A high pitched scream, not too different form the one Kate had let loose when she had first appeared on Kidd's ship, echoed in the air around the Kidd pirates. A different name was on her lips this time as the small blonde pushed her way through them, pushing past Kidd the roughest. He glared at her as she ran and attached herself to a person with long loosely pulled back black hair.

Kate was overjoyed when she saw familiar sun kissed skin, long black hair and familiar lanky frame. "Jay-jay!" She shouted as she ran towards him. When he saw her familiar blonde hair, short figure and aqua marine eyes racing towards him he uncrossed his arms and pushed away from the brick wall he had been holding up. When she reached him he put his hands on her hips and smiled as she jumped, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist. Her soft lips found his seemingly awaiting ones.

The Kidd pirates came to a halt behind their frozen captain and first mate.

Kate's back didn't see Killer pull out his blades, but she could feel Kidd's glare as if he were trying to hurt her by just glaring. Pulling away she giggled as his hands raked through her short hair. "You got a haircut." He stated, pointing out the obvious.

She nodded vigorously, kissed him again and said with a wide smile "Uh-huh, my big brother did it. Do you like?"

"Big brother?" he questioned, looking over her shoulder at the entourage behind Kate, as if just realizing that they were there, that they had an audience. "Can I safely assume that the masked blonde is your brother?" There was a pause where Kate nodded before he inquired, "And the intimidating redhead is who?"

She laughed, resting eh forehead against his, staring into one black eye. The other was covered by a black eye patch. Her fingers lightly traced the faint scar that ran parallel to his hair line, starting at the middle of his forehead and ending a few inches above his ear. Finally she whispered "That man is my captain."

"I like the dress." He said, not really caring as long as they weren't in a relationship with his Kate, ignoring the death glares he was receiving from the redheaded man she called her captain.

Instantly she dropped to her feet and twirled around with a smile, the black skirt flaring out as she did so. Coming to a stop she said "Why thank you." before curtsying. Straightening up she hugged again, lifting her face to kiss him yet another time as she pulled back. She couldn't get enough of him.

Was Killer really seeing correctly? Was his sister really shoving her tongue down that . . . man's throat? Forget the shock of walking in on Kate and Kidd; this made that look . . . normal.

Kidd stared at Kate, with only two thoughts running through his head at that moment. One being, that fucking whore. And the other, not only was Kate incestuous but she was into girls too!

Pulling away Kate turned to face the Kidd pirates, looking surprised when she was Killer in a fighting stance, and Kidd glaring as if he wished they'd drop dead together. A smile appeared on her face before she looked at Kidd and sneered, "Jealous I won't do this to you?" Jay-jay's arms wrapped around her waist and his chin rested on the top of her head. But before Kidd could say or do anything she quickly began introducing them. "Jay-jay, this is Killer, my oniichan." She gestured to the masked blonde who looked like he was about to attack them. "And Kidd, my captain as previously stated." She gestured to the glaring redhead who she loved to bother oh so much. "Kidd, Killer, this is Jay-jay."

All three men regarded each other coolly through narrowed eyes, studying each other, seizing the other up. But Killer being far more diplomatic then his captain spoke first, in a cool clipped and curt tone of voice. "Hello." It was short and sweet, but brought a visible smile to face of the raven haired man's face, and of course satisfied Kate; who obviously wanted them to all get along and like each other. Then he directed his attention down a few inches and to his sister. She was leaning back against the man acting as though they were very familiar with each other. But he was positive that they had never once crossed paths. His arms were wrapped around her waist, holding Kate against him. "Kate." He said slowly. "And you know," He paused, and said the name rather unsurely "Jay-jay-"

"Call me Jarodeth." The man interrupted Killer, who found the name Jarodeth much more fitting then the name Kate had introduced him as.

"Clubbing." Kate exclaimed, throwing her arms up as she popped to the balls of her feet for a total of a few seconds. "Where else would have we have met?" Kate asked him, without him having even finished his question.

Right, of course. Killer thought to himself. Where else?

"So what are you doing here short stuff?" He asked her.

Kidd watched as Kate smiled, he watched her reach arms up and give the man an upside-down hug. Kate didn't bristle or yell about how she wasn't short even though she was a little under a foot shorter than him. No, she only smiled almost fondly and answered him. "Traveling with my captain. What about you? What are you doing here? I would have never thought I'd see you after I left."

"When you left I decided to travel a bit, landed here and decided to stay." He shrugged. Kate could feel the movement of his chest and shoulders at her back.

"Any good- Hey wait up!" Kate looked back to Kidd and Killer only to see them walking away. She twisted out of the lanky man's arms and dashed after her brother and Kidd. "Where are you going?" She shouted waving wildly at their backs as she caught up with them. She could feel Kidd's bad mood radiating off of him from her place several feet away from the man.

The man Kate had left behind peeled away from the wall and slowly meandered after the group and of course Kate. "Kate." He lazily called out after passing a club. "I'll catch you later."

"K, just follow the path of destruction and you'll be sure to find me." She offered a smile over her shoulder before turning around and keeping up with Kidd and Killer. Looking over at the redhead she asked "Why the bad mood?" Kate had been addressing Kidd but that didn't stop Killer from asking a question of his own.

"How do you know Jarodeth?" His words were slow and carefully chosen, his tone remained neutral to hide any emotion that might make Kate on edge, or suspicious and therefore not answer him.

"I told you, clubbing. Not only that big brother, but I have a love life before Ki- in your three year absence." Kate answered.

Both Killer and Kidd caught Kate's self-correction. Killer decided not to dwell on that fact, while Kidd smirked and wondered what the hell Kate considered a 'love life', because what they had certainly wasn't love, let alone a love life.

"I see." Killer carefully answered before asking "For how long? And did you-"

"Have sex." Kate sighed, completing his sentence, which wasn't going to end with that. She had obviously interpreted his words incorrectly. "Yes, many times, many places. And I refuse to elaborate. We- hmm m. . . . I-would you count leaving someone with no contact for six months still in a relationship? Kate asked.

"No." considering a relationship was the connection between two or more things- in this case, two people- a six month absence without even a letter, or a transponder snail could hardly be considered a relationship. And if Kate was asking to verify whether or not she and Jarodeth were still in a relationship, they weren't.

"Ok then. Three years minus six months is two and a half years. We were together for a year and a half." Kate quickly reached that conclusion after trying to verbally keep track of the math she thought was necessary to inform Killer how long she and Jarodeth had been.

"I see." Was all Killer offered. He wouldn't say stay away from him- look how well that had turned out with her and Kidd. He knew that she wouldn't listen. And telling her that the man made him feel slightly uneasy would only send Kate ranting and raving about how it was because they had sex and how they had been in a relationship that he felt this way about Jarodeth.

So they got a hotel- the less conventional way of course- picked rooms, captain got first dibs and the rest was like being fed to the wolves. Luckily Kate just strolled into Killers claimed room and announced that she was going to crash there with him. And whether or not he agreed or disagreed was completely irrelevant.

"How long till the thingy sets." Kate asked, happily bounding around the room.

Killer raised an eyebrow and asked "Thingy?" With Kate, any time she couldn't think of what something was called, it was automatically called a thingy, meaning it could be just about anything.

"Yeah, the grand line navigator compass thingy."

"Log pose." Killer slowly said then said her name and when he had her full, non-bouncing attention asked "How did you find the ship?"

She shrugged. "Don't know, don't care. I found it and that's all that matters."

Killer let out a chuckle. Damn Kate was lucky. The currents of the Grand Line hadn't been the death of her and Kidd had yet to be the death of her. "About two weeks and it will be set." He told her.

"Two weeks? A full fourteen days!?" Kate groaned flopping back dramatically onto the bed for a grand total of a few seconds. During those few seconds one might have been able to hear a pin drop onto the carpeted floor. It was the quietest a room with Kate had ever been.

Her thoughts weren't silent though and when she suddenly bolted upright exclaiming "A full fourteen days!" with a wide on her face she shattered the silence between her and Killer.

He was instantly weary of that excited smile, the glint of joy and excitement in her eyes. "Yes Kate, that's how long two weeks is."

She waved her hand dismissively, waving his slightly sarcastic words away before saying "I know, I know. But a full two weeks!"

When she began literally bouncing with excitement, Killer turned and walked out. When Kate did that, Killer drew the line. However, who was he to burst her bubble of obvious joy? God only knew it would be popped by Kidd by the end of the day.

Kate was scarcely seen during the next few days and she was heard even less. The only time Killer saw her was when he went to bed. The only time Kidd saw her was in passing or if she were leaving the hotel. But both men knew where she was and who she was with.

A blonde man flashing pearly white teeth as he brushed his hair out of his caramel colored eyes as he examined the picture before him as well as the information that had been verbally presented to him. The girl the man before him had described sounded pleasant, easy to get along with and of course adventurous, meaning that they would be a much better match then the last one. "A girl with a bounty." He drawled, lifting his eyes from the poster of her. Her eyes were an unusual aquamarine color and he was already in love with that fierce smile on her face. With the battlefield around her, she looked relaxed and he liked that. "I like that. Present her to me tomorrow night."

The man with long hair and one eye nodded, bowed to the blonde but before he left decided to add a few words of wisdom. "I know her well and it would be ideal if you didn't dress so expensively." He gestured to the black and gold garb he was wearing. "Oh, and I'll hand her off in exchange for my reward. No reward, no bride." With that he left, there was nothing left to say.

Kate begrudgingly sat across form Kidd, next to Killer, in a dirty, dingy bar. They were waiting for their food and she obviously wasn't too pleased to be there. But with Jarodeth unable to be out with her, what else did she have to do? Not only that but Killer had forced her to tag along with them. That's when she noticed Kidd staring only seconds before asking "What's up your ass?"

He was used to Kate being an annoying ball of thoughtless energy, not the pouting, sulking with her arms crossed, slumped in her seat blonde that sat across from him. A frown was fixed on her lips and she was glaring, her eyes not focusing on anything in particular.

She blinked, her eyes coming into focus and narrowing as they met his. "Not your dick." Kate instantly snapped, earning a sharp look from Killer and a few slackened jaws as the crew gaped at her.

"We can fix that?" He responded. Fuck the fact that they were in a well-populated bar, and had a large audience.

"Don't touch me." Kate growled, picking up one of the many forks on the table and brandishing it. "I'm not in the mood." Maybe her weapon would stop him if he decided to move into her space from across the table. The crew expected Kidd to say or do something to purposely shove Kate over the edge. However, they were in shock when he uncharacteristically backed down. "What, no comebacks, no sneering remarks?" She growled at Kidd. The crew hadn't been the only ones to notice him not respond. "No punches or punishments for being oh so rude to my high and mighty captain?" She grumbled at him.

"Would you like me to do one of those things?" this is what he got for being nice for once, for backing down. It was as though she were trying to get him to react how he usually would.

She only shrugged and Killer decided to interrupt whatever she had been about to say and answer for her. "No."

Kidd opened his mouth to reply but plates of food were put down on the table before them. When Kate muttered a word of thanks the man serving them jumped with a yelp of surprise before he quickly scurried off. Killer reached over and rubbed a few meant to be comforting circles on Kate's back.

She stared almost unblinkingly at Kidd as he stared back at her, trying to figure out what was wrong, as they both ate.

Kidd soon lost the patience it would take to figure out what was wrong with Kate and began talking, eating, drinking and laughing with the rest of the Kidd pirates. Kate soon followed suit. Slowly her smile returned, and then her voice and it seemed that she was cured.

"To the emperor's new bride!" a group of loud guys cheered at the bar, clanking their mugs together, sloshing their drinks onto their hands and the bar.

Kate shot the group of celebrating men a sharp glare before returning to her food and the conversation at hand. Kidd however engaged as he seemed in the conversation his crew was having, wasn't. Only when the crew began noticing the smile spread across Kidd's dark lips did some of the members freeze. Other members lowered their silverware or drinks but they all came to an eventual silence, except for Killer and Kate. Killer knew that Kidd had been listening to the entire conversation of the drinking men's conversation as it went into details of a grand banquet and a dance where they might be able to meet beautiful women they didn't stand even a small chance with. Killer listened closely incase his captain would later need the information. As for Kate, she was oblivious until she looked up and across the table, after finishing a bite she asked "What's with the deliciously sinister smile captain?"

"You would want to know wouldn't you?" he sneered at her.

"Yes, I would like that very much." She earnestly replied.

"Tough fucking cookies." He mocked her words but adding a twist of his own to the phrase. The stupefied crew was shocked into complete silence. Had they heard their captain correctly? As they did this Kate stared at him for those near silent moments before she burst out laughing, throwing her head back and hitting her head on the back of the chair. As the pain shot through the back of her head, and turned into a headache, she began laughing harder, drawing the attention of the drunken patrons of the bar. Everyone who knew Kate exchanged 'is she ok or had she finally lost it?' looks. To be honest with her, it was a toss-up.

Kate fought for control as the words though fucking cookies echoed through her mind over and over again. And those words just had to come from Kidd's mouth! It was far too good to be true. "Ooooh god," Kate gasped for breath after she formed those two words around her bubbling over laughter. "N-never say that if you want to be taken seriously." Just when the crew thought she had been magically cured, Kate erupted into yet another laughing fit. It had built itself up behind her quivering lips and when she had tried to breathe, it had found its way to escape, out into the air around her.

Kidd gave her a look that resembled a man being handed a crying baby, he didn't know what the hell to do with 'it'. "Are you ok?" He slowly asked her before looking at Killer; maybe he had the answer, after all the previously sulking, now laughing and crying mess before him was somehow related to him. But that theory was quickly proven wrong when the masked man lifted his polka dotted shoulders almost apologetically.

While it had been obvious that Kate didn't want to be there at first and why, her sudden mood shift and laughter left something for Killer to be concerned about . . .unless . . .Killer leaned over and into Kate's ear, as best as he could and asked "Are you on 'it'?"

She momentarily froze, repeating the last word "It?" A few seconds later she got what this 'it' she was supposedly on was and the word 'oooooh' soon followed her realization. Giggling Kate smiled saying "No silly, that's- well it might be close." She pondered aloud. The listening crew and Captain had of course missed the most important part of Killer and Kate's conversation. "Why do you ask?" She asked leaning her forehead against the cool metal of her big brothers mask. Sighing she pulled away, wiped the lingering tears and settled into the state of bleh she had been in before.

Kidd, having not forgotten what Kate had asked and decided that he'd relinquish just enough information to keep Kate thinking, and out of the mood that she had returned to. He decided that he hated seeing Kate in that mood unless he was the reason of it. And today, right now, he wasn't the reason why. "Let's just say that we'll have higher bounties after we're done with this fucking island." Fortunately for Kidd Kate didn't notice his error. He was lucky that when he said we, not I, Kate figured that he had meant him and Killer. Never, not once did the ridiculous idea cross Kate's mind that when Kidd had made the mistake of saying we, he had actually meant him and her. After all, as far as she was concerned, she didn't even have a bounty.

Kidd sat back, smugly watching her mood come undone. The sly, thoughtful smile was the first sign that crept onto her face, across her soft lips. Then a glint in her eyes didn't fail to follow as her arms slowly uncrossed and she rested her elbows on the edge of the table, and her chin between her two fists.

Higher bounties? Those words were so vague, oh so painfully murky and unclear. The possibilities were almost endless with a man like Eustass Kidd and it sent a shudder of cool anticipation and excitement through her body. But with a man like Eustass Kidd, whatever it was it was sure to be loud, showy and over the top. Kate would be lying if she said that she wanted no part of whatever half cooked plan he might already have in the pea brain of his.

Kate of course failed to notice the crew pushing back their chairs leaving the table and then leaving the bar. Hell it wasn't until someone's cool finger tapped her bare shoulder that Kate was even brought out of her thoughts. Blinking she saw that there was no Kidd in front of her, just an empty mug and a dirty plate. Kate looked besides her to see a neatly pushed in chair but no Killer. She then looked to see who had been kind enough to not leave her to her thoughts while they all left. It was a yellow mohawked man that she had seen around a few times but she couldn't recall his name for the life of her. She muttered a word of thanks before racing out of the bar and into the crisp night. A cool breeze danced over her bare shoulders, back, chest and arms, making Kate shudder as she looked left then right searching the streets before her eyes landed on the outrageous entourage belonging to Kidd. Upon seeing them Kate began running to catch up the leader of the group.

Kidd sharply looked down when something warm and fleshy slipped into his hand, another hand, he realized. His harsh eyes met soft ones as she swung their clasped hands and connecting arms in the space between them, like a child might. When he frowned at her, she quickly flashed a smile up at him, not releasing his hand. For a few moments they walked in silence, Kate having decided to say nothing. Kate had a feeling that if he really wanted her to let go, Kidd would find some painful way to do so.

A few minutes of comfortable silence later and Kate decided to change her mind. So she looked up at Kidd and playfully asked "Not going to remove your hand from mine?" The small content smile on her lips widened. "Does that mean that you like it there?" She watched him watching her from the corner of his eyes; she could see the smug smirk playing on his lips as his grip on her hand tightened. Kate didn't know what to think of Kidd's public display of affection. Hand holding, she was holding hands with Kidd, a gentle and tame act! True she had not only done it on a whim but also on impulse to annoy Kidd, but that obviously hadn't worked because they were now displaying affection . . . publically!

Killer watched his sister slip her hand into Kidd's. He watched as Kidd's fingers curled around Kat's small hand, their fingers laced together. He watched him look down and her smile up at him, they evenly held each other's gazes. From Killers vantage point at this moment, if all of the times he had found Kate unconscious, the numerous bruises scrapes and bites Kate had received, all of their shouting, the shouted profanities, and the fights were to be momentarily forgotten, then his baby sister and his captain looked like a . . . cute . . . dare he even think it? . . . couple.

Killer considered many plans of action to get them apart, to end it before it began. God forbid one of them would spontaneously combust if this continued to go on. However, being the considerate first mate and older brother that Killer was, he decided that just this once he would let them enjoy the sweet moment.

It wasn't until they began heading to the same room that Killer put a stop to things. Killer would prefer not hearing Kate's screams of pleasure and pain through the thin walls of the hotel rooms. "Kate." He firmly said. She looked over her shoulder and then up at Kidd. "Can I sleep with-"

"No." Killer cut in. No way in hell were they sleeping together, no sleep would be had if they did.

"Your jacket tonight?" It's mighty comfy and-". Kate tried, her face turning bright red as she realized exactly what it was her brother was protesting

"No." at the same time they slowly released each other's hand. "But nice fucking try." He grumbled, the sting of disappointment wasn't an emotion that Eustass Kidd was familiar with. However he had the feeling that the only reason the blonde whore had grabbed his hand was to butter him up before fucking asking for his damn jacket. He supposed he should have known better.

Kate smiled, caught Kidd's hand before her entered his temporarily claimed room. When he shot her a glare that should have rendered her petrified, Kate pushed down the feeling, ignoring the potential danger before she pushed herself up to her tiptoes and touched her lips to his pale cheek, whispering "Good night." As she pulled away, lowering back to her normal height before she swiftly turned around and ran down the hall where Killer was. She waved to Kidd before ducking into the room that had been claimed as hers and Killers.

He poked his head into the room and said "I'll be back soon."

Kate nodded and climbed into the bed as Killer walked to Kidd's room, knowing that Kidd wanted to see him and why. For a while both men talked, going over the details they had heard and when their assault on the bridal unveiling, hosted by the emperor of the surrounding islands that were considered one.

Kate had decided to go to bed instead of waiting up for Killer to come to the room so she could pester Kidd's plans out of him. Having dinner with the Kidd pirates, multiple mood swings and showing affection to Kidd was all very exhausting after all.

She was asleep until she heard the sound of something scraping against something reached her ears through her unconscious state and shattered it. Kate lay in bed, tense as a movement just inside the window caught her attention. The window was wide open letting the cool night air sweep into the room. Kate didn't remember having touched, let alone having opened the window. She tensed even more when a human shaped figure straightened to its full height and began moving towards her bed. As the silhouette did so, Kate began formulating plans of action, wondering who the hell was stupid enough to try and take on a Kidd pirate. True she was female, and true Kate was probably not among the strongest of the Kidd pirates. But she was still a Kidd pirate, even if the captain said otherwise.

Or maybe the person was hopelessly lost. Kate thought. Yeah that had to be it. Well either way, if it got any closer to her then she was going to freak out.

"My, my you're in bed quite early tonight. You know the clubs don't close for another two and a half hours."

Upon hearing the figures voice, Kate launched a pillow at it.

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