25

Sitting on the couch that Sunday, Sanji and Yonji were engrossed in a series they'd started earlier that day, Yonji crunching noisily through a large vegetable tray and dip, Ichiji reading on the floor near the couch. Zeff had given him the day off, aware of his plans for Wednesday, so Sanji had reluctantly agreed to the break. Niji was taking a nap on the back porch, so when Judge left his study, the three of them were instantly aware of his mood.

"It seems that your mother has recovered from her surgery, and plans on moving back," he stated gruffly, his face reflecting his thoughts on that. Sanji looked up cheerfully, Yonji swallowing the last of his broccoli as he perked up.

"What surgery?" Ichiji asked curiously, sitting up. "She didn't mention that while speaking with us."

"Apparently, she was able to afford cosmetic surgery on her income, and seems to have regained some self-confidence," Judge uttered with a sneer, sitting in his chair.

The brothers looked at each other with bewilderment, sure they hadn't noticed anything different about their mother's face with their last phone call. With a roll of his eyes, Judge snapped, "You think after having five kids, a woman's body automatically snaps back into shape? She was self-conscious about her loose, paunchy stomach after having all of you. Which led to her insecurity issues, which led to problems with us! Frankly, if a woman seeks to improve herself after having her husband's children, it's a cause for concern. They want validity and cosmetic improvement, which always leads to trouble in a marriage. She was never fine with me telling her she was 'fine'."

"Girls always want compliments, dad," Yonji said, lowering the tray to his lap. "I never heard you say nice things to her."

"She doesn't need nice things being said to her! The fact that I'd stayed married to her after she had all of you said enough of my devotion!"

"I never noticed that type of thing about mom," Ichiji muttered, furrowing his brow. "That sort of thing should not even matter. Why would she seek compliments about her looks after she had us?"

"She thought she was fat and ugly with all that loose skin, and though I bore with it, tolerated it, apparently, it wasn't enough for her," Judge said with a huff, smoothing out his slacks.

"'Tolerated' it," Sanji commented with a sneer. "No wonder she left you."

Judge fixed him with a stare.

"If someone is feeling bad about themselves, you shouldn't just 'tolerate it'. You should've made her feel pretty. You didn't. You were an ass."

"Shut up, Sanji," Yonji told him, from the corner of his mouth.

"You were always criticizing her," Sanji continued, ignoring him. "Telling her to diet and all that. I remember you making fun of her in that white sundress she used to wear a lot, telling her to mix up her wardrobe. But she always felt pretty in it, and you made her feel like shit. So, whatever."

Ichiji looked up at his brother with an incredulous expression, then looked to Judge to see what he had to say. Both he and Yonji were surprised that Sanji would talk back to their father, rather than agree with him.

"If she now feels pretty because she had a little surgery to make herself feel that way, then it's not up to you to say anything bad about it," Sanji finished with a sniff, stealing a carrot from Yonji's tray.

"Listen to you, you little shit," Judge snapped. "What would you know about relationships?"

"Nothing, but I'm just saying – I see her side. Bad mouthing her because she now feels good about herself doesn't reflect good on you. You're just coming off as an ass."

"Coming from someone that looks the way you do, you don't know what happened between us to have her running away, like a child seeking validation from the public! That's what's wrong with women, nowadays. With social media being as it is, all women are suddenly insecure, seeking support from total strangers, rather than those close to them. Wanting to be judged nicely on their looks! It's not about looks in a relationship, it's about the security and commitment shared between two consenting adults. With that attitude, it's apparent you'll be the type to seek validation and attention, just like she did."

Sanji scoffed. "If I ever received a compliment in this house, I'd die from shock."

"If you were of any worth, maybe you would be complimented."

"Maybe if you made me feel like I was worth anything, I would feel better about things."

"Get out of here, I'm already tired of your fucking attitude! Always with the running mouth and always wanting to make yourself look like a target of some type," Judge snapped at him, pointing out the back. With a huff, Sanji stood up from the couch, stealing a handful of carrots and walking out from the living room without another word. Yonji and Ichiji exchanged raised eyebrows, resettling back into their seats as Judge fumed. "That kid is his mother's child. I should've sent him to live with her so she could deal with the headache."

"So, mom had a tummy tuck? I don't see what that has to do with anything, considering that she's never paraded herself in anything inappropriate," Ichiji commented, picking up his book.

"She doesn't have to! She's a mother, and she's – she was married, so I'm sure that along with this procedure, she'll be thinking she's hot stuff, and flirting with anything that moves," Judge grumbled. "That type of influence isn't good for you, boys. You'll be subjected to nameless strange men that'll try and influence you over me, and I'm not privy to that sort of competition. They'll look to misguide you, discourage you, because you will be intimidating to them."

"Will we get to see her and Reiju a lot more?" Yonji asked.

"With her mother's influence, I'm sure Reiju will think the same way as she does. Most likely, she's just as insecure and nasty as her mother. You'll do well to keep your own mind when it comes to the pair of them. Don't let them influence you in any other way. Stay your road."

"I'm certain they cannot be that influential," Ichiji said with a frown. "We've lacked any real bonding with them because of the different living situations. I'm certainly not that interested in any possibilities of letting their thinking interrupt my future motives."

"Good boy. I don't know if wasting any effort on keeping Sanji on the same track would be beneficial to any of you – it's clear that I'm just wasting my breath and energy on him."

"You're just giving up on him, dad?" Yonji asked with concern. "Because he was doing fine when we were on him all the time. Look, he's even got a job he hates. Plus, there's no more trouble about him and English, anymore."

"The way he talks back to me all the time has me reconsidering what influence I have on him," Judge complained. "I'm sick of him back talking me all the time, and he's constantly challenging all of you, putting unnecessary stress while all of you are focused on your sports activities. If he had a suitable hobby, I'm sure it would be fine if you all kept the pressure on him, but since he wants to waste his life on women's hobbies, I'm sure his mother would find him more appropriate to have."

"Will you make him go live with them?" Yonji asked with worry, Ichiji putting his book down to look up. "That's going to be weird, dad. It's already weird when he's not around."

"Why?" Judge asked, bewildered. "All of you fight constantly – just think of the peace we'd have if he weren't here."

"Yeah, we fight, but, like, we all grew up together and stuff, and if he's not here, like, what are we going to do?"

"You'll get over it as you get older, and realize the benefits of Sanji not bothering you," Judge said firmly, resettling back in his seat.

Yonji shrugged, still looking undecided about it while Ichiji frowned, unsure of what to think.

"Would mom even want him?" he asked curiously.

"Sola would take him if she had to. I'm sure she'll regret the procedure once she realizes how much of a problem he is," Judge said. "She would deserve all of that hassle after everything she's caused me. I'm positive he'll fit right in with that womanly environment."

"It'll be really quiet around here," Yonji muttered.

Judge looked at him with a puzzled frown, so Yonji hastily said, "I mean, because he's so noisy and disrupts us a lot, so not having that would be…weird."

"You'll be too busy to notice him missing," Judge assured him.

"She might even move into our district," Ichiji told Yonji. "So it won't be like we won't see him again. We'll see him at school."

"Do we still have to, you know, be nice to him?" Yonji asked him tentatively, lifting his eyebrows repeatedly.

Ichiji shrugged, glancing at Judge. "These aren't set in stone, dad's just…planning. Besides, mom just spoke of it, right? It'll take time for her to pack up and move here. With Reiju attending college, I doubt she'll want to leave it. It might even be next year, after she's finished."

"That's right, Ichiji. But because of his attitude, I have been considering sending him in that direction," Judge added. "Maybe that'll influence her to stay where she is. Tell me, do you want your mother living nearby?"

"Well…yeah."

"It'd be a little more convenient," Ichiji said, sitting back up, placing a marker in his book to save his page.

"Why?" Judge demanded of both of them.

Niji barged in at that moment, wearing drool on his chin and crease marks from the patio pillows. "Why do you people think you can talk without me being present? What's this about mom coming back?"

"Would you like your mother living nearby?" Judge asked him.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind."

"Why?" Judge asked of all of them, outraged.

Squirming uncomfortably, Niji added, "Well, I mean, it doesn't matter to me…"

"I want to hang out with them. I miss sis," Yonji said with similar discomfort.

Ichiji shrugged.

Judge studied all of them with a heavy frown. "After everything I've done for all of you, you're ungrateful for my efforts? You'd all prefer your mommy?"

"NO!" Niji and Yonji said simultaneously while Ichiji answered, "It's not that we'd prefer her company over yours, it's just…seeing them in person would be okay. I'm sure they wouldn't have much influence on us, though, considering the weekly phone calls. That's the limit of our bond with them."

"You're going to make us, like, visit and live with them when they get here?" Niji asked.

"That's your own choice, but it should not interrupt your activities," Judge said gruffly, unhappy with their answers. "And if it looks like she's pressuring you into a route I don't approve of, I'm sure I'll speak with her about it."

"Are you going to make Sanji live with her?" Niji asked curiously. "Because he doesn't do anything, here."

"I am considering it, yes. He doesn't contribute much to this household, so I was considering Sola taking on his care. He seems more fitting for her household than ours."

"That's bullshit!" Sanji said, coming out from his hiding spot behind the counter in the kitchen, where he'd overheard most of it. "Yes, I get that you don't think a lot of me, but forcing me to live with her is just stupid on your part! Just because you can't handle me, or anything – you're talking about me like I'm some unwanted thing!"

"If you had shown half of the initiative your brothers have, living here - !" Judge started to say when Sanji flipped him off, then strode out from the kitchen, slamming the door on his way out. The other three looked at each other with mixed expressions as Judge sighed heavily, resettling in his seat.

"Should I go get him, dad?" Ichiji asked, rising to his feet.

"Let him go. He needs to cool his head. His short temper will cause more problems," Judge told him, looking at the television set. "What are you watching, here, Yonji?"

"Ah, 'F is for Family'," Yonji answered uncomfortably. "It's cool."

After hearing Frank Murphy mutter about doing 'what a man has to do,' Judge scoffed.

"It looks like drabble. Change it."

: :

Sanji walked over to the community park to sulk. He was angry at Judge for considering him 'worthless', and frustrated at his father for his continued insistence that Sanji contributed 'nothing' to their household. He was pretty sure he'd offered, many times, to cook. He took care of many of the chores that his brothers didn't do, and he often did as Judge told him. But for Judge to insist on Sanji's worthlessness made him feel ugly and bitter.

He took a seat at a table within the picnic area, glaring sullenly out at the man-made lake ahead of him. There were families at the play centers, and teenagers hanging out near the basketball park, so the area was lively. He watched kids run about, their parents watching them from benches nearby, then looked over to the basketball courts, squinting to see if he recognized anyone from his school. He then realized it didn't matter because he didn't have friends outside of his brothers, and Law. It occurred to him how lonely he felt at that moment, not having anyone to talk to.

He thought to make his way to Law's house, but that was blocks away, and he felt hesitant going there if Doflamingo was there. He was pretty sure he wouldn't be invited in after that scene at Cracker Barrel. Sullen, he sunk low on the bench and just watched the kids play. He wished he had his phone, but Judge still held onto it without any indication of returning it, so he felt even more isolated than before. He thought about the pros of moving to his mother's house, compared to staying here. But one thing that stood out was that if he chose to go, he would be leaving Law behind. With his mother planning on moving here, it would be convenient; he would have to talk to Sola about it.

He still felt angry that Judge disregarded him, though. After all these years of living up to his expectations and failing because he wasn't like the others, he felt fed up. He'd done his best to make his father happy, but Judge just wasn't giving him any inches to work with. After meeting Law and getting involved with his life, though, Sanji felt he found a purpose.

He picked at his cargo shorts, thinking that his brothers were happy with this turn of events. They would. They weren't exactly arguing against the idea, and they would agree to continue living with Judge because of the conveniences available to them, there. He wiped his face with his left hand, and glared at the cast on his right. He felt extremely lonely, unsure of what to do or where to go to from here. He did find himself wondering if this is what Law felt days after leaving his parents' home, and stopped feeling sorry for himself, then. It was easier thinking of another person.

He jerked with a startled noise when he heard a light clap on the table, and turned around with a scowl, sure that it was Ichiji. He brightened and stood up once he saw that it was Law, looking a little sweaty and disheveled, as if he'd been out in the sun for awhile. So Sanji's expression changed quickly as Law looked him over suspiciously.

"What are you doing here?" they asked each other, Law digging his cigarettes out from his back pocket, glancing around himself warily.

"Ran away from home," Sanji answered quickly, gesturing at him as Law sat on the bench.

"Ran away from Smoker," Law muttered, lighting up. After exhaling smoke, Sanji worried about the comment, Law added, "I had an appointment, today. And…my parents wanted to…talk about it, and I didn't want to. So I left."

Sanji slowly sat next to him, taking the cigarette Law offered. "Talk about what?"

"What are you doing here?" Law asked without answering him.

"Dad just told us that mom's moving back here. But he started talking a lot of shit about me, and her, and just – I didn't want to hear it, anymore," Sanji said with frustration. "He tells me I'm worthless and I don't contribute to anything, and I'm just like my mom, and he was saying all sorts of shitty things about her, and - ! Like, I'm used to it? But when he started saying he'd rather ship me over to her than let her move here, I just…got mad. I can't say anything without him always cutting down on me."

Law watched the kids play at the playground for a few moments, then gave a light sound. "Your father's stupid."

"He is! I don't get why he's so against me," Sanji complained, giving him the cigarette back. He ran his fingers through his hair, clenching strands there while resting his elbows on his knees. "He's so fucking frustrating, I hate that he doesn't even give me a chance to prove my worth! He won't let me cook, he won't let me be me – he praises the others for their shit, but I don't remember anything good he's ever said to or about me!"

"Maybe it'll be okay if you went to your mom's," Law said gently, dashing ashes away.

"I don't want to, because that would mean I have to leave everything I know, and you, and mom and Reiju doesn't even know me," Sanji said with frustration. "I don't want to do that! I don't care if she moves here, and I can move in with her, because that would mean I could stay here and still be close to you – "

"Your well-being is more important than being here with me," Law told him.

"I feel well if I'm with you! Do you even want me here?" Sanji asked him incredulously.

Law shrugged, wiping sweat from his forehead, pulling at his shirt. "I think it's more important to me that you're fine, than staying in a house full of people that enjoys cutting you down."

"The only time I feel fine if I'm around you! That's the only time I feel fine!"

"Don't get angry at me," Law told him, as Sanji stood up rigidly, glaring at him. "I'm talking of having a similar experience, Sanji."

"My situation isn't shitty like yours!"

"Your brothers broke your arm!"

"That's not the same thing!"

"Look," Law told him, flicking ashes onto the pavement below. "All I'm saying is that, for the entirety of the situation, your father obviously doesn't care for you. Your mother does. As for mine, I don't even know where I'll end up. I don't want you continuing to put yourself into danger just for someone like me."

Sanji stared at him in silence, fists clenched at his sides. "So, what you're saying is, you don't care what happens to me."

"I'm saying that the best thing for you is for you to find support where you can," Law said uncomfortably. "And sometimes, that's not easy to find…nearby. There's nothing I can do to help you, Sanji. I'm not in a stable position, myself."

Sanji stared at him for a few moments, then looked away with an upset expression. Without saying anything else, he stalked away from the picnic area, Law looking after him with a frown. He flicked the cigarette aside and strode after him.

Sanji heard him, so he snapped over his shoulder, "Don't fucking follow me!"

"Stop!" Law ordered, catching up to him and grabbing his arm. "Stop. I don't know what you want me to say. All I know is that I can't do anything for you, I don't know what you're looking for me to say!"

"All I want is support - !"

"And I'm giving it! I'm telling you, your situation will not get any better! There is nothing for you here! If you can find it from your mother, then go there!"

"Don't you even want me here? That's what I'm asking!" Sanji snapped, jerking his arm away from him.

Looking terribly uncomfortable, fisting his hands at his sides, Law said forcefully, "I do, but if the situation isn't good for either of us, then I would encourage you to find a place that's better suited – "

"That's not what I want to hear!"

"It might not be, but it's necessary! I'm not going to lie, or promise you something that can't be fulfilled."

Feeling the rushing sensation of an incoming panic attack, Sanji sought to breathe normally, but his lungs felt like they were too tight, and there was too much oxygen, and it was building up strongly within his chest, rendering his face and neck red. His fists clenched, and his jaw tightened, his entire body going rigid. He turned stiffly to get away, aware that people were looking in their direction with concern, so he forced himself to run. He heard Law shouting after him, but he didn't want to listen to him; not when a persistent ringing made it difficult to hear anything, when he couldn't breathe in deep enough, or get someplace small and dark to shut out the overwhelming world around him. Running over the lawn, he headed away from the park, not really thinking about anything else. He ran out into the street, vaguely aware of a car slamming to a stop to avoiding hitting him.

He just needed to get away – away from his father, from his brothers, Law, from the pressures around him, and find a place that would actually welcome him, that would want him around. He stumbled at a stoplight, leaning against the pole, trying to catch his breath. Looking around, he realized that he was near Baratie's, so he headed in that direction. Gasping for breath, he headed to the back alley, wiping away all the moisture on his face. He pushed the door in, breathing in heavily of the kitchen smells, the sights and sound of the kitchen nearby showing him that the cooks were hard at work. A couple of them glanced at him as he searched for Zeff, flicking his shirt away from his overheated skin while he walked through a short corridor to the main dining room, looking for the older man.

He turned to return to the kitchen when Zeff intercepted him from the swinging door nearby, and promptly steered him to his office.

"Let me work today!" Sanji demanded of him, still struggling to breathe, wiping his face again. It was an effort to speak, so every work was forced forward with tremendous effort, rendering his voice uneven. "I want to work. I have nothing to do at home."

"What's the matter with you?" Zeff asked him, shutting the door behind him. "What's with all the leaking?"

"It's hot. I ran all the way here."

"You're so hot that your eyeballs are sweating, too?" Zeff asked him, snatching a towel from his coat pocket and tossing it to him.

Sanji wiped his face with it, smearing what felt like butter, crumbs over his cheeks. "I want to work, today," he said, gulping for air.

"Not in this state," Zeff told him, sitting at the edge of his desk. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing. Everything sucks. Everyone sucks. I hate everyone, and I just want to work. I just need to get away from it," Sanji exclaimed, wiping his face again. "I hate my shitty dad, I hate my shitty brothers, my shitty friend – I hate all of them!"

"That's a lot of shit for a Sunday afternoon," Zeff said gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest. "This is supposed to be your day off."

"Well, it sucks. I want to work. Zeff."

"Not in this state. You're too upset. What happened?"

"Not like you care. No one does. Just let me work in the kitchen. I'll be fine once I start working."

"If I didn't care, I wouldn't fucking ask. What did your dad do?"

Sanji wiped his nose, aware that his hiccups were making it difficult to breathe. His face felt as if it were under pressure, pushing at his skin from deep below, forcing fluids to leak from him. He used the towel to wipe his face again, seeing that his hands were shaking. He felt as if he had gotten too much sun, and he sought the chair behind Zeff's desk to sit, feeling light-headed. Zeff watched him with concern, frowning heavily. He left his seat, walking out of the office and shutting the door behind him.

Sanji covered his face with the towel, thinking how unfair it was that he'd given Law his entire support and the older kid had refused to give his. All because he didn't know what he'd be doing, where he'd be. All he wanted to hear from Law was that he was wanted – that wasn't hard to say.

Zeff returned with a paper bag and another towel, this one warm. Sanji took the paper bag, and quickly unfolded it, using it to breathe. Zeff sat at the edge of the desk to watch him, saying nothing. After using it for a few moments, Sanji felt a little more clear headed.

"Wipe your face, brat," Zeff then told him, holding the towel out. "Now, what happened? Carnie mentioned something about a boyfriend?"

"NO! My dad's being a jerk. He's saying all these shitty things, about shipping me away to my mom's because he thinks I'm worthless. I'm not! I can contribute if he'd let me, but he doesn't let me!" Sanji lowered the paper bag and used the towel to wipe his face. He spoke between hiccups, frustrated that his entire body was still shaking from the panic attack. "And my stupid friend doesn't get that all I want for him to say is that he wants me here, and everything will be fine, but he keeps telling me that he can't help me, so he won't tell me that."

"Sometimes, it's best to be honest. Maybe it's better that you aren't with your father."

"Mom doesn't get me, either! No one wants me around!"

"I don't know enough of your personal life to make judgment, kid, but I can tell ya one thing – as old as I am, I know it takes awhile to get sorted out," Zeff told him. "You're at an age where everything's a big deal – "

"It is a big deal, because - !"

"But if ya ain't finding any satisfaction to what you got, then maybe it's time to change that attitude," Zeff interrupted him firmly. "You're seeking support and approval from those closest to you, and you clearly ain't getting it. Stop looking for it. If it's not coming easily, then there's no point losing a lung over it. It's time to look at the world in another way."

Sanji sniffled. "I don't know how."

"And that's why you're a mess. You're trying very hard to make a diamond out of a piece of coal from your father's ass, and I can tell you right now, it's a wasted effort. That man will never change. He's too old and too set in his ways, and I suggest you stop trying. If he wants to push you off to your mom, let him. Maybe a change in scenery will do you some good."

"I don't see my mom very much – she doesn't know me."

"Then let her learn. Give it a couple of years, then you're old enough to wander off on your own. You've got job experience, now, I can make good recommendations. You can do this if you can't make it here."

"My friend – "

"If it's that one that's come here before, he ain't going anywhere, either. Why are you relying on another kid to make your decisions, for you? Both of you are too young and from different areas in life to even connect in the middle for very long," Zeff told him sternly. "He ain't going to make any good decisions, either, if he's already seen the dark side of the road for too long. Let him make his own choices. If you feel he ain't supporting you, then there's no point wasting effort on him, either."

"That's easy for you to say, you - !"

"I'm old, I've already been there!" Zeff snapped over him. "I lived that foolish life. You want my advice, you have it. You still aren't going out there, like this. You wanna be useful? Clear off my desk, straighten up these shelves. Alphabetize all those recipes into those binders there, make it nice and neat. Then you go home at 6, regardless if your father wants you there, or not. He says some shit to you, ignore him. Let him make the decision for you. At your age, you don't have a choice in the matter. Start over somewhere else if you have to."

Huffing, Sanji glared at him as he then left his seat and left the office. He then turned his glare to the desk, finding piles of invoices, receipts, print-outs stacked at the edges, the drawers stuffed with similar stacks. He was upset over the entire day, but Zeff's words made sense. He went to work sorting out the piles of paper on the desk, setting them into clear piles. Zeff popped in every now and then to make a phone call, argue with him over some dishes he had on the menu, and complain about his smoking habits, spraying Lysol in his direction to disguise the stench of the cigarette Sanji had.

But the work was welcome, and by the time six p.m. rolled around, Sanji straightened up what he could and left Baratie's. He headed home, thinking about what he was going to do once he got there. He felt hurt over Law's refusal to give him the words he wanted, but Zeff had made sense, so the bite didn't feel as bad as it had hours earlier. He resigned himself to being sent to his mother's place based on his father's words and left it at that.

Maybe his mother would allow him to be him. Maybe he could start over as he'd dreamed he could when college came around, and maybe he could pursue the things he wanted, instead of following his father's rule. He would only have his sister to fight with, and Reiju really wasn't as bad as their brothers. He had no friends at the school he felt bad leaving behind, and if Law really wasn't sure what he was going to do, then Sanji couldn't support him anymore than he did. What they had was beautiful for the moment, but in the end, they were still just kids, living under the rules of adults around them.

Once he arrived home, Yonji was still on the couch, Ichiji and Niji were in the kitchen, and Judge was speaking with a friend in his office.

"Where'd you go?" Yonji asked him curiously.

"Played with kids at the park," Sanji told him, hurrying up to his room. He shut and locked his door, flopping onto his bed. He picked at his duvet, and looked around his room. He wouldn't miss it. Maybe after he left, Judge could take over Niji's room, expand the bathroom out. It would work out for them.

He left his bed and opened up his laptop. He surfed the internet for awhile, looking up his mother's house to see what was located in the area. The high school was merged with a middle school, but they promised home economic classes and plenty of after school clubs. He could start over – become the person he wanted to be, not this one. He wouldn't have to prove anything to his father, or constantly fight with his brothers, and maybe he would find someone else that wanted him. He fiddled with his hair, hoping it grew out before his father sent him anywhere.

The knock on his door made him scowl. "What."

"Why is your door locked?" Ichiji asked crankily, trying the knob.

"If you want to talk to me, slip me twenty bucks."

"I can talk outside the door. Where were you?"

"Selling myself outside that restaurant downtown, the one with all those rich guys? I have enough to take me to mom's by myself."

Sanji could hear Ichiji's eyes rolling. He pictured his older brother crossing his arms over his chest, looking impatiently at the door. "Are you still mad about this afternoon?" Ichiji asked on a bored tone.

"Yes."

"I went looking for you," Ichiji said, and Sanji wondered if he wanted a medal for it. "But that man living there wasn't very cooperative. Said both of you were missing. Said if you knew where that boy was, to send him home."

Sanji remembered that Law had told him he'd run away from Smoker, during an appointment. He did feel concern arise in him, if Law had returned home, yet. Despite his current predicament, he did want to know what happened. If he ran away from their appointment, what did that mean for the rest of this week?

"I didn't see him," he said quietly. "I went to the park."

"Let me in," Sanji heard Niji's voice against the wood, coming from a much lower point than Ichiji's.

"God, go away, Niji!"

"Dad wants us to make sure you're not attempting suicide in his house," Niji told him, wiggling his fingers underneath the door. "Are you?"

"NO!"

"Yonji called for pizza, so dad wants you to come down and eat with us," Ichiji then said crankily over Niji's reply.

"I'm not hungry, I already ate," Sanji said, thinking of the sampler dish Zeff had brought him, both of them sharing it. His brothers kept talking, but he reached into his desk and drew out his headphones. Plugging them into his laptop, he searched for something to watch, and took the entire device to his bed. Making himself comfortable there, he immersed himself into a movie, ignoring the pounding at his door, thinking that if he just stuck to himself, he would be fine. Not allowing them to agitate him any further than they had was just part of the process. Like Zeff said, he had no control over what his father decided, so Sanji figured it was best that he helped him along with the process.

: :

At school the next morning, Law approached him before he could walk into the classroom, Niji sneering at both of them as he and Yonji walked in. Because it looked like Law hadn't spent the night out on the streets, his hair still wet, Sanji reluctantly lingered in the hall to hear him out, adjusting his messenger bag as Law stood against the wall to allow kids to walk around them.

"You're right," Sanji told him first, clutching the strap of his bag while looking to the side. "I guess I was asking too much of you."

"I feel like I have to apologize," Law said, fiddling with the worn top handle of his backpack, which looked faded and small in his hand. He smelled different today, Sanji noticed. Clean, with a faint hint of some manly remnants of some time of freshener. "I didn't have anything reassuring to say, so – "

"I was set straight, yesterday," Sanji interrupted slowly, picking at his cast, "and I realize that I can't please everyone, and there's no point trying. It might be better for me to just…go away, give mom's a chance."

"It's not that I want to say all these negative things, but your situation, it's all stacked against you," Law told him. "I know you're angry with me, but – "

"Oh, now you care about my feelings? Now you care what I think?" Sanji asked bitterly. He couldn't help but shoot out his words with accusatory action, speaking faster than normal. "Don't go accusing me of giving up on you, because you clearly didn't even care in the first place. You're just like them, always giving me shit and shitting on my feelings and -"

"I don't know what to do or say that'll be right for the situation – " Law grabbed him and forced him back against the wall when Sanji made to walk away, the action causing a couple of students to look over with concern. Sanji looked at him with surprise as Law's fingers tightened on his arm. "But don't tell me I don't care. I am where I am because of you, I told you that."

"I don't feel like - !"

"If I were in a better place, I would be more supportive. I don't want to lie to you with things you want to hear, and then have it fucked up when things get fucked up. That would be more damaging to you." When the bell rang, Law kept Sanji pinned there, the teen looking up at him with a heavy frown. Law was holding onto him as if he were going to lose him, his fingers so tight around his arm that Sanji felt uncomfortable. "If I told you I wanted you to stay, you would continue living in that situation. Why would you want to endure that?"

"If I know I'm wanted, I can - !"

"I don't even know what's going to happen to me!"

"Then figure it out!" Sanji snapped at him. "If it's truly that alone, then make up your damn fucking mind!"

Law's fingers tightened, making him wince a little. "You can't ask that of me when you know what I'm going through!"

Frustrated because he was right, Sanji wasn't sure what to say.

"I can only give you the truth, I can't lie to make it any better when I know it's not!" Law told him forcefully. "Your situation is a lot like mine, that's why I identify with you, I'm only telling you what to expect, and you're so fucking stubborn, you're unwilling to see that."

"I don't even know what happened to you, I can't say that this is all the same, but – "

"Then we'll talk after class. Okay?" Law shifted his hands to his face, to make him look at him, the last bell ringing noisily overhead. "You'll listen to me, right?"

Sanji nodded after a few moments, only to speed up their entrance into class so that Mr Hansen wouldn't mark them 'tardy'. He stiffened up as Law leaned into him to hug him, his skinny arms awkwardly hung around him. But what mattered to Sanji was that it was a hug, and he felt himself wilt into it because he wanted that caring touch so badly. Niji peered around the corner at that moment, blue bang peeking out first.

"Mr Hansen! These guys are making out in the hall!" he hollered unnecessarily, both of them pushing away from each other, making their way into the room. As he followed them to the back, he said to Yonji, "There's something good brewing."

"Why are you watching them, weirdo?" Yonji asked, throwing Skittles into his mouth, holding a waterbottle in one hand. "Mr Hansen, Niji's a voyeur spying on his own brother!"

Mr Hansen waved to indicate he heard, reaching for his water bottle with a sigh.

A/N: It feels like I hadn't updated in forever, but at the same time, I sense the missing pieces to the ending of this story.

RR: Actually, the answer to what's in the bag will be coming up soon! This will be a busy week for this pair D: Law definitely wasn't thinking about possible expulsion from school, but the Vinsmoke's declaration later put to rest that situation, for now. As for Baby and Buffalo, their appearance would be different (but involved with Law, considering their positions) and Law doesn't give name to the other kids because, as he'd stated, they were all 'temporary'. After this chapter – and yet to be revealed disastrous run away from an appointment – things will change for him.

DedicatedFan: Ichiji's creepy older brother status is confirmed! Ha ha, yes, and Sanji doesn't speak of the animals he'd attempted to save because he has no reason to reveal that. But Law knows of it, now, realizing that Sanji's compassion had been beaten to hidden depths because of his brother(s) actions. That's an interesting question! They do have admirers, followers, but to keep characters to a minimum here, it's not fully explored. They definitely don't act differently when alone, though, because their absurdly high confidence levels prevent them from behaving meekly and quietly. Law is definitely getting braver – this upcoming week will show that.

Sarge1130: Law is getting braver, and the results of his running away from the appointment he'd had with his parents and Smoker are to be revealed in next chapter. He isn't an innocent child anymore, but he's still a vulnerable kid that needs care and positive influence, and his parents are trying their hardest to prove that they can provide this if he can give them a chance. Healing is intensely difficult, considering their situations, but Law isn't the same kid that was introduced earlier in the story. Ichiji is insulting Law every bit of the way because he knows he can – he sees how Law is changing, and he's doing his best to discourage it. He's yet to get his very worse D: Family dinner is coming up soon!

Snowflake97: Sanji is doing his best, but is he receiving the same type of support? He's struggling to find it, because he clearly lacks it, and while Law tries, he's just too jaded to give Sanji what he wants to hear. As they're both just kids, their experiences are so different from each other's, and while they share similarities, each of them cannot give as they would want to because of obstacles. They're doing their best, through. D: