*Blows on imaginary piper*Guess who's Baaack!?x3

Yes,I am not dead, and yes I have FINALLY UPDATED!x3

Chapter Seven:Doubts

Fury.

The single emotion now coursing through the young Strawhat captains body as her onyx black eyes traveled form Vergo, holding a blood-stained sword towards the crumpled up and heavily breathing Law. Her Law, a single gash covered his cheek while she could barely make out the still bleeding wound located on his neck.

He was hurt, and now Luffy was furious.

"L-Lu-chan...w-what are you doing here?"Law manged to wheeze out between heavy breaths of air, it was clear it was hard for him but still...he wasn't about to play the role of victim, he still had his pride after all.

Luffy didn't answer, she merely kept glaring at the man still holding Law's sword, more specifically at the blood that was dripping down off of the tip staining the tiled and frozen floor with a single red puddle. Vergo scoffed tilting the blade while the other hand reached for Law.

A slight gust of wind came as Law disappeared from beside him before his hand could touch him, a rubbery fist colliding with his gut instead sending him sailing back into the opposite wall while Luffy slid back,Nodachi and Law now in hand. Law said nothing but was forced to bite his lip to hold back the desperate cry of pain that wanted to escape his lips when the girl accidentally touched what he was sure was now a broken arm.

Luffy noticed and pulled away slightly looking down at him"You're in pain"She said, stated was more like it. a look of concern came onto her features that Law recognized all too well and he for one was having none of her usual guilt trip"Don't even start..."He breathed with some effort"...it's just a sprain probably anyway, easily mendable"

Luffy who had opened her mouth to protest quickly clamped it shut at the stern look the surgeon shot her, instead giving a reluctant nod while he stood straightening himself and taking his sword back before looking towards Vergo, sparring a glance at the wounded arm with annoyance gleaming in his eyes"Still, it'll be more of a pain to fight with...Lu-chan, loan me your sleeve will you?"

Luffy blinked at first not understanding causing the other to sigh as he rolled his eyes and suddenly tore off the sleeve of the others jacket which was already falling apart from her earlier rampaging throughout the halls. She didn't protest though as he used it to make a makeshift bandage for his arm, secretly smiling fondly at how resourceful he was.

Luffy recalled an earlier moment where she had commented how Law reminded her of Nami in the sense he was more likely to use his wits rather than brute force to get through something. The dark doctor responded by frowning and hitting her upside the head syaing he was not at all like a girl, least of all the cat burglar.

"Where are the others?"Law questioned pulling Luffy from her thoughts of admiration.

"Uh, o-oh umm,well Zoro and the others are...taking care of the giant kids,I think..."she fumbled over her words slightly earning a look of unreadable emotion as Law looked at her nodding"then we should hurry and finish this up...then we can meet up and get the hell out of here"he said flippantly just as Vergo stood before them.

Law made a 'tch' sound moving to take a step forward when Luffy blocked his way wrapping a rubbery arm around his waist and pulling him back beside her grinning that mischievous grin of hers"Wait...i wanna take him on!"she declared and for a moment Law looked at her with a furious and disbelieving stare

"Like hell-

He was cut off however by a weight landing on top of his head as he was pushed behind her, he lifted it revealing the object to be the girls treasured strawhat. his storm gray orbs traveling from the hat to the girl unable to comprehend the message she was sending at first"Luffy..."

His voice was surprisingly soft as he said her name barely above a whisper, but Luffy heard him nonetheless and her grin widened as she looked back.

"W-w-which way is out!?"Came the terrified cry of the crews sniper as he scurried through the hall with the gigantic sized kids in tow. thank goodness he was such a good runner, otherwise he would have easily been trampled if not by oncoming enemies then by the kids themselves he thought.

"You're going to fight for him?"

Luffy stepped forward, her signature grin gone and replaced with a look of determination as she lightly began cracking her knuckles while nodding"That's right..."her eyes harden into a glare as she spreads her legs apart, her skin turning a familiar shade of red as steam begins to rise form her body and blood pumps faster through her veins exhaling a deep breath of air.

Law however still looked ready to protest, when he was cut short by an agonizing yell escaping his lips piercing through the air and seeming to directly land on Luffy's ears as she went in for the first punch sending the Marine vice-admiral flying again before looking back in confusion surprised to see Law now on the ground, her hat laying beside him as he started coughing violently but why!?

"Law...what is it!?What's wrong!?"Immediately she wanted to run to him, that was her first instinct anyway before Vergo's cold voice stopped her now holding something on display for them both to see, and for Law to curse at, it looked a lot like...

"You may have his heart in theory Strawhat, but i have it physically...and the longer this fight drags out, the more pressure I'll continue to put on it"he said slowly squeezing it once more as though to emphasize his point resulting in another wail of agony from Law making Luffy's blood boil further starting to reach her breaking point

"Stop it!"She commanded glaring, but he did not instead only crushing it further and though Luffy didn't say it out loud...it hurt just watching, knowing Law was now suffering and she couldn't stop it somehow, unless...

"Just hang tight Law, I'm gonna get your heart back I swear...!"

Law tried forcing himself back on his feet feeling the pain grow worse as he felt a shudder run along his spine clenching his fists while groaning, his eyes beginning to blur a bit. He bit down hard on his lip, desperate not to give Vergo the satisfaction, or cause Luffy to worry anymore than what he was sure she already was beginning to do...

"Luffy...!"He called out a bit surprised at the vivid show of emotion on her face, had she really grown so attached to him...?Sure she displayed a desire for companionship while on Amazon Lily, but...in all honesty eh figured it would start to fade once she was reunited with her crew again.

After all, they were still rivals weren't they?He was...he should be nobody to her...

So then why?

"Ace..."

Law glanced up, his storm-grey orbs focusing on the feminine face lying on the operating table still. His hand still present on the girls treasured strawhat that had miraculously escaped the war unscathed.

Part of him truly did question her sanity...diving into the War of the best, and for what?All so that she could save one person?

Even if it was her brother, it was foolhardy, even more so than her punching the celestial dragon back on Saoboady, the girl was lucky to be alive...hell, she was lucky for a lot of reasons Law concluded turning to take his leave from the room when something grabbed him tightening around his wrist like a person clinging to their lifeline at sea.

He turned slowly seeing a bandaged hand clasping his own refusing to let go no matter how hard he tried to pry it off of him"Strawhat, let...go!"He commanded in a hushed tone wondering if she was somehow awake or still asleep. The hand only tightened as a name slipped past her lips that Law knew all too well

"Ace..."

He momentarily stiffened. did she think it was Ace she was holding onto?

For some odd reason the Surgeon just couldn't seem to figure out, this knowledge made his heart ace, his eyes becoming shadowed by his hat as he slowly starting to pry her fingers off of him, of course she thought it was her brother, why would she think it was him of all people at her bedside?That he was the one who was had arrived and rescued her even?

Treating her wounds and making so that she somehow survived what should have been the cause of her death, it was ridiculous to think for a moment, no even a second that she...that he...

He heaved a sigh shaking his head turning to leave again, this time having nothing latch on to stop him as he walked out the door without turning back.

Even as the fight raged on over his heart, He questioned it. He had strung her along mainly for the sake of forging an alliance later on at some point. for his own ambitions, but...with Smoker eventually taking over telling Luffy to go after Caesar Law had seriously begun to question things between him and the strawhat girl...just what was she to him?

More importantly, what was he to her?

A wicked sneer found it's way on the blonde-haired warlords lips overhearing the conversation, particularly between a certain traitorous underling of his and a certain strawhat wearing captain back from the war at Marineford. The very same girl who it seemed like only yesterday had lost her dear older brother.

"So...Strawhat Luffy has found a new weakness to cling to in place of her dear older brother, interesting...very interesting"

Please let me know what you think, I know I've been gone for a SUPER long time, so I am trying to get back into the swing of things and whatnot, let me know how I did please!xD