Disclaimer: One Piece still ain't mine. However, I had a nice little chat with Oda-sensei that ended up with him giving me the ownership of Law and Corazon. What? What d'you mean it didn't happen? ...It was only a dream?

Author's Note: Okay, just to clear things up with the previous chapter, most especially the woman who took care of Law while Smoker was looking for Corazon. So, I've put up a warning but didn't explain further on the woman's identity, so I can't really blame my dear readers for asking if she's an OC. I really liked StarLikeShadow for asking straight to the point (yes, thank you, really. Made me fully realize my mistake).

I introduced the woman as headcanon!Corazon. Explanation? When Corazon's identity still wasn't revealed in the manga, I went on a (an admittedly broken) limb and actually wrote who Cora-san might be. I ended up making a female Corazon who was one of the top four executives. She was not a blood relative of Doflamingo, rather, she's a long-time close friend who urged Doffy to adopt baby Law in the family. She is, what you can say, an opposite of Corazon: My headcanon Cora was brash, loud-mouthed, swears a lot, and ADORES children of all ages. The only similarities she share with canon Corazon are: a) she smokes; b) Law was special to her; c) she force-fed Law the Ope Ope no Mi like canon Corazon; and d) they were both shot dead by Doflamingo. You can read about her in my story entitled "Recollections" if you like.

I really apologize for confusing you guys by mixing a headcanon character with the canon ones. I have this stupidly innate tendency to be vague about things, forgetting to forgo the explanation until a problem about it occurs. Again, I'm neally, really sorry. I do hope that my explanation clears everything up.

As requested by ABookWormForLife, and StarBlazer124 who agreed - "Corazon gets sick and Law has to take care of him or Corazon's clumsiness lands him in the hospital."

I think I did both. *chuckles* And the first part of the chapter gave me mental images to last a lifetime. I don't regret writing it. Thank you, brain. *snickers evilly*

Sick

It started out as a simple itch.

Corazon wiggled his nose as he applied shampoo on his shaggy, blond hair. It was already noon but he was just starting to take a bath. The young father cursed the laziness that suddenly hit him earlier that morning, the main cause being the annoying itch that suddenly and was still assaulting his nose.

Once he was done scrubbing his hair, the blond reached out and grabbed a bar of soap that instantly flew out of his too strong grip and smacked him right on the face. Eyes stung by the soap suds, Corazon let out a pained yelp – effectively cutting his singing off – and flailed around a bit, hands flying everywhere and finally succeeding in turning the shower on. He carefully washed the soap off his face and sighed with relief. His eyes still stung a bit, but the pain was tolerable enough for him to continue his bath.

Corazon emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later, a towel wrapped around his waist. The blond was also sporting a reddening forehead and a pained grimace, sure that the spot on his forehead that connected with the floor when he slipped would bruise later this day. He took a mental note to get some ice for his abused forehead later to avoid said bruising. The blond lifted a hand and rubbed his nose vigorously.

Stupid itch!

Corazon sniffed once, twice, and sneezed violently before he could sniff a third time. The force of his sneeze was so hard that it knocked him off his feet, towel that was previously wrapped around his waist fluttering after him.

+.+

"Papa, Shachi and Penguin will be spending the afternoon here because we'll be working on a group project for school. Will that be okay with you?" Nine year-old Law asked his father the next day, looking up from the book he was reading when the blond shuffled like a zombie in front of him. The child's brows knotted when his parent looked at him, the sparkle in his eyes replaced with a dull gleam and his face pale. If not for the red splotch on his nose, Law would've mistaken his father for a ghost.

Corazon blinked and peered down at his son, sniffling. His expression remained vacant for a few moments even after Law spoke, looking as if he failed to hear what the child was saying. The blond frowned upon realizing how unnatural it was to miss whatever his son was telling him.

With another sniff, the blond seated himself beside Law and gave the child a goofy yet weak grin. "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought. What was that again?"

He tried to focus as Law repeated what he said earlier, a concerned look painted on his little boy's face. The young father swallowed nervously. What did he do to deserve such a look from his son?

"Papa, are you feeling unwell?" Law asked worriedly, setting his book aside and focusing on his father. Corazon sniffed and smiled down at his little angel.

"No, I'm not. I'm okay, I mean," the young father amended as he got up. He swayed a little at the suddenness of the action, a wave of nausea hitting him. Corazon licked his dry lips and frowned when the room seemed to turn, causing him to lose balance and to fall back down on the couch. He closed his eyes, grimacing when his head throbbed with pain all of a sudden.

"Papa Cora!"

The blond flinched when he felt Law move beside him, small hands making contact with his cheeks. Corazon opened his eyes just in time to see his little boy gazing worriedly at him, one of the child's hands now resting on the older male's forehead.

""You look ill, Papa," Law said, grey eyes filled with worry. Corazon attempted to pull himself away from his son's touch but ended up groaning when his movements earned him a full bout of dizziness. His slowly growing headache was making things worse. The blond sneezed; his head tilted to the side so as to avoid spraying Law with god knows what virus that clung to him.

"I'm not," he replied defensively, still trying to smile at his child reassuringly. "My nose is just itchy." As if to prove his point, Corazon scratched the tip of his nose. "Anyway, what would you and your friends want for a snack? I can cook some pasta for you three–"

Law shook his head. "You don't have to, Papa. Just get some rest and I'll take care of–"

"I told you I'm okay!"Corazon snapped loudly, startling the child beside him. Law gaped at him with wide eyes, surprise and hurt mingling on the raven-haired kid's visage at the annoyance in the blond's voice. The young father realized what he just did and immediately wrapped his son in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Law! I didn't– I didn't mean to snap at you, I swear! You know… Y-You know that Papa loves you, right? I'm so sorry…"

Corazon cursed himself when Law did not return his embrace, his raven head bowed low so as not to meet his gaze. Now he'd done it. Never had Corazon raised his voice at his son, not even when Law misbehaved sometimes. But just because of a now stuffy and still itchy nose, a bout of dizziness, and a growing headache, his usually nonexistent temper got the better of him and he yelled at his son who was just worried about him.

Law gently pulled himself away from Corazon's hold. Eyes still not meeting his, the child muttered a quiet "'M sorry" before walking out of the living room, the book he was reading and his spotted furry hat lying forgotten on the couch beside the blond.

Corazon could only watch as his son left. He shut his eyes and ran a hand on his face, groaning and cursing his stuffed nose, dizziness, headache, and most importantly himself.

+.+

Something cold touched Corazon's forehead, causing him to jerk away from whatever it was and to blearily open his eyes. With a start, he realized that it was late afternoon, the living room dappled in the sun's orange glow. He closed his eyes and muttered a curse, remembering that Law's classmates were supposed to be coming in the house.

He also remembered snapping at Law that morning.

"Stupid Corazon," he muttered angrily at himself, shielding his closed eyes with his arm. "Stupid, cranky, stupid, stupid Corazon!"

He couldn't believe how he made his son upset. Damn this sickness that suddenly gripped him, making him cranky and snappish like a woman on her red flag days!

"Stupid Rocinante!"

The same cold touch from earlier dabbed his forehead again and the blond finally realized that it was a wet towel. Slowly, he removed his arm off his face and the sight of Law looking at him expressionlessly met his honey brown gaze. Corazon tried to get up but his son pressed a hand on his chest and gently pushed him back down the couch. He noticed belatedly the pillow under his head, the blanket on top of him, and his feet stripped of his shoes and socks. The blond frowned, confused. He didn't remember doing anything but mope and berate himself after Law left him alone that morning…

"I've checked your temperature, Papa," came Law's calm and carefully neutral voice. The young father watched as his son placed the towel in a basin filled halfway with water and proceeded to dry his hands to be able to scribble something on a piece of paper. "On the first trial, the thermometer registered a normal body temperature which is thirty-seven degrees Celsius. After an hour, it rose up to thirty-eight point five, and now…"

The nine year-old unceremoniously shoved the digital thermometer in Corazon's half-open mouth, tapping the latter's jaw to make him shut said body part. The blond did what was non-verbally instructed, feeling like a small, helpless kid under his son's scrutinizing stare. The raven-haired boy took the thermometer from him a moment later, grey eyes narrowing dangerously as he looked at the device's reading.

Without a word, Law went back to the paper on the coffee table and wrote something down hurriedly. The child then nodded grimly when Corazon let out a violent sneeze.

"First, a cold. Now, fever?"The blond heard his son mumble, sounding lost in thought. "These are no two, different illnesses…"

An uncomfortable silence – on Corazon's behalf – fell between father and son. When Law remained scribbling on his paper with his back on the blond, the adoptive father awkwardly cleared his throat in the hopes of catching his little boy's attention.

"Um, Law…"Corazon started hesitantly as he got up in a sitting position, letting the blanket slide off him. He clasped his hands and placed them on his lap, thumbs twiddling so as to shift his nervousness on something else. The blond sniffed and bowed his head dejectedly when Law shifted around to look at him, still wearing a carefully blank look on his small face. Corazon swallowed his nervousness and mustered the courage to continue, dispelling the thoughts of his little boy ignoring what he was about to say next. "I'm so sorry for raising my voice at you earlier. I really am. It's just that- I can't-"

The blond heaved a deep breath before continuing. "Look, I don't have an acceptable excuse aside from you knowing how cranky I could get whenever I feel dizzy. I'm… I'm really sorry for what I did earlier, and it's alright if you're still mad. I just want you to know-"

Law waved a dismissive hand, stopping the blond from finishing what he was saying. The raven-haired boy just nodded in sincere understanding, making Corazon smile with relief. He was not off the hook yet, however, and knew that he had to make it up to his son.

"You have the flu, Papa," the little boy informed him, all the while trying to suppress the grin from showing on his face at the sight of his smiling father. Corazon blinked at the information imparted with him and rubbed the back of his neck gingerly, a sheepish look making its way on his face.

"Flu, huh." A sniff. "Eh. Never thought I'd get sick."

He was rewarded with a light slap on the head for his nonchalance.

"Of course you're bound to get sick, what with you making sure that I'm okay and for overworking around here in the house too much," Law scolded him, frowning in disapproval. "You could at least ask for my help when I'm not in school, Papa. Who are you, my housemaid or something? Adults…"Law shook his head in exasperation. He then rounded on his father and shot the older male a severe look. "Off to bed with you, Papa Cora!"

Corazon spluttered with surprise at how – in a sudden display of authority – the child reprimanded him as if he did something only an idiot would do, casting his son an indignant look. "What-? How-? But Law-"

"No more buts, Papa Cora. To bed, now!"

Donquixote Rocinante could only cringe at the finality in his little, wonderful – and suddenly bossy – angel and scrambled away clumsily to do Law's bidding.

+.+

It had been four days since Corazon fell ill with the flu and Law never stopped taking care of him, not once complaining about the blond's inherent clumsiness mixing with his illness.

How many times had he burned himself in an attempt to sneak off of Law's hawk-like gaze to cook food for the child? How many times had he tripped down the halls just to make sure that his son had everything he needed before heading off to school? How many times had Law scolded him for not staying in bed and resting until he got well as was instructed?

The adoptive father couldn't help but chuckle at every memory. Slowly and carefully, he got up in a sitting position and placed a hand on top of his son's head to gently caress the latter's raven hair. Law was seated on a chair that he had dragged towards Corazon's bed, short arms crossed on the mattress and his head rested on top of said limbs. There was a worried frown on the child's face, showing his concern for his parent even when fast asleep.

Last night had been a rough affair. Corazon's fever rose unexpectedly for Law's liking and the child was utterly flabbergasted as he searched for a reason why. The blond, too weak to reassure his son that the latter was doing a good job in taking care of him already, could only watch and listen as his son furiously checked the medicines Doflamingo bought for the younger Donquixote three days ago and asked himself worriedly over and over if he had done anything wrong while taking care of his father. Corazon couldn't do anything but let Law stay with him in his room after the latter urged him to eat dinner even if his throat and stomach protested at the thought of food.

"Just one bite, Papa Cora," Law had told him last night. Corazon gave up after a few spoonfuls of the vegetable stew the blond's mother cooked before she left.

"Oh, well. At least we managed to put something in your tummy," Law said with a sigh. Corazon got out of bed sluggishly, head spinning as he unsteadily made his way towards his bathroom.

"Papa, it's time for your medicine."

The blond groaned when his stomach churned and his throat constricted in an awful way that signaled-

Corazon emptied what little contents his stomach had on the sink, long legs buckling under him as his strength slowly left him. He fell rather ungracefully down the floor, his head hitting the side of the sink before it could even meet the ground. The last thing the blond saw and heard before the darkness claimed him was the sight of Law rushing towards him and yelling his name with fright.

A soft sigh escaped Corazon's lips as he took in the white walls and ceiling of the room he was currently occupying. He had been admitted in the Grand Line General Hospital last night, according to his mother. She informed him that Doflamingo phoned them after he had received a call from Law, who told the older Donquixote brother what had happened to Corazon. When he heard the distress in Law's voice, Doflamingo did not waste any moment and sprang into action, throwing a coat over his tank top and sweat pants and drove his sports car towards his baby brother's house like an escaped convict. The older blond then quickly made their way towards the hospital, listening grimly to Law as his nephew relayed what had occurred and what had been ailing Corazon to an old, female doctor wearing a top inappropriate for her age underneath a white robe.

He was brought back to the present when Law muttered in his sleep. Corazon could not help the smile of adoration from stretching his slightly chapped and pale lips upon hearing his name, long fingers gently tracing his little boy's brow. The blond's mother told him that Law stayed up all night, stubbornly refusing to be parted with Corazon until he was sure that his father was right. That information did nothing to ease the adoptive father, however. Law was still too young to be staying up and worrying over his ill clumsy father all night; he was still a growing boy who needed as much sleep as he could get. He wanted to wake the child and tell the latter to sleep on the couch instead but Corazon was loathe to disturb his son from his well-deserved rest.

The blond tore his gaze off his little son when he heard the door swung open. Donquixote Homing offered his youngest son a smile as he closed the door and quietly crossed the distance between them. The blond's father sat on the chair beside Law's, soft blue eyes locked on the raven-haired child's sleeping form.

"I'm glad he finally fell asleep," said Homing, large warm hand rubbing Law's back gently. He smiled when the nine year-old sighed contently and reached forward to grasp Corazon's pinky finger, an action the child never seemed to grow out of. Donquixote father and son smiled fondly at the little boy's action. "Your mother gave up urging your son to sleep at two in the morning when he stubbornly refused to do so."

Corazon's eyes almost bugged out of their sockets. "Two in the morning?"he parroted, torn between concern and admiration. The younger Donquixote composed himself and raised his eyebrows at his smiling father. "Mum's valiant for putting up such a fight," the young father mumbled with approval, gaze returning to his sleeping child.

"Doffy told her himself," Homing said, chuckling softly. He then leaned forward towards the younger blond and placed a hand on the latter's slightly pale cheek. "We've been so worried, Rocinante. I do hope you're recovering now."

Corazon worried his lower lip, eyes suddenly bright with tears. He blinked rapidly to get rid of them but a few stray tears fell persistently down his cheeks. The younger blond wiped them away with the back of his hand and looked at his father apologetically.

If there was one thing he never wanted to do, that was to worry his family over something so trivial.

Homing pulled his hand away and placed it back on the still-sleeping Law's back. Soft blue eyes locked on his son's face. "I talked to Law earlier when you were still asleep. He told me that you've been overworking yourself for the past few weeks, and he thinks that it's the reason why you got sick." His brows creased, looking concerned. "You know you can tell me and your mother anything, Roci."

The young father sniffed and bowed his head dejectedly, shame slowly filling him. Corazon carefully ran his fingers on the IV tube connected on the back of his left hand so as to avoid meeting his father's gaze.

"I… I just wanted to make sure that Law's got the life he deserves," Corazon replied, voice barely a whisper. His free hand found Law's which was still wrapped around the younger blond's pinky. Corazon's heart threatened to burst with happiness for he knew what a simple act from his son meant. He lifted his head to meet his father's gaze. "Law trusts me so much – so much that I can't help but think if I deserve it most of the times. I try so hard to raise him well and do my best for him in any way I can, but… I'm scared, Dad. I-I'm afraid that my best will never be good enough."

Corazon dipped his head again when he felt his face burn with embarrassment after his confession. It was a fear that he was so afraid of voicing out, and instead of feeling better because he finally managed to get it off his chest and share it with someone who could understand, Corazon felt worse.

A sigh escaped Homing's lips, making Corazon look up at his father. The older between the two shook his head at his son and smiled.

"Roci, have you seen how Law smiles?"the older Donquixote asked, his question so out of the blue. It threw Corazon off, but he answered nonetheless.

"O-Of course…"

Homing's smile widened and he stood up from his seat, giving his grandson a gentle pat on the head and his son a knowing look.

"Then I suggest you look into your son's eyes a little more."

With that, Donquixote Homing left his on to his thoughts, a happy smile on his serene face.

Corazon blinked, confused at the ambiguity of his father's words. He couldn't understand. Look into Law's eyes –?

The blond nodded and gazed at his sleeping son. If his father's words held the answer to his question, then he would heed that advice. He just hoped that the answer would be on his favor.

+.+

"Papa, didn't Doctor Kureha tell you to get lots of rest? You just got out of the hospital yesterday!"

Corazon looked up from the vegetables he was chopping to give his pouting son a sheepish grin. He was doing better now, his flu finally leaving him. The doctors from the hospital did their jobs well, but the blond knew that Law's love and care were the main reasons for his speedy recovery.

And right now, he was already abusing his healing body into doing household chores while his little son was busy studying – or so he thought.

"This is just light work, Law," the blond said in defense, lower lip jutting out when the raven-haired child narrowed grey eyes up at him. After a few minutes of just staring quietly at him, he let a weak grin grace his face when Law sighed in defeat.

"Alright," the nine year-old huffed. "But don't come crying at me when you get sick again! And don't you dare get snappy, too, or else I won't help you!"

Corazon fought the urge to chuckle at Law's threat. A goofy grin flitted on his face that did not go unnoticed by his son, however, and he replied in mock meekness, "I won't, Your Highness." He smirked when Law visibly fought the urge to smile.

With an empty threat of bodily harm to enforce that which he spoke of earlier, Law left Corazon in the kitchen with his furry hatted head held high. The blond grinned and happily hummed a tune, savoring the silence.

A loud sneeze made Corazon snap to attention which subsequently made him lose focus with his current task, the sharp edge of the knife nicking his thumb. That blond paid no heed to the superficial wound on his skin though, for Law was suddenly screaming murder in the living room.

Oh, dear. What had Corazon done now?

"Papa Cora, you infected me! TRAITOR!"

Did Law get sick? Did Corazon take good care of Law? And did Corazon find the answer to his question? We may never find out...

To:

sarge1130 - Oh, yes. You got 'em right! You think so? Wow, thanks a lot, and for reading and reviewing! Of course I'd continue this, just for each and every one of you! And you're welcome. *smiles*

StarLikeShadow - I've put an explanation on top. Thanks again! :D

Monkey D. Anea - Thank you! And thanks for reading and reviewing! Oh, my. Um, thanks! *grins brightly*

Maya5392!

! I'm so glad you liked the second part of "Lost". Ah, I apologize for making you wait, but it makes me happy that it's worth it. *smiles* No, that's alright, no need to apologize. Oh, I know so... *laughs evilly* Here is the update you've been waiting for! But since I'm an evil person, I will let Law grow up and give Corazon a lot of headaches. A LOT. Fufuffu... Thanks again for reading and writing! You do? Thank you~

StarBlazer124 - Thank you! Believe me, I laughed myself silly when I was plotting the chapter (I'm so evil, right?) I'm sure Law will. Thanks for reading and reviewing, and I'll try! *smiles brightly*

SEllen23 - Thanks!

MissFennoSwede! Ooh, we'll find out. Thanks again!