especially with the Straw Hats here."

"They are." Law nodded in agreement. He tightened his arm around her shoulders. "We'll do something for them later. Right now, let's get you inside. It's getting colder out here. And I'm sure Basil and Blackleg are waiting for you to finish up cooking."

"I almost forgot about that," Neo said with a blink of her eyes.

"You almost forgot about cooking?" Law joked.

"Hey! I was distracted!" Neo protested with a pouty lip.

Law chuckled at her pout. He walked her to the side door of the house and paused. Leaning down, he captured her pouty lips in a sweet, tender kiss. He smiled when she melted into his touch and kissed her harder. Tangling their tongues together, they got into a heat, yet playful, battle of dominance. Just as Law started to unbutton her coat and slip his hand underneath her shirt, the door swung open, revealing an irritated Elemental healer. Law gave her an irritated glare while Neo's cheeks flushed. With a harsh glare at the intruder, he demanded, "What?"

Healer Zinnia opened her mouth, but quickly closed it. She thought about her words before sighing. "Never mind. There's no point in telling you two to cool it down. You'll always be hot for each other like that. Just take it easier next time. The princess's heart rate was going up. I don't want to have to put her on bed rest while your guests are here. And I'm sure you don't want that either."

"Sorry," Neo said. She tucked her hair behind her ear, looking sheepish. "We'll behave from now on."

Healer Zinnia gave her a skeptical look. "Right. Like you two were behaving just before the Straw Hat's arrived?"

"Uh." Neo's cheeks flushed even more before Healer Zinnia sighed again and headed back into the house.

"We're just never going to get any privacy with her crystals on you," Law grumbled.

"I'm sorry," Neo replied. "This wouldn't have happened if I didn't over do it."

"Don't worry about it," Law said while guiding her inside the house. The heat from the fire inside expelled the cold from around their bodies. "It won't be for much longer. Then we'll be able to get back to…"

"Our sex life will never be the same once baby arrives," Neo said when Law paused. She knew he was going to say 'normal', but they both knew that wasn't true.

"It might not be the same, but it won't chance all that much," Law said. They walked down the hall before turning and stepping into the living room. The majority of the Straw Hats and Shanks were all sitting in the living room with Bepo. Nami and Kailen were missing. "We'll just have to adjust things around and see what works. And we're going to have plenty of babysitters. So we'll have plenty of alone time when we want it."

"You're right. The crew will love babysitting for us," Neo said with a smile. "I bet Penguin will be the top babysitter. He'll haunt the others to make sure they're taking care of baby as well as they can."

"He's going to be the protective uncle." Law nodded in agreement.

"Ah, Neo, my sweet!" Sanji cooed from the kitchen doorway. "We're ready to get back to cooking when you are!"

Neo looked up at Law. He nodded and took her coat from her when she pealed it off her shoulders. "You go ahead."

"All right. But I want you staying near me," Neo replied, stepping out of her boots.

"I know." Law nodded. "You're getting more nervous with each second their arrival comes closer. I'll stay inside until they do. If you need me…"

"I'll call or come to you," Neo finished for him.

"Good girl," Law said. He leaned over and pecked her lips before picking up her shoes. As he walked over to the closet to put them up, Neo headed for the kitchen. Both paused upon seeing Luffy sprawled out on the floor with the sea prism stone chains wrapped around his entire body. The Straw Hat captain looked really pathetic with his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he lay there. "Serves you right."

"I sobry," Luffy replied. He rolled his eyes up towards Law. "Vill ou ake zes of now?"

"Absolutely not!" Usopp growled. "You've caused enough trouble for today. Those chains are staying on!"

"Yeah! Those chains are staying on!" Chopper parroted.

"We warned you multiple times, Luffy," Shanks said from his armchair. "This is your punishment since you can't behave."

Neo placed her hand on the red haired man's shoulder. He placed his hand over hers as she leaned down and pecked his cheek before telling Luffy, "It won't be for long, Luffy. And, I'm sorry, but this has to be done."

"No need to give him any sympathy," Zoro said taking a peak at Neo from his attempted nap. He was sprawled out on the couch with his hands behind his head and his legs crossed. His swords were leaning up against the wall nearby, easily in reach if they were needed. "We did warn him. He didn't listen. He got what he deserved."

"I suppose so," Neo said, but still felt a bit guilty.

"Hey, Neo," Basil said while poking his head out of the kitchen. "Are we making garlic mash potatoes? Or just plain ones and let people flavor them how they like?"

"Plain ones," Neo replied walking towards him. "We'll set out all of the spices so people can put on whatever they want."

"I should have known." Basil nodded. "That makes way more sense then favoring it with stuff people might not like. We're ready to finish up cooking when you are."

"I'm ready," Neo said. She paused at the kitchen door just ask Basil disappeared back inside. She looked over at Law. He was just walking away from the closet. She smiled at him when their eyes met. He smiled back before claiming a spot on one of the couches. She watched his eyes wonder to the window. She sighed, knowing he'd watch it like a hawk until they finally arrived. With nothing else to say to him, she wondered into the kitchen to help the other two cooks finish the preparations for their meal.

…

Neo's eyebrows perched up when she felt the disturbance of ocean creatures. She knew the feeling and the reason for it. Law's guests had finally arrived. The sounds and smells of the kitchen faded away from her senses as her heart skipped a couple beats. There was no more time to prepare. This was it. She looked down at her dress and wondered if she should change. Was the dress too short? Should she put on a longer one? Maybe she should put her jeans and a shirt on? Would they like her in her typical tomboy style that Law raised her in? Or would they like her showing her more girly side? She should have put more thought into it before hand.

"Neo, something wrong?" Sanji's distant voice asked.

Neo looked up to the blonde cook. He had paused at his job of mashing potatoes to look at her. She noticed that Basil had paused at his job of setting things out on the table. Both were giving her looks of concern. She put on her best smile and said, "I'm fine. Law's guests have finally arrived."

"Neo?" Law called from the door of the kitchen.

She nodded at him. "Go ahead. We're ready. I think. Did we forget anything?"

Law walked over to Neo as her eyes darted around the kitchen. He could feel her mind running rapidly over her list of foods they made, what they could have made or should have made. When he finally reached her, he took her face in his hands, and pressed his lips to hers. He let their lips linger together before pulling away from her. He rested his forehead on hers and said, "Relax, love. Everything is just fine. I have to go get them now. And you're dressed just fine. You look beautiful as always. Are you stable enough for me to go get them?"

Neo grasped ahold of his wrists. Slowly, she nodded. "Yeah. I'm stable. I know everything is fine. I have nothing to worry about. You go on and escort them up here. I'm stable."

Law paused to take her in. Her mind and heart were still racing a bit, but she was stable. He nodded, kissed her forehead before heading out to meet his guests.

Neo slid off her stool. Her eyes ran over the kitchen again while she started fiddling nervously with Law's ring.

Basil and Sanji exchanged smiles before giving her a few words of encouragement. Leaning close to her, Sanji pecked her cheek. "Don't stress yourself out. They're going to love you."

"Just like we do," Basil said, giving her a peck on her other cheek. "Just be yourself, breathe, and know we are right here if you need us."

"They're both right," Robin said when she walked into the room. She smiled at Neo and placed her hands on the young Elemental's shoulders. "You have nothing to worry about."

"Thanks, guys. I really appreciate everything you've all done for me," Neo said. She gave each of her friends a warm smile. "I'm really glad you all are here."

"We're glad to be here for you. And everything smells so good in here," Robin then said. She looked around the room at all of the goodies the three cooks prepared for them. "They're going to be so impressed with you."

"You think so?" Neo looked up at the black haired woman.

"I know so. You are a beautiful, smart, strong, young woman with some very impressive cooking skills," Robin said. She flipped and teased Neo's hair then adjusted her dress a bit, smoothing it out. "Just relax and be yourself. They'll see how smart and wonderful you really are."

"And Luffy?" Neo asked, looking towards the living room.

"He's learned his lesson," Robin replied. "At least for the moment. Red Haired and the rest of the crew are going to keep a close eye on him. He'll behave for a while since we're about to eat."

"That's true," Neo said. She looked over at the table. Basil and Sanji had everything sat out now so the table was decorated with fifteen turkeys, three large dishes of sea pig meat, and a large variety of vegetables and fruits that Neo grew fresh for this occasion. The counters and fridge were covered with pies, cookies, candies, and cakes. The kitchen was warm with all the hustle and bustle the three cooks were doing, but she felt a chill of anxiety waiting for their special guests to come inside. "He does seem to behave better when he's eating."

…

Law grabbed his coat and pulled it on before quickly leaving the house without a word to anyone. A couple of his subordinates walked by him, quietly greeting their captain before walking on. He nodded at them before turning his eyes down to the docks. A new ship was now docked beside the Sunny and the Polar Tang. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out before forcing himself to take a step.

After that first step was taken, the rest came easier. The closer he got to the docks, the more worried he became. What would they think of Neo? Would they have an issue, any kind of issues, with her not being human? Would they have any issues with her carrying their child? Would they hate her? Would they love her? What would they think of her past? Would they think she wasn't good enough for him?

Law stopped walked. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind. He didn't want Neo to feel his worry. He loved her. Their thoughts, whether they liked her or not, really didn't matter. As long as she was still with him and happy, that's all that really mattered to him. He continued on down towards the docks, still worrying no matter how he tried not to. This was more important to him than he wanted to admit, even to himself. He wanted them to like her, to love her. He figured they would. Who wouldn't? Neo was such a sweet, caring, lovable young woman.

Pushing those thoughts away, he instead turned to what he was going to tell them about her. Should he just tell them completely everything? Or should he just leave some stuff out? What exactly was important? Not touching Neo was high on the list. The last thing they needed was for Neo to become hysterical by a touch from an unfamiliar person.

His body jolted to a stop when the gangplank landed on the dock with a loud thump. He looked around. When did he get here? He thought he had a little more time to think about things. But he didn't. He looked up just as his four guests appeared at the top of the gangplank. This was it. No more waiting. No more second thoughts. It was time for them to meet Neo.

…

"Are you ready to meet them?" Basil asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Neo replied before taking a deep, calming breath. Her heart flittering wildly in her chest as she closely monitored how close Law was to the house. She could also tell that he was talking about her, but wasn't exactly sure what he was saying. He wasn't completely open to her so she wouldn't get more nervous than she already was. She didn't know if he would tell them everything about her or just give them the highlights until they could talk more in depth later. She should have asked, but figured he wouldn't have enough time to tell them everything on the walk up here. They were over halfway up the path now. He would just tell them the top important stuff, like not touching her until she was use to them. "Law's almost back up to the house. That was insanely quick."

"Then let's go," Robin said. She slipped her arm around Neo's shoulders and guided her out of the kitchen. Basil and Sanji exchanged smiles while they followed after the women.

Still taking deep breaths, Neo ran her eyes over the room. Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo just walked in at the same time they did. Everyone was giving her encouraging smiles and a few thumbs up. Usopp was smiling too as he took the sea prism stone chains off his captain. Healer Zinnia pushed up her glasses and hovered over the crystal in her hand that was telling her the speed of Neo's heart. Neo gave the worried woman a smile before taking several more deep breaths, calming her flittering heart a bit.

"Yeah! I'm free!" Luffy cried, throwing his hands up in the air.

"Behave yourself!" Usopp and Chopper shouted while hitting Luffy on the head. "This is important!"

"Princess?" Healer Zinnia asked, ignoring the Straw Hats.

"I'm fine," Neo replied.

"Hey! By the way," Luffy asked, looking at Neo while adjusting his hat. "Who exactly are these guests? And why haven't we met them before?"

Neo opened her mouth to reply, but quickly shut it when the front door opened. Unfamiliar voices, couple with Law's filled the air. Neo's anxiety steadily rose to the voices. From her spot near the kitchen, she couldn't see their guests at all. She wasn't sure if that was good thing or not.

"We have some reservations about this, Law," a man said.

Neo started fiddling nervously with Law's ring again.

"Marriage is hard enough," a woman added. "But married to someone who's not even human? And having a child with that person? Do you understand the complications and troubles that come along with that? How are you two even able to have a child when you're not the same species?"

Neo took a step back from everyone. Robin, Shanks, and Healer Zinnia were the only ones who noticed the start of her retreat. With each words the unfamiliar voices said, she took a step back towards the kitchen.

"Just give her a chance. She's really very sweet, loving, and kind," Law said, sounding a bit different than the confident captain he usually was. He almost sounded like a nervous teenager introducing his girlfriend to his parents for the first time ever. Which wasn't far off from this situation.

"I'm sure she's great!" a female child said. "She sounds like she's going to be so much fun!"

"Hush child," the woman said. "You're too young to understand this."

"I understand just fine," the girl said. "You're only being protective because Law's your-"

"Hey! Tra!" Luffy cried out, cutting the girl off. He ran over to the door. He smiled brightly at the four people standing with Law. "Hurry up and introduce us to your guests!"

"Straw Hat!" Law hissed while putting away everyone's coats.

"And who's this young man?" the man asked.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy!" Luffy replied with a proud smile. He ran his eyes over Law and Neo's guests. "I'm the man who's going to be King of the Pirates!"

"King of the Pirates?" the man asked. "Like Gol D. Roger?"

"That's right." Luffy nodded.

"Law?" the woman asked.

"It's a long story," Law said with a sigh. "I'll explain everything later. Let's move on into the living room and I'll make introductions."

Neo turned and ran back into the kitchen. Robin's voice calling out her name, but she didn't stop. And she didn't look to see if the older woman followed her. She just ran into the kitchen and tucked herself into the farthest corner of the room. Sliding down the wall, she wrapped her arms around her knees and sucked in shaky breaths. "I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this."

"Neo?" Robin called softly.

"I can't. I can't do this," Neo replied, tears slid down her cheeks.

"Neo, it's okay," Sanji said, bending down to her. He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Just relax."

"I can't. I can't do this. I can't," Neo replied, shaking her head. "They…they don't like that I'm not human."

"That's not true," Robin said. "They're just concerned. They haven't met you yet. Once they do, they'll love you."

Neo shook her head. She tightened her hold on her legs as much as her round stomach would allow and clenched her eyes shut. She held that position, even when Law calling her name. "Neo?"

"She's just a bit scared," Sanji said despite Law already knowing that.

Still with her eyes closed, Neo could feel Law nodding in response to Sanji. She then felt the two Straw Hats move away from her and Law get closer. He sat down beside her. Slipping his arm around her waist, he pulled her to his side. He kissed her hair then spoke softly to her. "Just breath, love. It's going to be fine."

"I can't do this, Law," Neo whispered. "They're going to hate me."

"No they're not," a familiar voice said before Law could speak. He reached out and stroked Neo's hair. "They're acting just like anyone else would in their position. They're going to love you. I've told them everything I know about you. Just come see them."

Neo lifted her eyes from her knees, her electric blue orbs locking onto his darker ones. He was just the same as the first time she met him. His smile was soft, warm, caring, and his blonde hair just as wavy and smooth as she remembered it to be. And he was wearing the exact same outfit he was when she first met him, a simply dark blue shirt and jeans. A small smile formed on her lips when he brushed her tears away.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" he asked. "And, if I may say, you look a whole lot better now than you did the first time I saw you. You've grown up into a beautiful young woman. And the pregnant look really suits you a whole lot better than the poison look you had before."

Neo giggled, took a hold of his hand, and leaned into his touch. "I've missed you, Cora."

"And I've missed you too, Princess," Corazon said with a tender smile. He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Are you ready to meet them now?"

Neo squeezed his hand and looked to Law.

"It'll be okay. I promise," Law said. He kissed then pressed his forehead to her temple. "You're my love. I know it's important to you for them to like you, but it doesn't really matter if they do or don't. You are the most important person in my life. If they can't deal with that, then it's their problem. They're not going to take me away from you."

"Okay," Neo replied with a light nod.

"You ready to go meet them now?" Law asked.

"Yeah. I'm ready." Neo nodded. She slid her free hand into Law's then allowed him and Corazon to help her to her feet. She held on tightly to their hands as they escorted her back into the living room. Her hands trembled in their hold, but she didn't try to run. Through mental encouragement from Law, she took in slow deep breaths and they stepped into the living room. Three sets of unfamiliar eyes landed on her. It made her heart jump. She swallowed hard, her hands shaking even more in Law and Corazon's hold. They each gave her hands a squeeze, but she barely felt them.

"Oh!" Neo heard a young child's voice squeal. "Law! She's beautiful! Why didn't you tell us she was so gorgeous?!"

A small smile flittered on Neo's lips from the child's words. She forced herself to finally forced her eyes off the floor and look up at them. She timidly inspected them. Looking to the girl first, she found the girl was wearing a light green dress, her brown hair was pulled back in pigtails, and her dark eyes were smiling and inspecting her with pure innocent curiosity. She moved on to the other two guests. The woman's hair was also brown, pulled back in a ponytail. She was wearing a plan beige colored shirt and jeans. Her dark eyes, Neo noticed, were inspecting her with intensity. It made Neo quickly move on to the man. He had black hair, wild just like Law's. He was wearing glasses, a button up white shirt and jeans. He was looking at her with the curiosity of a doctor, which Law had told her he and his wife were. He looked like he wanted to dissect her, but she didn't feel threated by him at all. It was just genuine curiosity he had in her. There was no ill intent in his eyes at all.

Law cleared his throat, gaining their attention. It was time to officially introduce everyone. "Lami, Mom, Dad, this is Neo, my wife. Neo, this is my family. Cora you already have met."

"H-hello," Neo greeted quietly, squeezing Law and Corazon's hands. She maintained her timid smile and managed some solid eye contact with each of them. "It's nice…to finally meet you all. Welcome to our home. If you need anything, please, don't hesitate to ask."

Lami squealed again and rushed forward. When it looked like she was about to grab Neo's hands from Law and Corazon, Law held out his free hand, causing his sister to run into his palm. She protested to the treatment. "Hey! What was that for?!"

"Lami, I told you on the walk up here that you can't just touch her," Law said, holding his kid sister at arm's link. "She needs time to adjust to you all."

"Oh! Right! I forgot!" Lami said. She then smiled at Neo. "Sorry! I didn't mean to rush you!"

"It's…it's okay," Neo said softly. "I know it's something you have to adjust to as well."

"Uh huh," Mrs. Trafalgar mumbled. She ran her eyes over Neo, carefully inspecting her. "So, Law told us you've been through some very traumatic events and that's why you can't handle being around strangers or having anyone touching you."

"That's correct," Neo replied with a nod. "But I've gotten better at dealing with strangers. I'm talking more to them. I just can't handle being touched because it triggers those memories."

"I see." Mrs. Trafalgar nodded.

"Interesting," Mr. Trafalgar then said. He crossed his arms over his chest. He ran his eyes over the other people in the room. They all, surprisingly, were being quiet as they watched this exchange. "Since the walk up here was a short one, Law couldn't tell us much about your kind. I would really like to exam you."

"Dad!" Law hissed.

"Sorry," Law's dad chuckled. He held up his hands in an apologetic way. "I shouldn't have said it like that. I just meant that I would like to study a bit on your biology. I can do that with books or with someone. Law told me there was an Elemental doctor here too."

"Healer," Healer Zinnia said, pushing her own glassed back upon her nose. She tucked the crystal she was hold into her pocket and looked at Law's dad. "Amongst our people, we are called healers."

"Yes, of course." Mr. Trafalgar nodded. "My apologies again. My curious doctor side is working in overdrive. We're just so use to saying doctor. I'm just curious since this young woman is carrying our grandchild and having a sexual relationship with our son."

"Dad!" Law said through clenched teeth. He felt his cheeks grow warm with embarrassment and Neo giggling on the inside. He shot her a mental, disapproving, frown. He felt her biting her lip to keep from actually giggling on the outside, but didn't do or say anything else.

Everyone else in the room, however, busted up laughing. They loved how Mr. Trafalgar's bluntness and how easily it was for him to embarrass the infamous Surgeon of Death.

"Ah, he's so cute when he blushes!" Shanks jabbed, earning a disapproving frown from Law.

"Godfather!" Neo reprimanded, but she was smiling.

"Super cute!" Franky said.

"It's rare to see him like this!" Usopp said. "I actually like it."

"Tra's blushing!" Luffy laughed while pointing at Law. He wrapped his arms around his waist and fell back on the floor.

"Careful," Chopper added. "We don't want to get sliced up by him!"

"Yeah! Sliced up by the Surgeon of Blushing!" Zoro snickered.

"Will you all shut up?!" Law hissed, only making everyone laugh harder.

"Oh, hush up, son! It's not like anyone here doesn't know that you two are sexually active with each other! She's pregnant for crying out loud!" Mr. Trafalgar said, waving his hand to encompass Neo's rounded stomach.

"He's right, Law," Corazon said. "We all know how you really feel about her. You can't hide it anymore like you use to."

Law growled at the blonde man. He pulled his hat down over his eyes and tried to ignore everyone's laughter while thinking of multiple ways to murder them all.

"No worries," Healer Zinnia said before Law carried through the thoughts of killing everyone in the room, but for Neo, like she knew he was having. "And it would be my pleasure to tell you whatever you want to know about our biology. If you wish, I can even talk to you about the princess's pregnancy. That is, if you don't mind me sharing that information with them, Princess."

"Uh." Neo looked at the healer then looked up at Law. 'Law?'

'If you are fine with them know, then go ahead and give her permission.' Law peered into Neo's eyes. 'If not, then you don't have to.'

Neo nodded. She turned back and addressed Healer Zinnia. "It's fine with me. Whatever they want to know, go ahead and tell them. But, please, do so after dinner. I'm sure everyone's hungry by now."

"Yeah! Food!" Luffy shouted. He leaped up to his feet and ran towards the kitchen.

"Luffy!" Sanji cried. He tried to dive for his captain, but before he could, Law formed his Room. But before Law could warp Luffy, to wherever he was going to, Neo summoned a wind crystal and had the Straw Hat captain suspended in the air.

"Ah! What?! Neo!" Luffy complained. He hung limply in the air while pouting at his blue haired friend.

"Luffy, please," Neo said with a light huff.

Mr. Trafalgar and Lami laughed while Mrs. Trafalgar shook her head. Lami said, "He's funny! But who is he again?"

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy!" Luffy replied. "I'm the captain of the Straw Hats! These are my crewmembers! That's Zoro. He's our swordsman…"

"Hey." Zoro waved without actually caring. He stood up from the couch and shoved his swords back into his belt.

"Sanji's our cook! He and Basil helped Neo make all the yummy smelling food!"

"Nice to meet you all!" Sanji greeted with a smile.

"Chopper is our doctor…"

"Hi!" Chopper smiled. "And I'm a reindeer not a raccoon!"

"He's so cute!" Lami chirped with hearts in her eyes.

"Hey! Don't call me cute, you stupid jerk!" Chopper said as he danced around blushing.

"Usopp is our sniper…"

"Hey!" Usopp waved.

"Robin is our archeologist…"

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. Neo and Law have been wonderful hosts," Robin said. She shot a smile and a wink at Neo.

Neo smiled back, grateful for the words of praise and support from the woman she has come to see as an older sister and mother type figure.

"Brook is our musician…"

"A skeleton?!" Mrs. Trafalgar gasped. Her pale skin turning a few shades lighter.

"Yo ho ho!" Brook laughed. Neo clenched a hold of Law and Corazon's hands again. She was worried the skeleton was going to be his normal self and ask Law's mom if he could see her panties. "It is a pleasure to meet you all. Please, don't allow my appearance to unsettle you. I assure you I mean no harm. I'm a skeleton because of my Devil Fruit. It's a long story."

"Brook is great! You'll love his music! He'll play for us anytime!" Luffy said before continuing on with introducing his crew. "That's Franky! He's our shipwright! He built our ship that you saw outside. The ship's name is the Thousand Sunny, but we call her Sunny for short."

"It's super great to meet you," Franky said while striking his typical pose with his arms in the air.

"You build that ship out there?" Mr. Trafalgar asked.

"I did indeed!" Franky replied. "She's the best ship you'll ever see! I can give you a tour of it later if you want!"

"Yeah!" Lami leaped up with joy. "I wanna see the ship!"

"Later, Lami," Law said, earning a disappointing frown from his sister.

"And our navigator is Nami," Luffy said as he looked around for the missing orange haired woman. "But she's not here. That's odd. Where did she go? Kailen's missing as well."

"I'm sure we'll meet her later," Mr. Trafalgar said. He pushed up his glasses and looked back at Neo and Law. "And where's your crew, son?"

"Basil is one of ours. But the rest are scattered around the grounds," Law replied. Basil waved to their guests, but remained quiet. "We have twenty one members so I'll just let them introduce themselves individually when they get here."

"Can we eat now?" Luffy asked after his stomach released a very loud growl. He shot out his hand and grabbed the doorframe, trying to pull himself towards the kitchen.

"Straw Hat," Law grumbled while pinching the bridge of his nose.

Neo summoned an earth crystal. She wrapped vines around Luffy's body to hold him more securely. She glanced over at her godfather when he stood up. Shanks walked over. He stood by Luffy with his arms crossed. Just at the man's presence, Luffy settled down and released the doorframe.

"It's all right. I'm sure everyone is hungry by now. And the food smells really great." Mr. Trafalgar laughed while his wife carefully scanned her eyes over Neo. He elbowed his wife in the arm upon noticing how she was scrutinizing their son's wife. "Right, dear?"

"Oh, yes," Mrs. Trafalgar said with a nod. "Let's go ahead and eat."

"Yes. Of course," Neo said. She stepped aside, pulling Law and Corazon with her to let their guest head into the dinning room first. "We should call the others."

Law nodded. He released her hand and stepped over to the doorway of the kitchen. He pressed a button on the wall so he could call for his crew through the transponder system. "Time to eat. Everyone come on back to the house and living room."

Neo watched as everyone else started to filter into the dinning room. She swallowed when Law's dad started up a conversation with her godfather.

"And who are you, sir?" Mr. Trafalgar asked the red haired man.

"My name is Shanks. I'm Neo's godfather," Shanks replied.

"So she does have a parentally figure in her life," Mrs. Trafalgar noted.

"Indeed." Shanks nodded. He caught Neo's eye and smiled lovingly at her. "But your son is the one who's responsible for Neo growing up into such a wonderful, well educated young woman. He has been a wonder for her." He raised his voice a bit for the next thing he said, making sure that Law heard him. "But don't tell your son that. He doesn't need a bigger head than he already has."

Neo smiled back at him. Her heart fluttered at his words while Law shot a glare and a frown at the older man.

"Yeah! My brother is awesome!" Lami cheered. She grabbed onto Law's arm and snuggled into him.

"Lami, stop being so grabby," Law told her.

"You're just being shy. You don't want anyone to see the lovable soft you really are," Lami said shooting a sly glance up at him.

Neo laughed. She couldn't help it. "You have no idea how true that is."

"Eek! Your bells! Law told us about them too, but I didn't think he was serious! They're just as beautiful as you are! I love it! And I see! Of course you'd know that about him!" Lami said. She put her hand up to her lips like she was whispering while still holding onto Law with her other hand. "You should have seen the look on his face while he was talking about you to us on the way up here. He's totally love struck over you."

"Yeah! That's the captain for you," Penguin said. He and Shachi appeared out of nowhere and slide up to their captain. Feeling secure with Neo near, they couldn't help but take this rare opportunity to tease their captain.

"He's totally head over heels for Neo," Shachi added. "He'd do anything for her."

Law growled and shot his subordinates a disapproving glare that told them they were going to pay for this later. Shachi and Penguin just walked away from their captain with smiles on their faces. They knew he wouldn't do anything to them. Even if he did have plans to dismember them with his powers, they knew Neo would get them out of it by the smile she worn on her lips and the playful sparkle in her electric blue eyes. The captain grumbled, "Let's just eat."

Just then the rest of the Heart Pirates came wondering into the house. They introduced themselves individually and told Law's family what their position on the crew was. Tero said, "Yeah, I helped train Neo in hand to hand combat. She was really lacking in those skilled because these other guys were too soft on her. But I suppose it made sense since they were with her from the started. They're the ones who raised her and went through all of the stuff with Luminous and the Elementals."

"Luminous, yes. Law mentioned that on the walk up here too," Mr. Trafalgar said.

"She's still not training like that, is she? She's pregnant after all!" Mrs. Trafalgar said. She narrowed her eyebrows at Tero. "A pregnant woman should not be fighting!"

"Always the doctor, Mom," Lami said from her chair at the table. She was sitting between Bepo and Chopper.

"No, ma'am," Tero said. "I won't train her while she's pregnant."

"That's good to hear," Mrs. Trafalgar said. She took a seat near the head of the table.

"You have nothing to worry about even if she was still fighting in hand to hand combat," Healer Zinnia said as she sat down at the table. "We Elementals are a bit different from humans. Pregnant Elementals can get hit without causing damage to the baby."

"Really?" Mr. Trafalgar said, his eyebrows perching up at this information.

"Yes." Healer Zinnia nodded. "Our crystals protect the child. That doesn't mean we're immortal. Damage can still be done if hit enough times or hard enough."

"I see." Mr. Trafalgar nodded.

"Interesting," Mrs. Trafalgar said. "I think I would like to hear more on this later."

"Of course." Healer Zinnia nodded.

'I can't tell really if your mom likes or hates me.' Neo thought to Law while watching Law's parents engage in conversation with Healer Zinnia.

'Just give her more time. Mothers often have a harder time letting their children go, especially their sons.' Law replied back.

'Why?'

'Some mothers just don't want another woman taking care of their son. Sometimes they feel like they are being replaced.'

'Oh.' Neo placed her hand on her rounded stomach. She wondered how she would feel once their child started dating then got married. How would she handle that? Would she like whomever their child was interested in? Or would she have a reaction like Law's mom was having? 'I think I understand. I'll give her a little more time.'

'Good girl.' Law squeezed Neo's hand. He then instructed everyone to start eat, despite Luffy already chewing on a large piece of sea pig meat. He gave the Straw Hat captain a disapproving frown just as Nami and Kailen walked in.

"There you two are. Where have you been…hiding…?" Neo said. Her eyes locked onto her brother. She tilted her head upon seeing a trace of lipstick smeared on his lips.

"Sorry we're late," Kailen said, looking more than a bit guilty.

"Yes. We got a bit distracted during Kailen's painting lesson," Nami said, smoothing out her white skirt.

"Sure you got distracted by painting," Penguin said with a snicker.

Law cleared his throat to cut off anymore teasing. He knew Neo was going to need a little time to adjust to the possibility of Nami and Kailen entering a romantic relationship. He glanced at his love. She was carefully watching, with slight confusion, as Nami and Kailen took their seats at the table. He then directed his dad to take the seat at the head of the table. He took the seat on his dad's right side, since his mom was sitting in this seat on his dad's left side. He guided Neo to sit beside him while Corazon sat on her other side. The rest of the crews seated themselves. Some stayed in the dinning room while others got their food and disappeared into the living room.

While the crews, and guests, chatter on happily about how good everything looked and smelled and exchanged questions and small talk with the Trafalgar family, Neo took the time to look around. So far things seem to be going well. But that was because they were in a group. She knew, at some point, she would have one on one talks with Law's family. She didn't know how she was going to handle that. She didn't know what people did in situations like that. As least she had her bond with Law. He could give her tips and encouragement in those situations. For now, she turned her eyes to the food before her. She really didn't want to eat, but her cravings were getting the better of her. So, reaching out, she started to fill her plate.

…

Author's Notes: Surprise! It's Law's family! Anyone now know what's going on here? Glad I got this one up before I left town. Now you all know. The next chapter might be the last. I'd like to push it to six, but it all depends on what I have them do next chapter. I'd really like to give Neo sometime with his family, but that's difficult since we don't know what they're really like. If anyone has ideas on how they can interact with each other, I'm hope to them.

Sarge1130: Luffy's always a blast to have around.

Apple Bloom: Never heard of that show before.

Silver Pride: Well, now you know. That wait is over.