Maybe he was wrong. Taking the stairs two at a time in his hurry, Law quickly descended them back into the dimly lit bar on the ground floor, scanning the room quickly over the handrail in the hopes of spotting Nayla still in there. Pulling on the coat he'd grabbed in his haste on the way out of his room, he visually scoured the booths, the tables, eyes stopping on the bathrooms in the corner – maybe she was in the women's restroom?

"Oh, hey Cap-"

"Where's Nayla-ya?" He cut off, snapping his gaze forward and coming to an abrupt stop before colliding with Jeff coming up the opposite way.

"Uh…" Swallowing the last mouthful of the pretzel he'd grabbed from the table before ascending, he turned his head to look around the tavern from their elevated view halfway up the staircase.

Law watched impatiently as his crewmember furrowed his brows in confusion, eyes darting around the room in an effort to spot her.

Sensing his captain's growing annoyance, Jeff chanced a glance at his deepening frown before turning and beginning to make his way back down. "Lemme just check with Connor, last I saw, she was still sitting with him and Bepo."

Feeling his jaw clench, Law followed in hurried strides as Jeff jogged ahead of him to his friend's table, placing a hand on its surface as he leant down to speak to him quietly.

Watching as Connor's brows raised before he looked his way, Law approached, gripping his nodachi tightly to his shoulder. "Well?"

"Uh…Didn't she say she was gonna step outside for some fresh air or something?" Connor asked, turning to Bepo beside him.

"Oh, she did? I thought she said she was gonna check on the cat."

"Cat?" Law asked irritably.

"Yeah, there's a stray living near the dumpster around the side of the inn. She went out there earlier to give it left over food after dinner. She said she was worried about it, 'cause of the snow, and went to check on it…" Feeling the heat of his captain's glare, the bear lowered his gaze, twiddling his paws together. "…Sorry."

"How long ago?" Law asked, turning to Connor.

"Not long, like a few minutes ag-Uh Captain? Is something wrong? Do you need us to come with you?" Swivelling in his seat, the three watched as Law walked briskly through the bar to the inn's front door, whipped it open and left without another word. Leaving his crewmembers staring after him in confusion and slight worry.

Tugging the collar of his open coat up as the cold hit him, Law hurried down the street, feeling his annoyance grow as further supporting evidence of the person he'd seen running in this direction being Nayla – the small set of footprints he was now following, met his eyes.

His crew meant well, they really did but they were naïve or simply didn't want to believe she was capable of being as manipulative and potentially dangerous as she really was. All that cutesy kindness and flirtation, it was easy for them to get lax around her. They trusted her far too much already. How they'd so quickly forgotten what she'd done to Penguin within an hour of waking up on their sub on her first day, he didn't know.

This was mostly his fault anyway. It wasn't as if he'd given any specific orders regarding watching her whilst on land. He hadn't thought he'd needed to, believing that the implication was in place, especially considering he'd made Jeff keep an eye on her for the most part of last night.

Promising to be clearer next time – and there would be a next time because she was not going anywhere tonight, Law rapidly made his way back towards the harbour, already guessing where Nayla would be headed and why.


Stumbling a little over the unseen cobblestone for the third time, Nayla reluctantly slowed her pace down again as she made her way through the empty street, she was out of sight of the inn already anyway.

Blowing into her numbing hands to warm them, she watched the visible vapour of her breath ascend into the night sky. It was still snowing but it had let up considerably, nothing but a gentle dusting now.

It had been much heavier for the better part of the afternoon and it looked like the local government had needed to clear the snow from the roads once already, if the large snowbanks taking up the majority of the sidewalks were any indication.

Unfortunately she'd missed most of the snowfall napping off her lack of sleep and had woken when it was already getting dark out. It had been a while since Nayla'd had the chance to enjoy some, she wasn't above playing childishly in it and as predicted, neither were quite a few of the fun-loving Heart Pirates. Apparently they'd taken to enjoying it this afternoon whilst she was snoozing.

Inwardly she'd hoped to have joined them tomorrow but well...an opportunity to leave that she'd be a fool to pass up had presented itself…She really was going to miss them. It wasn't the first time she'd left behind a group of people she'd grown fond of, it never did get much easier but of all of the ones she'd spent time with, she'd be missing the Heart Pirates particularly sorely. 'Even that pompous prick had his moments,' she sighed, crunching more carefully through the fallen flakes.

Walking too closely to a piled high bank, she winced a little as she felt the cold ice brush against her legs, beginning to regret not stealing a coat from someone on her way out. Only coming downstairs for dinner and drinks, she hadn't thought to bring her own with her and hadn't dared go upstairs to get it from the room right next to Law. There were plenty of jackets slung over the backs of chairs unattended, even some by the door of the inn on a coat stand. Being kind enough not to do it had been stupid, it was much colder than she'd thought it would be and her warm sweater wasn't nearly enough to compensate the tights on her legs, even if they were her thickest pair.

It didn't matter now anyway, the harbour wasn't far. All she had to do was get back on board the sub unnoticed, pack her stuff up, wrap up a little warmer and at the last minute - break that damn safe, steal back her weapons then bolt out of there at top speed.

As far as she was aware, Jean Bart, Kotta and a few others were currently on board. It didn't surprise her that someone as antisocial-seeming as Kotta would volunteer to stay behind to watch over the vessel as frequently as he apparently did. Him, she wouldn't be missing.

She wasn't sure what option to take afterwards though. Maybe she'd hide at another inn or hotel but hated the thought of being stationary within this town with a very pissed off Law on the warpath looking for her.

Maybe doing a quick check of the harbour for any boats that seemed to be departing tonight before getting back on the sub would produce a last minute travel option. Worst case scenario, there were constant ships to and from Kattou - including overnight trips, but going to an island so close to this one to get away from Law might not be the wises-

Wondering if something had gone wrong with her vision for a split second before immediately bolting forward at top speed, Nayla panicked as the faintly blue film that had tainted her vision a peculiar colour caught up to her again, overtaking her completely as it expanded, despite her best efforts to outrun its limit.

Gasping in shock and numbed pain when she suddenly hit the ground, she quickly propped herself up from the snow-covered concrete on hands and knees, stiffening as she saw boots and a frighteningly familiar denim right in front of her face. She didn't want to look up. She could only imagine how pissed off he looked and she'd prefer to leave that to her imagination.

Panting, she peered over her shoulder at the street, seeing how far Law's 'Room' had extended down it and the trail of her footsteps in the snow that had abruptly ended when he'd transported her to right in front of him.

Hearing his clothing rustle, she turned back around in time to see a tattooed hand reach down and grip the front of her sweater tightly before he yanked her to feet by it.

Instinctively placing her own hands over his, she tried not to gulp as he brought her up to eye level, a cold fury on his face. It had been a long time since he'd been able to paralyse her so completely with his steel gaze, the sensation reminded her of the first time they'd made eye contact…Though this time was a lot more frightening.

A tense moment of silence passed as he scrutinised her with his stare, the only thing audible on the empty street was her heavy breathing and the gentle, electrical hum of the streetlights lining either side of the road they were currently standing on. Or at least he was, her toes were barely grazing it at the moment.

"…Where were you going, Nayla?" She'd nearly jumped at the sound of his voice.

"T-To the sub." Maybe she could talk him down, convincingly, if she could keep her voice a little more level.

"Why?"

"I forgot something on board."

"Something so important that you needed to go get it right now, in the dead of night?"

"Yeah well…um…" She looked away in feigned embarrassment, hoping he'd buy it or at least feel awkward enough to not pursue it. "…I didn't realise I'd need some…'feminine products' during our stay."

"Your last period was two weeks ago." He said bluntly, completed unfazed.

She whipped her head back to him in surprise. "…How-?"

"You said so in your medical history."

Opening and closing her mouth a couple of times, she inwardly kicked herself for not remembering that. "Well, that's why it came as such a surprise…"

Blinking at her neutrally for a moment, Law decided to indulge her obvious lie a little further. "Then why did you come out here alone without telling anyone where you were going?"

"The guys are all tired – or drunk. I didn't wanna tell them what I needed 'cause…well, ya know and I didn't wanna drag them or you out with me for something so silly."

"And you were in such a hurry that you 'forgot' to wear a coat?" He asked dryly, looking her over.

"…I gu-"

"Cut the crap, Nayla." He pulled her in more closely, tightening his fist around the handful of fabric he was crushing in it before he spoke in a dangerously low and calm tone. One she hadn't heard since the day he'd stormed up from the cockpit. "What were you going to do to my crew?"

Eyes widening as she realised the main source of his anger she quickly held her hands up to placate him. "I wouldn't have hurt them – you know that!"

"You were going for your weapons. You were going to break my safe, they were going to hear it and come running and they would have attempted to stop you. So I'm going to ask you again Nayla, what were you going to do to my crew?"

Biting her lips she suddenly felt overrun with a wild variety of emotions. Panic was prominent, she was panicking about what he would do or say if she lied or told the truth. Guilt was there too, she really didn't want to resort to anything he was forcing her to have to resort to. There was a lot of anger as well, he had no right to be talking to her as though she were the bad guy or doing something wrong, she was the victim here.

Finally deciding to just answer honestly, Nayla lowered her hands back down to her sides. "I'd have tried to get past them but would have knocked them out if I needed to."

Feeling his malice palpably spike at her words and the grip on her clothing tighten even further, she watched his face intently before glancing nervously at the other hand holding his weapon. All too aware that he hadn't released his 'Room' yet, she waited patiently for his attack, using the time to try to recall what she'd seen and learnt about his ability so far and wondering what her chances were if she had to defend herself unarmed...They weren't good.

Despite what Kotta had implied, she wasn't as ungrateful to his captain as he seemed to think she was. She really didn't want to have a physical confrontation with Law, not only because she owed him her life but because she sincerely didn't want to be on the wrong end of this man's nodachi. Even with the extra knowledge and observation time she'd gained this week, she still had no idea how to go about defeating a man with his kind of power with her own skill set. How was she supposed to land a hit on an opponent that could teleport her or himself at will with the flick of a finger…She didn't have a projectile attack that could reach him from outside the edge of his 'Room' – not that he wouldn't be able to counter it as soon as it entered or that she had the speed to outrun or escape its boundaries to launch one in the first place. 'Apparently,' she thought bitterly, kicking herself for not giving more thought to how she would go about fighting him if she needed to.

Adjusting his nodachi in his other hand, Law raised his brows as Nayla flinched, his eyes drawn down to the hand that had reflexively flexed near the hip she used to carry her weapons on and sensing a familiar, growing, ominous aura as he held her.

To his surprise, he realised that she thought he was going to attack her. Same as in his brig. It had been a while since she'd felt a remotely genuine sense of fear of him…and he was even more surprised to find he took absolutely no sadistic pleasure in it. If anything, the opposite. The realisation seemed to rapidly drain all the anger out of him.

Allowing his 'Room' to fade, Law released her with a sigh, watching her stumble slightly as she took her full weight on her own feet again before turning back the way he'd come and beginning to walk.

"…What are-?"

"Let's go."

Blinking at his back a few times in shock, Nayla looked back down the street in the direction of the harbour before hesitantly moving to follow him as he, presumably, headed towards the inn.

It wasn't as if he could blame her for her actions. If it had been him in this situation, he would probably have done the same, if not a lot worse and a lot more frequently. Truth be told, she'd been relatively good-natured about the whole thing and was trying to go about running off in the least aggressive, harmful way she could manage. She'd had plenty of opportunities to simply try using force to get herself out of this and she hadn't.

Trailing behind him unsurely and still keeping a relatively safe distance – at least one long arm's length away, Nayla looked at him suspiciously. "…That's it?"

Turning his head slightly, Law glanced at her over his shoulder from the corner of his eyes. "Would you prefer the response you were apparently expecting?"

"Well no, of course not…Just…"

"It's amazing that in all this time, you haven't already realised that I'm not going to hurt you. You are a lot stupider than I gave you credit for." He muttered, looking away dismissively.

"Wh-you! That's so rude!"

Feeling something in his chest ease a little at the sound of her feisty temper starting to ignite, Law glanced at her as she trotted to catch up to his side. "You can reassure a perfect stranger that she's safe with me, yet you don't feel that way despite still being 'alive' after 'irritating the absolute fuck out of me all week?'"

"…Wow, she told you I said that?" Nayla muttered, as he spared her a small, amused smile.

Falling into silence, she sighed and looked around at the deserted street as they made their way back, only now noticing how large and full the moon seemed and watching the hazy, glowy-looking flakes of snow as they superimposed the streetlights in their descent, illuminated surreally transparent as they fell.

It was a cold but beautiful night. The gentle humming of the lighting was now unheard beneath the sound of their footsteps cruelly crushing the freshly fallen ice. Counting two of her footsteps to each of his, she glanced down at his long legs as he strode with ease to her double-time as she tried to keep up with him.

She was starting to regret not sticking to her original idea of waiting until she was on Kattou to see what her options of slipping away after her job looked like. She'd gotten greedy, saw an opportunity to escape with her stuff, tried taking it and got caught. It was fortunate that Law was…well actually fairly merciful…to her anyway...Despite being an incredibly annoying bastard sometimes…most of the time.

Beginning to register how quickly he'd realised she was gone, Nayla started wondering how. Had someone on the crew seen her make a run for it and went to get him? Or had they just noticed she was gone for a little while longer than expected? She really hadn't been away that long at all.

The crew were all tired and tipsy and Law was - or at least should have been preoccupied upstairs. It had seemed like a great time to get away unnoticed, so what had gone wrong?... And more annoyingly, why did she feel just a little, tiny, teeny-weeny bit relieved that he had caught her? It almost felt like an excuse to stay.

Side-glancing at him with a mild scowl and still trying to piece together how he'd found out she'd left, she began feeling less inquisitive about it, less shocked at her rapid recapture, less grateful he hadn't beaten her into a bloody pulp and a lot more agitated about being caught in general.

As if reading her thoughts without looking at her, the start of a small smirk tugged at his lips. "What's the matter, Nayla-ya?"

Feeling her frown deepen at the smug edge to his tone and his obvious sense of triumph, she turned her gaze back to the street ahead, feeling the urge to be snarky. "Oh, nothing. Just thinking about how and why you were out here fast enough to have caught me. I really didn't think it of you."

Seeing him turn to her in confusion in her peripheral vision, Nayla absent-mindedly looked away from him at the line of trees planted along the sidewalk on her other side, the ones that she had found herself questioning the aesthetic use of the other day. The small, black gating at the bottom of their trunks now deeply buried under the snow.

"…Didn't think what of me?"

"Well, how to put it delicately..." She lifted a finger to her pursed lips in feigned thought as she admired the night sky. "All the stuff that's gone on between us this week, all that cockiness, all that teasing and sword length innuendo and you took that woman to bed what, less than ten minutes ago?"

Chancing a glance back at him, she saw the smirk had been wiped off his face, replaced with a carefully neutral expression but an obviously clenched jaw. "What are you trying to say, Nayla-ya?"

Looking away, she struggled to hide the smile that wanted to spread across her face. "After all that talk, I just didn't figure you to be a one minute man. That's kinda disappointing, thought you'd at leas-" Nayla barely had time to register why the nearest snowbank was coming up to meet her face before she landed in it.

Sitting up with a splutter, she whipped her head back around to find Law going on ahead at his own pace entirely calmly, not sparing her a glance, as if he hadn't just shoved her into the snow.

"Hey!" Remaining faced forward, he paid no attention to her; sliding the hand he'd just pushed her with back into his pocket nonchalantly as he carried on walking.

Growling a little under her breath, Nayla stood, brushing off the excess snow from her clothing before stomping angrily to catch up with him. "Don't ignore me!"

"Annoying, isn't it?" He drawled lazily, the satisfied smirk on his face audible.

Gritting her teeth, she ran the rest of the way, adamant to return the favour and make sure that at least just this once; he wouldn't be getting the last laugh at her expense.

Hearing her rapid approach, Law grinned a little wider, turning slightly to watch as she neared him. Predicting her intention he side-stepped her calmly at the last possible moment, looking forward to watching her plough herself face first into the snowbank behind him.

To his surprise she matched his movement, neatly side-stepped in the same direction and used her full weight to knock him off his feet and into the snow, the freshly laid powder flying up in an icy puff as they landed.

"Nayla!"

"Wow, I didn't think that'd work! Lucky guess that you'd dodge to the right again." She laughed, pushing the brim of his hat back up slightly where it had been knocked forward by him landing on his back. The action fully revealing his annoyed glare, his silent scowl only making her laugh harder. "What? You didn't think I'd fall for you side-stepping me twice, did you?"

Relaxing his brows a bit as he realised she was referring to how he'd avoided her by moving to his right when she'd been hurtled towards Eustass outside the auction house, he couldn't help but be just a tiny bit impressed that she'd remembered such a small detail from what suddenly seemed like so long ago.

Sighing at her rekindled laughter, he watched her sit up - obviously pleased with herself for managing to catch him off guard. That stupid giggle or hers. That stupid, annoying, mischievous giggle of hers. Someone on the crew had compared the innocent-sounding melody of her laughter to what they thought an angel's might sound like earlier this week…They obviously couldn't hear the subtle, naughty undertone of it. To him, sure, it sounded like the laughter of an angel…one that had just stuck a thumbtack on god's chair.

Propping himself up on his elbows, Law only then realised that his hands were on her thighs…that were on either side of him. She was straddling him, hands on his chest, though she hadn't seemed to have noticed their position.

Ignoring the slight twinge of whatever it was he felt about that, Law looked back up at her as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, her giggles finally beginning to subside. There was something oddly picturesque about her in that fleeting moment that seemed to last longer than it should. The way the streetlight across the road behind her illuminated the edges of her fine hair in a soft, halo-like glow, the soft chimes of joy in her voice - her warmth both audible and physically felt, the sweet, pink tinge the cold had caused to blossom on her cheeks, the amused smile she gave him and the laughter in her gaze as she sat atop him, all of it framed so perfectly by the most delicate flutters of snowflakes as they fell…The sight of her in that moment made his breath catch unexpectedly in his throat.

Sensing his quiet and stilled movement, Nayla began wondering if maybe she'd pushed him too far. "Hey, are you ok? I didn't make you hit your head or anything, did I?" Reaching a concerned hand to the back of his scalp, she ran it soothingly over his hair, examining his face for any signs that she'd inadvertently hurt him…or that she'd pissed him off to such an extent that she should probably begin running, but instead found her heart flutter rapidly, without warning, when she locked gazes with him.

His expression was soft, far too soft considering she'd just tackled him to the floor. He should be angry, annoyed...She couldn't understand this soft, worryingly unguarded expression; she'd not seen it on him before.

Law sat up slowly, the action causing her to slide a little further down from his stomach to straddle his hips instead and his hands to glide up her legs naturally in his movement, bringing her attention to where they were in the first place.

Swallowing thickly as he searched her eyes, she suddenly became anxious about what he might be seeing in them and averted her gaze, trying to still her heart, surprised to find her breathing had gotten so rapid and wondering what had suddenly gotten into him.

Feeling his hand rest gently on her cheek, she hesitantly looked back at him, finding he was gazing intently at her lips. She clenched the fabric of his coat over his chest, her fingers finding their way between the thick, black strands of his hair as he began leaning in to her.

The empty street, the beautiful night sky overhead, the snowy scenery. Just the two of them. It was all so surreally soft, tender and perfect. A gentle, romantic kiss on a cold winter's night. Or at least, it would have been.

Law lifted his eyes back up to hers as he felt her hand over his approaching lips, no more than an inch from her own. Strangely, he didn't seem surprised that she'd stopped him. Sitting there silently for a moment, Nayla finally answered his questioning gaze as she moved her hand away.

"…You know…red may not be your colour…" She pulled her sleeve up over her wrist, before placing the fabric over his lips. "…but pink looks even worse."

Wiping away the small, subtle smudges of the other woman's lipstick that had made it onto his skin, Nayla avoided his gaze, though she could still feel it boring into her own from such a close proximity.

Sighing softly as she rubbed the last, faint, stubborn stain from the corner of his mouth, she found herself feeling sorely disappointed. Law reeked of her too; his scent that she usually secretly enjoyed from this close was completely overshadowed by that other woman's.

Realising his hat was slightly loose and askew, she pulled the fur down more firmly, adjusting it as she examined him, his expression unreadable now, though his hand still lingered on her cheek.

Offering a small smile (apologetic or sad she wasn't sure - hopefully neither), Nayla got up; immediately missing the warmth of his skin on hers as his hand slipped from her as she stood.

Dusting her knees off, she was thankful the snow was so dry and powdery or her tights would have been completely soaked through by now. Chancing a look back at Law, she found him still staring at her silently, she wasn't sure if he were in deep thought or simply assessing her, it was difficult to tell sometimes.

Sighing again and forcing her smile wider, she leant down and reached a hand to him in offering, seeming to break his reverie as it entered his vision. "Come on."

Snapping his eyes back up to hers, he hesitated for a moment before holding it gently, picking up his nodachi with his other hand as he made to stand.

Glancing up the road, she tried to work out how far they were from their destination now. "You know, if we're fast enough, maybe we'll get back to the inn in time for you to still be able to catch your lady frien-ommph!"

Unable to believe he'd had the nerve to tug her hand sharply and pull her to the ground as he stood, she looked back up at him in fury as he began walking away, pissed off that she'd even remotely considered it a pity – a pity! That she couldn't find it in her to kiss him and that she had to keep learning the hard way that he always made her regret any desires she had for him nearly instantaneously.

"LAW!"

"Residents are sleeping. Be more considerate and keep your voice down, Nayla-ya."

"You-! God, just-What is wro-You know what? Fuck you. Just…Just fuck you." She seethed in exasperation, getting up again and ruffling the flakes of snow from her clothing, her annoyance only cemented when she heard a low chuckle in response.

Huffing she trotted to catch up to him, uncertain if she should find relief or upset in how rapidly he'd dissolved their tender truce. Maybe it had been his intention, out of discomfort or maybe a slightly vindictive act for her rejection or maybe just a childish vent of his frustration with himself or her. Narrowing her eyes at him as she caught up, she tried working out which of the three it was before deciding she didn't care because any of the above made him an ass and falling into an infuriated silence as they walked.

"You know Nayla-ya, for someone who's accused me of being jealous so frequently, I find your choice of timing for an escape attempt interesting." He provoked with a sly glance her way.

Rolling her eyes, she scoffed in offence. "It had nothing to do with that. I was just picking a time that you should have been busy."

Humming in obvious disbelief, he glanced noticeably at the sleeve she'd used to remove the other woman's lipstick. "So you're not even in the slightest bit jealous?" He teased quietly, chuckling when she said nothing but tutted and pursed her lips stubbornly.

"A little." Not expecting that response, Law raised his brows in surprise, turning his head to look at her fully. "…Don't get me wrong, I'm just jealous that she got to meet you the way that she did…I wish we could have met like that…Just two strangers in a bar, pleasant conversation, getting to know each other a little better…Things could have been a lot different, we could have gotten along really well, maybe even been friends, ya know? Isn't it a shame?"

Glancing down at her arms as she crossed them, rubbing herself a little warmer through her sleeves, he looked away. "…No, it's not. We would never have been friends."

Feeling her jaw slack a little at his coldness, she suddenly wondered why she'd even remotely expected a different answer, regretting opening her mouth at all. Looking away with an annoyed huff, she ignored him and the distinct rustle of fabric as she felt him move a little closer to her side.

Feeling a heavy warmth on her shoulders she looked up in surprise to find Law draping his coat over them with a chuckle and amused gaze. "If we'd met in a bar and things had gone the same way as they had with Stravia-ya, chances are I wouldn't have bothered speaking to you again afterwards. We would never have been friends. So no Nayla, aside from the injury you suffered, it's not a shame that we met the way that we did." He clarified quietly, pulling the material closed around her chest.

Stunned as she numbly grasped the open ends of his jacket to hold them in place, she stared up at him as they walked before breaking out into a huge smile, unsettling him immediately.

"…What's with that look?" He asked unsurely.

"You want be friends with me."

"…That isn't what I said." He denied firmly, frowning at her growing grin.

"Yeah, it is." She teased.

"It isn't Nayla, don't just hear what you want to hear-hey!" Stiffening immediately as she wrapped her arms around his, his expression quickly morphed from surprise to agitation as he attempted to slip out of her grasp. "Let go of my arm."

"Sure."

Quickly lifting his arm up and out of her hold he began breathing a sigh of relief – which was abruptly cut off as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist instead, nuzzling her face to his side happily.

"…What are you doing?" Law asked in exasperation, arm still raised, unsure of how to deal with her sudden, physical expression of affection.

"Helping to keep you warm until we get back to the inn, seeing as you were kind enough to give me your coat." She purred against him, closing her eyes.

"Nayla…" Sighing, he looked down at her, contemplating her next impromptu trip into a pile of snow, but paused as he took in her happy smile and the cheek pressed firmly to his chest.

"Hmm?" She waited patiently for him to continue, enjoying the feel of his warm muscles as he took a deep inhale and exhale, letting another long, frustrated sigh escape him as he closed his eyes tiredly. He knew that 'cute' look up was a gimmick of hers, a well practiced gimmick, it was obvious by the amusement in her eyes…So why was it still working?

"…You're too short for my coat. Hold the hem up so that you don't scuff the bottom as you walk." He muttered, lowering his arm back down to rest around her shoulders.

Giggling quietly, she did as she was told, removing one hand to hoist up the fabric around her legs, trapping the excess between their sides as she resumed her hold on him. "Who knew the infamous 'Surgeon of Death' could be such a sweet gentleman and lend a lady his coat?"

"Don't push your luck." He grumbled, lifting the hand he'd rest to her shoulder to pinch her cheek in warning, only causing another quiet giggle as she nuzzled into his side more comfortably as they made their way back to the inn.


"Oh good, you guys are back…Wait, you went out without a coat on, lil lady?" Jeff asked, getting up from the table as he saw the two re-enter the inn, bringing Connor and Bepo's attention to their arrival as they turned to look towards the doorway too.

"Yeah, silly me. Didn't think I'd be out there that long, colder than it looks." Nayla offered light-heartedly, brushing off some of the snow from atop the shoulders of Law's coat as she wiped her boots onto the welcome mat.

"Is the cat ok?" Bepo asked innocently as Connor eyed the jacket on her, looking between the two suspiciously.

"Uh…well…" She glanced up at Law unsurely as he pushed his hands into his pockets, watching her as she tried to find a way to word her escapade. Truth be told, she'd been so busy putting off processing the moment she'd so strongly wanted to kiss their captain and enjoying the physical contact with him on their way back that she hadn't even given a thought to what she'd say to them when she arrived.

"It's fine." Law intervened blandly, walking towards the staircase and ignoring her shocked expression as he glanced back at her over his shoulder. "We're heading to bed now as we have things to do in the morning."

Watching the men at the table exchange questioning expressions amongst themselves before looking back at her, Nayla snapped out of her surprise, shrugging and smiling apologetically at them before taking Law's unsubtle hint to follow him.

"…Think they mean separate beds?" Connor asked Jeff with a grin, speaking in a fake-hushed tone.

"Dunno, think the blonde is still up there in Cap's though. Had no idea our lil lady was so kinky, who'd a thought she was into threes-Hey!"

"OI!"

Pulling Jeff's hat down hard with one hand and yanking Connor's ponytail back roughly with her other as she passed; she otherwise ignored their teasing and their protests. "Goodnight Bepo."

"Goodnight."

Smiling over her shoulder at them as Jeff pulled the brim of his hat off of his eyes and Connor rubbed the back of his head tenderly, Nayla carefully lifted the hem of the long coat and trotted up the stairs to catch up to Law. "You aren't going to tell them I was trying to escape?" She asked quietly as she met him halfway.

"No."

"…Wouldn't it be wise to so that they keep a better eye on me from now on?"

"It doesn't matter as you won't be leaving my sight but I'll still make my orders regarding you clearer to them tomorrow. As of now, telling them that you were so able to leave them on a whim without so much as a word of goodbye or a second thought would probably serve no purpose other than to hurt their feelings."

Hearing no reply from her as he reached the landing, Law turned around, catching the look of guilt on her face as she began following him down the corridor, eyes on the carpeting under her feet as they made their way back to their rooms.

"…Is feeding stray animals part of your attempts at good karma?"

Relieved to hear her laugh at that, he smiled a little, side-glancing at her as she fell into step beside him. "No, I just like animals. I uh…"

Following her gaze to the end of the hall ahead of them, they watched as Stravia made her way out of his room, closing the door harshly in a huff and pulling on her jacket. She stopped momentarily in surprise as she turned and spotted them before shrugging it on fully. Glancing between them, the coat Nayla was wearing and piecing together where Law had gone, she bit the inside of her cheek as she began strutting towards them, head held high.

Nayla stepped aside to give her space to walk by in the cramped corridor, though it didn't matter, the blonde glared at her viciously as she shoved past roughly on her way to the staircase behind them.

Watching her descend out of sight in silence, Nayla turned back to Law, rubbing the arm Stravia had harshly jostled. "…I 'think' she might be mad at you."

"Not me." Law looked at her shoulder pointedly, before glancing back down the stairs.

"Aren't you gonna go after her?"

"No. I've lost interest." He replied levelly as he turned and resumed walking down the hallway.

"…Sorry about that." Nayla muttered, following him as they began making their way to their rooms.

"Are you?"

"Yes, of course I am." She snapped back, offended at his cynical tone.

"…Are you?" Law pressed levelly, narrowing his eyes at her.

Feeling a small smile threatening to break out as they reached their doors, she bit her lip slightly to stop it. "I am…Not as much as I should be but yes, I promise I am."

Pulling the neck of her sweater forward, she reached her hand down it, bringing Law's attention to the necklace and the dagger that she had apparently begun wearing again as she tugged out the small key trapped between it and her cleavage.

"…Really, Nayla-ya?"

"Yes, really. Don't go all Kotta on me." She scoffed, unlocking her door and stepping over the threshold into her bedroom as she began peeling his coat off of her shoulders.

"Do you just keep everything in there?" He muttered, taking it back as she held it out for him.

"Wouldn't you like to know." She teased, smiling slyly at him as she rest a hand to the door, beginning to push it shut slightly between them.

"And if I do?"

Looking up at the hand he had placed on the wood to hold it open, she felt the familiar, and now much more comfortable by comparison, sexual tension spark between them. His teasing words spoken in his smooth tone, his playful smirk and the edge of desire in his gaze, though the latter was a little more intense than she was used to. "It wasn't an invitation and don't look at me like that." She muttered, knocking his hand off of the door.

"Like what, Nayla?"

"Like that, like you want to eat me." Wondering why his brows suddenly rose to the brim of his hat, she realised what she'd said when a dirty, lopsided grin, wider than his last made an appearance.

Deciding not to give him the chance to capitalise on her poor choice of words with some sarcastic, inappropriate comment, she pushed him back gently with a hand to the chest, wondering when he'd crossed her threshold to begin with. "I'm not your replacement for the night. Get out." She said dryly, slamming her door shut in his face.

Reluctantly smiling a little to herself as she heard him chuckle on the other side of the wood, she listened to him unlock his door and enter his bedroom beside her own.


Nayla found herself completely unable to sleep, tossing and turning in bed and trying to sort through her thoughts.

She should have waited until Kattou. That was one thing. It might still be a possibility but it would be a definite give up of all her worldly possessions, she'd only have her small duffel bag of things. That meant she'd have no cash, few clothes and wouldn't be able to work any large jobs like wars without replacing her weapons first. She'd have to travel back pretty far to get new ones made…though if she had to do that then at least she'd get to see some friendly faces again…

'Boring stuff. Let's address Law.'

Speaking of the devil, he was going to be watching her ten times more closely than before now that he'd caught her trying to make a run for it…Maybe the better option would be to let this blow over, behave, earn some trust back and then try again? It was an appealing option that could yield another chance to leave with her things and in the meantime she'd get to spend more time with hi–them, the crew in general.

'Also gives you plenty more opportunities to have him for yourself before you give him up so easily for other women to sink her claws in. - …Could you at least try to sound a little bit less crazy-chick-jealous? – No. It is what it is. I want him. - … - I'm only saying what you're thinking. - …How are you even saying anything? You're just brain tissue. Loud, annoying, disobedient brain tissue.'

If she waited until at least the next mercenary job came along, then he'd have to return her weapons so that she could work so maybe running off during or straight after that job would be the most sensible option? It sounded like a good idea…She wouldn't rule out slipping away on Kattou tomorrow though, she'd have to see how things looked when she got there. Another attempt to escape so soon would piss him the hell off if he caught her again but it didn't really seem as though he would hurt her…

'He almost looked disappointed that you thought he was gonna. – Yeah well, nodachi to the scalp. – That look on his face when he stopped being mad at you and walked off was really cute... – Law and 'cute' are not words that sound verycompatible really. – Aww come on, admit how cute he looked when he gave up and let you cuddle up to him on the way back. All tired and exasperated with you. - …Alright well, that was kinda cute. – Let's talk about that whole cuddling and near-kiss thing by the way. – Let's not…I wonder if I could get Law to re-op and remove you if I injure you badly enough.'

Nayla found herself wondering how much of Law's reasoning for not telling his crew about her escape attempt was true, sure that his motive was, at least in part, an attempt to use her attachment to them to guilt her into behaving. As much as she didn't want to upset them, she was fairly certain she wasn't all that important to them overall. Yes, she'd consider the vast majority of them her friends, 'Fuck you, Kotta,' but they'd only known each other three weeks, they'd get over it. They were such kind-hearted souls that it honestly made her wonder how they'd all ended up as 'villainous' pirates in the first place. In fact she was confident that they were such nice guys that she was sure they'd forgive her and be pretty understanding of it if she did manage to run off, maybe even be secretly glad that she'd managed to do it, even if they weren't happy about it on a personal level. So no, her guilt at possibly temporarily upsetting them with her abrupt absence wouldn't be enough to keep her there.

No matter how many times she tried to steer her brain back to the more pressing and important matter of her freedom, it kept constantly insisting on addressing things she really didn't want it to. Especially acknowledging anything that had gone on between Law and herself that night, it was only complicating her already torn feelings about sticking around or leaving.

There was absolutely, positively, one hundred percent no doubt that leaving was the better thing for her to do. Staying with a dangerous pirate on dangerous seas doing dangerous things, making dangerous enemies and provoking dangerous emotions that would inevitably end badly was not the sensible thing to do.

Getting loose, going back to doing what she pleased, when she pleased, enjoying her travelling and doing jobs that at least (in her mind) made the world a slightly better place - even if it were done in such an ugly way, was what she was content to do in life. For now. At least until something more appealing came along that gave her more direction or new goals.

'Oh you want something more appealing to do? Yeah, hi, Law. - Yes yes, I hear you. I'll get your dirty needs met soon so that you can think straight and stop pestering me, just be patient.'

The…'thing' with Law was starting to not just be about attraction and it was beginning to get worrying. Nayla wasn't stupid…all the time. At least not so stupid that she didn't realise what that alarming heart flutter when he'd looked at her like that in the snow meant. At least not so stupid that she didn't realise that she shouldn't have felt that much elation in her chest over such a minor and subtle slip of the tongue from him about being glad they had an opportunity to be friends...She'd hadn't been feeling much more than a tool and plaything for his amusement up until now, Law even mildly suggesting that he'd like otherwise shouldn't have made her anywhere near as happy as it did.

She'd already acknowledged she was coming to like that guy. It was one of the main reasons she was trying to leave in the first place - before she got too attached, because she was gonna…the longer she stuck around the worse it'd get. 'Tease him about having a crush and I end up with one,' she sighed at the irony, turning onto her other side.

It was difficult to admit it, she wasn't proud of it, but honestly couldn't help it…He was handsome…funny - in a twisted way…motivated, smart, capable of devotion and dedication – though that was more to his goal and his crew, not women. Pirates weren't exactly famous for monogamy or settling down…Not that she wanted either of those things from him…and god, was he sexy…painfully sexy…

He'd completely thrown her though. That look when he'd leant in to kiss her was so entirely different to any expression she'd seen from him before. Neutrality, anger, amusement, lust – that raw, clearly sexually-centred look of his, all of those had been so easy to understand…Earlier wasn't clear at all. She couldn't make sense of that new expression that had seemed to have come out of nowhere and honestly, whatever plausible explanation her brain offered her for it frightened her a little bit. It wasn't like him at all. What on Earth had he been thinking of to have looked at her like that…

Growling in frustration when trying to rest on her other side didn't seem to be any more relaxing, Nayla whipped the covers off of her legs, feeling hot, bothered, annoyed and tired. Running a hand through her hair she wandered over to the window, idly kicking aside her boots to rest against the bedside cabinet more fully as she went and eyeing the envelope that she'd set, admittedly carelessly, atop it.

Pressing a hand to the cool glass, she looked out at the street below. It was still snowing; the footprints Law and her had left together were long gone under the fresh layers. Frowning at how suggestible and ready her mind was to return to thoughts of the man, she looked away from the road, directly down instead to the small, enclosed, concrete courtyard surrounding the inn. The room didn't have the nicest view; her window was on the side of the building, a narrow strip of concrete between it and the property's enclosing brick wall.

Looking around the dumpster that was stored within its confines below, she wondered if the cat that she'd seen there earlier had managed to find somewhere safe and warm to curl up tonight. 'It's a winter island, the poor thing must be used to the snow by now and have a place in mind to go,' she reassured herself.

Unable to see the small creature, she contemplated the dumpster itself. It was directly below her window and they were only on the first floor…A spark of hope and adrenaline ran through her then, she wondered if she could land quietly enough on top of its closed lid now that it had a fair layer of snow on it. Could she make another break for it? There was no way Law would expect her to make two runs on the same night and so soon after being caught, maybe she could do it. Plus she hadn't heard any noise coming from his bedroom at all for hours…

'You should go pay him a visit. – …It's the middle of the night. – Yes, that would be the point. Hint, hint. – Um, no. He had another woman in his bed a few hours ago. That's fucking gross. – Nah, he probably didn't get very far with her, he was out chasing you within minutes. – I don't care, he definitely has a mouthful of Stravia-spit and I don't feel like sharing. – …Ya know, he's probably horny as hell. – …And? – I'm just saying, cockblocked two days in a row? That has to be rough…Last one was kinda your fault. – No one forced him to run after me, shut up and lemme gauge this drop. - I think before you go jumping out of windows that you should go to his room, do the right thing and take responsibility for it. Help the guy out. - …Help me with this or shut up and stop distracting me. - Come onnn, go be a helpful, responsible person. – Shut. The fuck. Up.'

Deciding she couldn't quite tell how much cushioning snow was on the dumpster and how noisy the landing would or wouldn't be, Nayla bit her lip and slid her window up as gently and quietly as she could manage. Poking her head out, she looking down in the darkness to assess the possibility a little better before deciding it didn't look bad at all and to go get dressed.

Startled by the thin, blue film that rapidly washed over her, she turned her head in the direction of Law's bedroom window beside hers, but he wasn't at it and his lights were off. He must have been awake in bed and heard her window.

When nothing else happened, she growled in annoyance at the non-verbal warning and found herself wondering why he was still up and if he really could read her thoughts. "I was just getting some fresh air, geez!"

Sighing loudly when he didn't release his 'Room,' she pulled her head back inside and slammed the window shut harshly, watching as it finally dissipated before stomping back to her bed and scratching that idea, for now.


The bedrooms at this inn were plain but pleasant enough; she'd already made that observation plenty of times since arriving. Plenty of times that morning in fact, but found herself glancing around the room at the slightly bland, though well kept, décor in boredom and in attempts to keep her thoughts from wandering into places she didn't want them to wander into.

Hearing the characteristic wobble of Polaroid plastic as it swished through air, Nayla watched Law toss the photos in his hand back to the surface of her bed before returning her gaze to the window and leaning back against her pillow.

The inn in general wasn't a bad place at all really, she'd expected it to be a little worse, a little rougher but it was welcoming, of fair quality and the employees didn't seem too fazed by the presence of an infamous pirate crew. Not unlike Baez's inn back on Sabaody. Though she got the distinct impression the bartender was no longer a fan of hers and it was a shame they didn't have hairdryers, that had been a misguided assumption on her part.

Listening to Law rifle through the papers that had come out of her job's manila envelope for the hundredth time, she wondered what it was exactly that he expected to find going through them this time as opposed to the other ninety-nine that he had checked them. She'd asked but apparently even he didn't know exactly what he was looking for, he'd know if something were useful if he saw it.

Watching the gentle flurries of snow gliding past the glass, Nayla pushed her thoughts off of him and onto contemplating what she'd be getting for breakfast instead. The food at the inn was pretty decent too, so other than shopping, her job or to play in the snow – which she was hoping she'd get to do at some point, there was little reason to need to leave the place. Jake had urged her to try the restaurant he and some of the others had been to for lunch yesterday, apparently already set to try adding a new dish to the sub's menu rota based on what he'd eaten there. She'd take his recommendation on trying the place…if Law would allow her to go or at least agree to going there with her himself. She was pretty much on lockdown, he'd made that clear and it was looking doubtful that she'd have any independent roaming distance from him anytime soon.

Looking at the man sitting on the foot of her bed as he sipped his coffee in one hand and read through the floor plan of the senator's home in his other once more, he spoke up as he felt her gaze on him.

"What is it, Nayla-ya?"

"Nothing." She sighed out, removing her warming fingers from resting over the opening of her mug to have a sip of her own drink.

Law had woken her up early again but at least he'd been thoughtful enough to bring her something to drink, pleasantly surprising her when she found that he knew she preferred tea to coffee and how she liked it…He'd never brought her one on the sub or even been around when she'd made one for herself. It left her wondering how he'd known…Though they'd lived together for a week and him being as annoyingly observant as he was was probably sufficient enough of an explanation she figured.

Resuming his silent perusal of her paperwork, he set his mug down onto his thigh. He was perched on the end of her bed, one leg tucked beneath him, the other planted on the floor. She'd have argued the point of him wearing his boots on her bedding but he'd done the same yesterday morning and simply didn't have the energy to do it. She'd barely slept last night and by the looks of his bags and the fact he'd been wide awake when she'd opened her window so late last night meant that he probably hadn't slept too well either.

Glancing at the profile photo of the elderly man she'd be meeting tomorrow lay strewn on her lap; she took a sip of her tea. Vibrant brown eyes, grey hair that didn't detract from the man's rugged appearance, a strong jaw line, a decent physical build – remnant of his days as a naval officer and a politician's polished smile. He'd have been a very handsome man in his prime.

There was nothing unusual about the information Marty had sent to her. He always took in as many details from the client as possible to make sure people like her had everything they needed to make their jobs as quick, easy and safe as possible. It was the client's responsibility to provide what he requested and everything in this envelope was the standard information that he demanded for a kill before accepting to pass the work on to someone.

A photo of the target, their risk assessment to her, the layout of the location – nothing a trip to any city hall with public blueprints for its properties wouldn't fetch anyone, the target's routine and any other miscellaneous details they could offer. The amount of the latter made it obvious that someone on the inside of the senator's mansion was also on Joker's payroll, the blueprint of each floor of the mansion had been annotated in detail with all the surveillance Den Den Mushi and guard locations – even their patrol routes, handover times, weapons and levels of combat training. It was above and beyond what the client was expected to know and hand over to them.

The reason for why there had been a change from the original plan Joker had wanted - to make this man's death simply look like a hooker he'd brought back had tried to rob him and things had gone south, to this new plan had become apparent when she'd opened the envelope.

Glancing at the stack of photos Law had tossed back onto the covers, Nayla gazed across the dozens of candid pictures of the senator entering his mansion with scantily clad women far younger than himself. Instead of the man going out under the scandal of a robbery from a single interaction with one hooker – i.e.: herself, Joker had decided it could be too easily played off as a one-off misjudgement on the senator's part.

This was now supposed to look like blackmail gone wrong. The idea was to make it look like she was blackmailing the man for money or status in exchange for not exposing his long-running indiscretions via these photos, for things to go wrong and for there to be a struggle in which he gets 'accidentally' killed. Then her, playing the scared, greedy young starlet, would panic and run, 'forgetting' these photos on the floor by the body so that they'd get 'accidentally' discovered and exposed anyway…

Joker didn't play around. It wasn't about the hooker idea being too easily PR'd away, it was about petty vengeance. He didn't want to simply damage this ma'sn and his family's reputation; he wanted to absolutely destroy it. He was being made an example of to send a message, loud and clear about what would happen to anyone else that might decide to purposely hinder his business. This was all so far past the point that would have been sufficient enough to meet Joker's needs. What an incredibly vindictive and tasteless man.

The fact that there was clearly someone else around the senator that worked for Joker that she hadn't been directly told about unsettled her too. Nayla wasn't happy with this, at all. Nothing about it. It was setting off her paranoia big time; she had no interest in messing with someone like this. It was downright dangerous…What would Joker do to her if he ever found out she was feeding everything she learnt about him to Law?…This was all his fault.

Lifting his head to look at her then, Law raised a brow at her glare and deep scowl as she looked back at him, seeming to piece together her displeasure with this job overall and the concern on her mind.

"This is only your second job for Joker, you've given him no reason to be antsy about you. You don't have anything to worry about." He reassured, neatening the stack of papers on his thigh.

"Yes I do, I left the last job early and how would you know I don't have anything to worry about?" She snapped irritably.

"As you said, leaving prematurely didn't hinder his objective there and not having to pay you was advantageous to him. If anything, he would have found you storming off amusing, not upsetting." He said neutrally, sliding the papers back into the envelope neatly.

"…You sound like you know an awful lot about this Joker guy."

"I do." He met her eyes squarely as he leant forward and lifted the piece of paper from her lap. "So trust me when I say that for at least this job, you don't have to worry about a threat from Joker…or anyone else there that may be working for him." He muttered, looking at heavily annotated floor plans and stack of photos before picking those up too and returned everything to the envelope.

"And future jobs?"

"…We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."


After Law was satisfied with looking through the information she'd been given, he'd waited patiently for her to pull on her jeans and sweater before escorting her downstairs to breakfast. Nayla was unsure if it were more out of politeness or out of keeping a strict eye on her…More likely the latter. Genuine politeness seemed to elude the man.

Making their way down the stairs in time to catch the last half an hour of offered breakfast options, she looked around the tavern for familiar faces. A few crewmembers already making their way out the door to get on with their day or whatever work they needed to do, a few crewmembers scattered around the tables and booths finishing up their meals and coffees...and a couple of very angry-looking women glaring at her from across the room.

Nayla was surprised to find herself looking at Stravia, looking significantly different to how she had last night in her set of conservative winter clothing, no makeup and thick coat – though the look on her face was still the same. Pissed.

She'd obviously just arrived, apparently here to pick up or check on her more successful friend who had stayed the night here. Illias was bidding farewell to Jake at the doorway, apparently he'd been the one to win the lucky lady over last night, when both women had turned to stare at her vehemently as she made her way down the stairs, causing the chef to look between the women in confusion as to what the palpable animosity was about.

"…Your girlfriend is here to see you." Nayla deadpanned turning to Law as he reached the bottom of the stairs beside her.

Lowering his raised brow at the silent, catty exchange between her and the women across the tavern, he chuckled, deliberately looping his free arm around her shoulders to steer her in the opposite direction, towards the booths. "Don't let it spoil your appetite."

"Don't antagonise her on purpose." Nayla grouched at the action, not sharing in his amusement of the situation.

"Hey! Morning, Nayla-chan." Penguin greeted happily, smiling around his mouthful as he shuffled in a little more, inviting her to sit beside him.

Brightening up too, she smiled at him, already guessing why he and Shachi were wearing such wide grins and in obviously high spirits. "Good morning. Did you two lady killers have a fun night." She teased, sitting down next to him as Law took the seat opposite, beside Shachi.

Penguin cleared his throat a little with a blush whilst Shachi sighed somewhat dreamily through his own. "Maybe."

Laughing at them but more at Law's distinctly sour expression at the reminder of how his night had gone, Nayla took the menu the waitress brought over for her, scanning through the short list of offered breakfast basics and trying to ignore the two sets of holes being burned into her face from the women still at the doorway.

Apparently Stravia had wasted no time in viciously gossiping to her friend about how she'd messed up her night though she tried not to pay it much mind. The woman had every right to be angry really, she'd gone out of her way to make sure she wouldn't be causing Nayla any upset, made efforts to make sure Law was safe (enough) to engage with, had been brave enough to approach him – that took guts in itself and then there she was, just getting down to business with him when he runs off and leaves her hanging at…whatever stage they'd gotten to last night. She didn't really want to know and hadn't really let her mind linger on the thought too long.

Having let the rough and unnecessary shove last night slide, Nayla wasn't all that happy about being bitched about and stared down first thing in the morning as well but frankly, she would be damn pissed too if it were her. She really didn't blame the blonde for being mad; however…She looked up at Law who seemed to be thinking quietly to himself, his menu still untouched on the table.

Nayla hadn't actually done anything to wrong the woman. The opposite, if anything. Stravia was misdirecting anger her way when it should be directed at the man across the table from her.

"Something the matter, Nayla-ya?" He asked, not looking at her but apparently more than able to feel her displeased gaze on him

Leaning forward to speak quietly and not draw the attention of the other two men at the table as they conversed with each other, she set the thick, worn plastic of the menu back down to the wood between them. "You should probably say something to her to smooth things over. She's still trying to murder me with her glare and rage-telepathy."

Pulling his gaze off of her nails that were wrapping gently against the table in her irritation, Law looked at her in mild curiosity. "Like what?"

"I dunno, an apology maybe? For rudely walking out on her like you did."

"Why would that warrant an apology?" He asked blandly, eyes darting to something behind her.

"Because you made her feel like running after me was more important than having sex with her." She muttered quietly before looking over her shoulder at the re-approaching waitress.

"It was." He answered simply, matching her surprised gaze as she turned back to him. "I only apologise for things that I'm actually sorry about."

"Hi, you guys know what you'd like? Kitchen is wrapping up breakfast to start lunch soon."

Watching as Law leant back, draping an arm over the back of the booth casually, Nayla managed to pull her eyes away to look at the waitress. "Uh yeah, just some pancakes please…"

"Coffee."


Lounging lazily on the sofa, Nayla stretched with a yawn, feeling her poor night's sleep, early wake and day of fun out in the cold catching up to her. The few hot chocolate cream liqueurs by the fireplace had settled her comfortably too, the perfect relaxer to the end of a long day and a great way to clear her mind before her job tomorrow.

Setting her naughty pirate book down onto the small coffee table provided for the seating area, she turned to look over the back of her seat, scanning the rest of the tavern to see what the others were up to.

The inn owners had done a good job of using the huge ground floor room to its fullest. A bar to the side, rows of tables throughout the middle, booths along the wall and comfortable, cushy furniture around the large fireplace at the back, near the staircase that lead to the bedrooms above. The fireside seating was mostly used by guests that were staying there though, seeing as it was far enough removed from the more noisy and bustling bar area.

Placing her arms over the back of the sofa and resting her head on them with another small yawn, she noticed the distinct lack of white boilersuits there tonight as opposed to the previous evening. Many of the crew were hitting the town to see what other entertainment options Shibumi's nightlife had to offer.

Seeing as Law was personally watching her from now on, it meant that if he didn't go out then neither did she. It would have been nice to, just to be able to spend time with the boys, but truth be told she was relatively tired. The thought of curling up in a nice warm bed soon would be a welcome evening plan too. She had an early trip tomorrow anyway; the boat she'd booked a place on to take her to Kattou was due to depart at 6am.

Whereas most of the companies offering trips to the neighbouring island had travel times of near enough a full day, the Shibumi Speedline boasted a trip of half that duration, the difference being due to their smaller and more practical vessels. There would be fewer amenities, luxuries and passengers on board. No lounge, amazing dining hall or on-deck sun loungers and the like, just rooms to sleep and wash in and a single area to buy food and drinks. It wouldn't be a glamorous trip but it would do.

Settling her eyes onto Law and watching as he conversed with Bepo, she realised how quiet he'd been today. He had spent the day seemingly relaxing or in thought, probably thinking over whatever it was he thought over so frequently. Maybe trying to fit in whatever information he'd found useful from what he'd read this morning into his plans.

Learning that he, and by proxy – she, wouldn't be going anywhere today, some of the other crewmembers had stuck around during the afternoon to spend time with her when she'd expressed how bored she was going to be. Sulking when they'd declined playing in the snow with her because they'd already done so the previous afternoon; they'd eventually caved and spent the better part of the day outside with her. It hadn't disturbed Law as they'd remained within the inn's concrete courtyard, visible from the windows.

It had been a long time since she'd had fun like that. What had started off as the innocent idea of building a pirate-snowman together had then divided them into two when no one had wanted to build a pirate-snowbear with Bepo. Feeling bad for the apologetic first-mate, she'd decided to side with him and help him build that instead, female of course. Then a collaborative pirate-snowpenguin for fun, just to use Penguins cap on it, then when Jeff had come back from town and examined their masterpieces in progress, he'd decided to 'show them how it's done' and build a snowwoman instead – Nayla decided he was suspiciously far too practiced at moulding snowbreasts.

It hadn't taken long for the men's competitive streaks to surface and a few 'accidental' damages then destructions of each other's works to occur. A few playful snowballs were thrown in retaliation, a few handfuls of snow down boilersuits might have occurred, a few hats may or may not have been stolen, filled to the brim with snow and slammed back onto heads – that had quickly resulted in a few play fights and tackles into banks – not unlike the one she'd given to Law last night though she hadn't let that thought linger too long.

It soon descended into an all out snowball fight which had seen the successful return of team Nayke, though the commotion had caused Law to exit the tavern to investigate what was going on, wholly unimpressed that his crew were behaving like children in plain sight and very loudly. It hardly painted a fearsome pirate crew image and he promptly gave her a look that said he blamed her for encouraging them.

He hadn't stopped them from having their fun though, simply sighed and took a seat on the bench outside. Despite his crewmates' requests, Law declined joining their antics (unsurprisingly), content to watch. Though what had been surprising was Penguin telling her that it was for the best that he didn't join them as Law always beat them mercilessly at it. Going on to tell her about the last time they'd played together and tried secretly teaming up to beat their captain, ambushing him from all sides only to have him summon a 'Room' and pelt them all back in the face with their own snowballs with the flick of a finger for their 'mutiny.'

Recalling Penguin's story, Nayla found herself laughing quietly, imagining the shock on their faces and the smug smirk on Law's after thwarting his crewmembers' strategy to take him out. The thought of him being genuinely playful with them was strangely heart-warming…Realising she had been inadvertently staring and smiling at Law this whole time, Nayla pulled her gaze away before he noticed, not wanting it to be misinterpreted. Especially not after last night…and especially not with Stravia in the bar again.

She and Illias had been at the counter knocking them back all evening. Though Nayla had annoyingly felt the glares on her skin, again, she was doing her best to let it slide because the two women hadn't actually done or said anything to her.

Considering Stravia was dolled up as she'd been the previous night and had been spending more time looking at Law than at her, Nayla could only assume that she was probably there to try her luck with him again. Though this time, to her credit and sense of dignity, she hadn't gotten up to speak to him, seemingly hopeful that he'd take it upon himself to approach her instead. Probably hoping that he'd attempt to reconcile, try for her forgiveness, win her over again or at least show interest in wanting her the way that he had wanted her last night but he had all but flat out ignored her existence so far.

Nayla knew that he knew she was there and that he'd noticed her attention on him but he'd paid her no mind. She wasn't sure what to make of that, maybe he was just too lazy and prideful to bother with 'grovelling' to a woman that seemed to want it from him – and why should he when the other women in the bar were more than willing to throw themselves at him. There were some pretty ones in tonight, all eager to catch his eye and unsubtly checking him out.

Rolling her eyes at the trio of women giggling at a table, she looked around at the other patrons - another unimpressive haul of men in there tonight but she hadn't expected much.

Deciding she may as well finish her drink and head to bed early, Nayla began turning around to pick up and down the last of it when her attention was drawn to the front door as it opened and a warmly wrapped, young man entered.

Leaning forward, he wiped his boots on the welcome mat as he reached up and tugged the black, woollen beanie from his head, ruffling the soft dusting of snowflakes in his blonde hair loose as he looked up, catching her eye accidentally.

Just as he'd done before, he did a double take as he spotted her, his brows lowering as the recognition set in and a warm, though cheeky smile graced his handsome features. The man that she'd seen unloading crates the other day.

Returning the smile whole-heartedly, Nayla lifted a few fingers and waved in greeting at him as he made his way into the tavern, this time returning it.


Author's Note: I might be a bit slower than usual with new chapters for a little while. Looking for a new place to live for early next month so between viewing apartments, packing up my stuff and still needing to work and study, I'll probably have less time to write but will try to keep updates in the 7-10 day range.

'Guest' – Absolutely made my day, thank you for that review!

CanadaDry – I can't even imagine how that must feel like, I'd be so far beyond upset. I'd probably go on a bloody rampage. Glad to hear the last few have been entertaining, thank you for the review!

crazyqueen20 - Lmao, I'm so sorry, this one's for you then!