Xander Brady sat on his captain chair as he agitatedly tapped his fingers against the armrest with his singular arm. Two of his men in black armor knelt in front of him with calm faces as the aura in the room was filled with dread.

"So… you mean to tell me" Xander began to bellow, veins protruding out of his forehead as he tried to contain his anger. "We don't know where she is?"

"We will find her Captain" One of the men calmly replied, seemingly usurped by their captains bloodlust.

"When was the last time she was seen" Xander asked, his fingers increasingly tapping.

"A couple of months ago in Littleroot Sir. She killed our men and hasn't been reported in any of the neighboring towns"

"In none of them?" Xander stopped tapping and thought long and hard. "That's impossible. That would mean she'd be travelling by sea"

"It seems so Sir"

Xander stayed quiet as he felt his shoulder throb. His dismembered arm twanged as he thought of Leila and before anyone could act he had thrown as spear into the knight's chest – making him wheeze and fall onto the floor. The knight who was calmly kneeling beside him seemed to flinch but quickly corrected his gaze back to the floor.

"Please tell me you have more useful information…" Xander sighed and directed his attention towards the last knight. The knight tensed up as he had no more information to give and he wracked his brain to save his own life.

"We have established connections with journalist's sir. If she appears in any city we will be the first to know" The knight replied coolly, masking his fear well. Xander hummed, seemingly pleased.

"And if she doesn't?"

"E-excuse me Sir?" The knight stammered.

"And if she doesn't appear?"

"…" The knight felt chills in his bones as there was no workaround to this situation. "I give you my word Sir – she will be found"

"I'm afraid your word doesn't mean much to me" Xander sighed, rubbing his forehead. "But I'll give you a chance I suppose. What's your name?"

"Tom, Sir"

"Tom – I'm appointing you your own squadron. Don't disappoint me"

Tom, the middle aged knight stood and bowed to his Captain. Somehow, he had left that report with not only his life, but a promotion.

"Find my little girl" Xander commanded as he stood and left the large hall, not giving Tom another choice.

Xander walked into his chambers and dismissed the maids quickly. He tossed his red robe off and tossed his red cap aside also – he dressed like a Russian general in red and black. He walked along the large bedroom that was as long as a corridor and observed the pictures hanging on the wall in delicate black frames. He stopped to observe them one by one.

The first framed photo– a picture from Thriller Bark. Xander was mid 20's and was working with Moria to establish the crew. Absalom was present along with other old members of the crew who got killed along the way. Moria and Xander had a mutual understanding – Xander acted underneath him as his second in command but there was a lot that went on behind the scenes without Moria's knowledge.

The second photo – ten years later than the first photo. Xander was mid 30's, both Perona and Leila stood in front of their captains as teenagers. Perona (aged 18), grinned cutely as she stuck a pose whilst Leila (aged 14), stood in front of Xander. Leila was subtly glaring at the camera, her face dark and emotionless. Xander still had both arms at the time, one of them gripping Leila's shoulder to keep her in place as the other rested on the sword at his belt.

The third photo – A photo of Leila at 6 years old. It was a cute, average photo of a child. She wore a little red dress with her hair styled cutely with two bows – Perona's doing. She was knelt down whilst looking up at the photographer with her usual vibrant golden eyes. Her chubby cheeks puffed out as she looked up at the camera with a lollipop in her hand. Her eyes held an incredible stance of defiance for a 6 year old girl as she clearly didn't appreciate her photo being taken by Perona - who used to be utterly entranced by the young child when they had met. Perona adored the cute chubby cheeks and would often use her as her own dress up doll. Xander couldn't help but linger on the photo and his fingers lightly traced over the frame before he grasped it and threw it against the wall – shattering glass all over the floor.

Xander's eyebrow twitched as he struggled to hold it together and he irritatedly walked over to the broken frame picking out the photo of Leila. He brushed the shards of glass aside as he sat down on the bed, clutching the photo of the young girl.

"Why are you so difficult to keep ahold of…" He murmured.

Heart Pirates Submarine

It was late at night and Leila was getting changed in her room ready for sleep. She still slept in Laws bed but often retired to her own room to shower and get ready. It seemed somewhat awkward to just live in his room, she was unaware if the crew knew about their arrangements or not. Once she was dressed in slightly more attractive pajamas than usual, she made her way into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She was still feeling slightly woozy and her head was utterly confused.

Her conversation with Law had made it clear that she was staying for the time being and foreseeable future but Leila couldn't help but worry at the back of her mind. She still had her concerns with Xander, the fact that the crew still had no idea that this big shot pirate was after her life could pose some problems. And that is disregarding her growing feelings for Law. The two weren't looking for anything serious….they had agreed months prior.

'I wonder…if his feelings have changed since we first met?' She thought to herself hopefully. As she finished brushed her teeth her mind wondered to the ball and Law's promise they would attend.

Leila felt her stomach erupt into excitement at the thought but she stopped as the seriousness of her choice weighed down on her shoulders.

'What does this mean…Am I part of the Heart Pirates now?'

A knock on her bedroom door startled her and she quickly cleaned up before opening it to see Law.

"Hey, I came to check on you" He said quietly. She had her long ebony hair down and wore a satin purple pajama set. Her hair was growing out – by now it almost reached her waist. "I didn't want to rush you but I felt bad going to bed without you"

"Oh, sorry I didn't realise I was taking a long time" She apologized, shutting her door as the two made their way to Law's bedroom. The pair got into bed, almost naturally, and settled as they both stare at the ceiling – slightly awkward.

The bed was warm and snug, making Leila feel an odd sense of comfort but the room was dead quiet. Both of them had so much to say, to ask. They just didn't know how to start.

"Law" Leila spoke quietly into the dark. "Are you asleep?"

All was still for a moment before Law turned to look at her, his handsome face making her heart skip a beat. "I'm not" He spoke softly back to her, their gaze meeting as they shared the same blanket. "Can't you sleep?"

Leila shook her head, averting her eyes from Law's. Now that she had called out to him, she wasn't sure what to say.

"…Do you wanna chat?" Law offered. It wasn't something he usually did, especially when he was tired. But he found himself wanting to stay up if it meant he could spend more time with her. Leila smiled slightly and nodded.

"What made you want to be a doctor?" Leila asked him, bringing the blankets up to her ears so that she was snuggled like a caterpillar. Law smiled at her cuteness and sat back, his arms flexing as they rest behind his head.

"I always thought I'd be a doctor, ever since I was a kid" Law spoke quietly, thinking back to his childhood. "My parents were both doctors – so it was kind of a given"

"…Did they want that of you?"

"I wanted it for myself…" Law spoke honestly. "But when I saw how shitty the world was, it only made me want to do it more"

Leila nodded as she took it in. It was rare he spoke much, especially about himself, so it made Leila enjoy just listening to him.

"My turn" He said confidently as he looked into her golden eyes. He decided to start small in fear she would shut him out. "Why do you want to go to the ball so much?"

"It's not much about it being a 'ball', I don't care if it's formal I just enjoy parties" Leila murmured. "I used to go them a lot, it was a nice escape"

"An escape from what?"

"Hey, it's my turn to ask isn't it?" She smirked at him, narrowingly avoiding the question. Law sent her a slight glare but she ignored it and thought about what to ask him. "How did you get your devil fruit?"

Law stared at her for a minute and before long Leila realized what an invasive question that was. If he had asked her that, she wouldn't know how to respond.

"S-sorry, I wasn't thinking" She whispered embarrassedly. Law tensed at the uncomfortable memories and sighed slightly.

"Someone's sacrifice, that's how" Law murmured darkly. Leila leant up onto her arms as she looked at Law seriously. She didn't expect him to answer her and she felt incredibly guilty. Law looked up into her eyes and seemingly mellowed at the sight of her.

"And yours?" He countered her. Leila felt her anxiety increase dramatically – now that he had answered she couldn't blow him off.

"Can I just say it wasn't my choice…? If it was down to me, I'd never eat one" She whispered into the dark bedroom. She rarely revisited those memories – they only resurfaced in her nightmares.

Law looked at her confused. The Satan Satan no mi was most likely held by a dominant pirate, how could she have been forced to eat that? He assumed that's why she was on the run, because she ate the devil fruit owned by somebody important by accident or unknowing of the impact. But now the thought that she had been forced to eat a devil fruit of that magnitude sent Law spiraling into his own thoughts.

Law observed her sad expression and realized her trauma was creeping into her mind and he rubbed her arm gently, coercing her out of her thoughts.

"Can I ask you one more thing?" Law spoke to her. Leila nodded hesitantly, unsure of what could come. Law asked what had been etching on his mind for the past day. "Leila-ya…are you a royal?"

The question sent shivers down Leila's spine. Law was slowly guessing closer and closer to the truth, being the intelligent man that he was. "N-no, I'm not"

Leila stared into her, feeling like she was lying. Leila stared at him back, suddenly feeling defensive.

"Law. I'm not going to lie to you" Leila spoke forwardly. "I'm not of royal standing. My mother and father were lovely people but they didn't have much money."

Law didn't say anything but nodded in understanding. Leila wore a small dainty necklace, often not seen without it, and she took it down from her neck and into her hands. She flicked the small locket open to reveal a faded picture of her parents – a smaller version of the one she kept in her book. She passed it to Law for him to look at.

He took it carefully, his eyes glazing over it. "You look just like your mother" He noted with a small smile.

"Yeah…" Leila agreed. "She passed away when I was 3. My father took me out to sea afterwards; I don't think he knew what else to do when she passed…". Leila found herself speaking about her parents openly. Perhaps it was the darkness of the room that made it seem secure, or maybe it was Law's presence beside her.

"I'm sorry about your mother" Law spoke calmly, looking away from her but passing her necklace back to her. "I lost both of my parents as well…". Law let his arms rest against his forehead to shield his face. Leila knew he was shielding himself as a defense mechanism despite him trying to play it off as a stretch. He didn't want her to see his eyes as he remembered his lost family. Leila couldn't help herself and she scooched closer to Law, wrapping her arms around his large chest in a hug. Law felt his lips curl into a smile as she tried her best to comfort him.

"It sucks doesn't it…" She murmured, feeling like she didn't have anything intelligent to say to comfort him.

"That's one way to put it" Law murmured quietly, feeling especially vulnerable. "We're both fucked up huh…"

"No doubt about it" Leila agreed, resting her head on his chest. Law let out a deep sigh and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close against him. They were quiet for a moment.

"Law" She spoke softly to him, catching his attention once more. "I want to tell you everything soon…"

Law felt like he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. He could tell that her behaviour had shifted lately. She started to pull away from him over a week ago, when she told him she was leaving. But ever since then she seems to linger around him more often, smile more genuinely and she definitely didn't have as many nightmares. Law didn't expect her to feel like telling him this soon.

Leila saw him observing her closely and had to swallow the lump in her throat. "If I'm staying – you deserve to know what you're signing up for" He found himself looking into her eyes, with her own shimmering slightly as if she could cry.

Law smirked down at her, rubbing his thumb along her eyelashes to wipe away the moisture. He found himself kissing her forehead gently and Leila's heart felt like it could burst.

"Don't you worry, I already know you're trouble" He chuckled at her, holding her close to him soothingly. Leila knew Law had his own problems, it was evident, but he had accepted her for all that she was. All her issues, all her deceit, he had accepted everything and even promised her safely.

'I love him. I love him. I love him so much' Leila couldn't help but think, her mind becoming filled with thoughts of Law. Law could see the emotion behind Leila's eyes as a tear fell from her cheek and felt something inside him stir.

"You are such a crybaby aren't you" He chuckled affectionately, catching a tear and wiping it away. "You can tell me whenever you wish, I'm not going anywhere"

Leila let her hand fall to his cheek and she pressed her lips against his own desperately. Some strands of her long hair fell into her face, thus, Law gently held her hair back and grasped the back of her neck to pull her closer. He feverously kissed her, his tongue exploring her mouth with precise teasing. Leila moaned slightly as his hands explored her body and he pulled her so she was laying on top of him. They broke away for a moment and Leila stared down at his chiseled face absolutely breathless.

'It would be impossible to not fall in love with him…' she thought to herself. Law guided her lips back to his as he continued to kiss her over and over, the two enjoying the sensation of each other's bodies.

"I know it's late…" Leila moaned breathlessly as he kissed along her jawline. "But do you want to do it?"

Law smirked against her smooth skin and continued to leave hot trails of kisses down her neck.

"You can't get enough of me, can you?" He told her teasingly. However, Leila grabbed ahold of his jaw to lead his gaze back up to her own.

"No. I really can't" She emphasized before kissing him once more, making Law's eyes widen in slight surprise.