Ash's legs gave out and she collapsed down to her knees. Her head reeled with the enormity of the news. A bounty marked her out as a criminal and she would be treated as such, even by her own Father. It just broke her heart to imagine his reaction. He always enjoyed reading the paper at the breakfast table, reading the comic strips aloud to the younger children and working out the crossword clues with the older ones. Mother would scold him for distracting everyone as the food was getting colder by the minute. It was the same scene every day. Two of her siblings would bicker over the wanted posters included over who got to keep which. One had a "badass collection" and the other was only interested in the more dangerous sort with the highest bounties. What would they say when they come across hers?

But it wasn't just their disappointment/anger she'd have to answer to. The amount alone made her quite the tempting target. She'd have to look over her shoulder all the time now, wary of everyone and their motives…even more so than before. At least before she could enjoy some time off between assignments.

And Law…how could he do this to her?

His face broke into her panicked train of thought. His gentle smile as his golden eyes gleamed in the faint darkness of the corridor. I wouldn't be so reckless to treat your heart that casually. She felt a strange sense of calmness as she remembered the tenderness of the scene. He was sincere, had been sincere, of that she was sure of then and now. Her forehead creased as she frowned in confusion, second guessing herself yet again. Maybe she'd just jumped to conclusions and was blaming him unfairly. Maybe he was innocent after all. But then why would he be scheming behind her back like this? She was mentally twisting herself up in knots over it that she didn't hear the door open again.

Oki thumped into the room on his crutches. He was grumbling bitterly under his breath about his cancelled appt with the Captain. He heard this crazy rumor through the ship that he'd cleared his entire schedule and had ordered a complete change in course. He wasn't sure if it was true, but something was certainly going on. But it didn't concern him, so he was content to stay out of it. He opened up the closet door when he noticed something towards the back of it. He used one of the crutches to poke into the shadows.

The long narrow object coming at her resembled a Marine's rifle in her agitated state and she freaked out. She shoved it hard, knocking him backward to the ground, and flew out of the closet. He blinked in surprise. Wasn't it Ash? But why was she in uniform? There was also a wild frenzied look in her face, like a cornered beast. "Woah! Hey now, what-?"

She was dimly aware of her mistake but now she was found out. She couldn't afford to make any more, not if she was going to stay one step ahead of Law. She turned on her heel and ran out of the room. It would be best to escape altogether, jump ship and put some distance between them. That would give her time to critically consider her next course of action. She ran down the corridor past some bewildered crewmembers and ignoring their questions/comments. Which floor were the escape vessels again?

She turned the corner and bumped into Penguin. He was surprised for a split second, but he seized her arm. "There you are!" He hissed angrily, still sore over the scolding from his Captain earlier. His grip was firm as she struggled to pull free, and she swung her fist at him.

He ducked his head at the wild swing and caught her wrist past his ear. "I'm not above hitting a girl, ya know, so don't push your luck," he warned with a smirk.

Elsewhere Law and Shirazuki were on another floor in the middle of their search when Oki sent a message through. His heart sank as he relayed it to the Captain.

Law's jaw clenched as he raised his hand to summon power. "She's figured it out then," he concluded. He briefly wondered if she was in the room when he'd been there. "No doubt she's making a run for it now." His Room swept through their surroundings, expanding to surround the Polar Tang. He grimaced slightly at the strain, which is why he hadn't wanted to do this in the first place. He closed his eyes as he narrowed his focus further and sifted through his crew. His eyes flew open when he located her, and his mouth hardened into a firm angry line. "Restrain her upon arrival," he said tersely. He took several steps back and Shirazuki did the same thing. He nodded silently as he struggled to keep his face neutral. He was surprised to see two people appear in the center of the room: Penguin and Ash in the middle of an old-school brawl.

Law seized hold of his collar and wrenched him off. Shirazuki knelt down pulled her into his arms, an embrace that served to both comfort and detain. "Easy now, its ok," he whispered close to her ear. He grunted as she struggled to free herself. "Hey, steady on Sis!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Law hissed furiously through his teeth as he glowered down at his subordinate. "How dare you treat our guest-"

"No! How dare you!" She exploded in a raw, raspy voice. She managed to wrestle one arm free and pointed right at him. Law went white as a sheet as her beautiful features were contorted by such absolute loathing. This wasn't just anger, there was terror brimming in the tears forming in the corner of her eyes. The rest of her words were difficult to make out before it triggered the inevitable coughing spell. He pushed Penguin aside in his rush to aid her. Shirazuki too was forced back as Law pulled her into his arms. She squeaked in surprise at his closeness, panicked, and pushed back hard against his chest, desperate to create space between them. He wrapped his long legs around her legs to minimize her thrashing about.

His panicked heart pounded in his chest as he worried about her condition. Her surgical internal stitches had been delicately placed and her reckless rage was going to undo all his hard work! His hand against her throat assessed the situation through the power gathering in his palm.

She felt light-headed as she struggled to catch her breath and coughed up specks of blood against his yellow button-up shirt. Shirazuki tapped Penguin on the shoulder to get his attention before jerking his head towards the exit. They were only going to get in the way here, best to leave without drawing attention to themselves. Penguin nodded eagerly and they made a quick retreat.

Law didn't even notice in his distraction. She was still stubbornly resisting his help as she tried to pull herself free from his hand. His closeness made her both flustered and frustrated. His other arm had secured her hands behind her back, so she arched against him in her continued struggle. Her cheeks burned as she was suddenly aware of how…that must appear, but his gaze was lowered and unfocused. His thoughts were not presently amorous, but she blushed deeply as she felt her skin begin to tingle anyway. She realized that she still craved his touch, even now, in her broken heart. She scowled bitterly as she cursed her weakness. Was she really that desperate to be loved that she'd settle for the likes of this brute?

"You're such a troublesome patient," he grumbled harshly under his breath but the concern in his eyes was painfully obvious. He was worried about her. Worried. About her. Maybe it was selfishly motivated, but the emotion was undeniably real.

She was beginning to relax; he could feel the tension in her muscles begin to ease. Her sudden surrender made him slightly suspicious as he was wary to release her just yet. His grip loosened a bit, but he didn't dare let go. Her neck tingled with such a soothing sensation; it felt so good that it brought a small reluctant smile to her mouth. That snapped his attention right up to her face. Her smile slipped right off, faltering under his intense golden gaze that she couldn't face. She turned her head to the side as her cheeks flushed red.

His brow furrowed with a measure of regret. "Let's talk elsewhere," he murmured as his wrist gave a sharp twist towards the ceiling. "Shambles."

She felt a twist knot in her stomach as she felt a moment of weightlessness. The scene abruptly shifted to the medical bay. She felt dizzy and leaned into him to keep from losing her balance. He stood at his ease, with her in his arms, and turned towards one of the empty beds. "You need to be more careful," he scolded as he set her down. "You just had surgery yesterday, remember? A full recovery isn't something that happens overnight." She flinched as he leaned over her, resting his hands down on either side of her. "You require both a pain sedative and a mild muscle steroid." He tilted his head to the side with a slight smirk. "Now, will you stay put when I turn my back, or should I use the restraints?"

He raised one hand to show a large leather strap attached to the side of the bed. He wrapped it around his knuckles and gave a playful tug. His gaze lowered with a greedy glint as he just realized that she was wearing one of the Heart uniforms. Even as ill-fitting as it was, she still looked fabulous in it. What he, unfortunately, failed to notice was how startled she'd been by the gesture of the strap. She was sensitive to the idea of being trapped, held back, held down, forced to conform…it was the Marine Academy all over again. Rules and regulations, it stifled her creativity and nearly suffocated her spirit. So the possessive gleam in his eyes took on a darker meaning for her.

Her back straightened stiffly as she stubbornly folded her arms across her chest. "That won't be necessary, Captain." She emphasized the final word.

His smirk faltered in turn as he met her gaze once more. Her expression was flinty but her eyes, those beautiful, dazzling eyes, were closed to him. The memory of how they sparkled the night before at the height of her pleasure seemed a distant memory now. He rolled his eyes briefly as he turned away. "So we're back to titles now, are we?" He grumbled bitterly.

Titles create clear boundaries; she never should have crossed it to begin with. She closed her eyes with a bit of an angry pout. She could hear him shuffling about through the shelves in the medicine cabinet but soon tuned him out. She needed to collect herself and calm her frazzled nerves. She shifted her thoughts in a methodical direction. Exits, where were the exits in this room? The large door behind her was secured with a heavy crank system. That was the only one, but there was also a laundry chute three meters on her left. On that same wall were a few other chutes installed; one trash; one biohazardous waste….

The soft click of his boots approaching made her eyes snap open. His expression seemed neutral, but his gaze was a bit stormy still. What exactly was he upset about? He took hold of her hand; she tensed up and tried to pull it free. "Don't you even-" She snapped.

"Fine, if you insist," He said dryly as he popped the pills directly into her mouth. She gagged slightly at its bitter taste as they began to dissolve on her tongue. He raised the water bottle to her lips, and she took small sips. When he pulled it back, a few drops spilled, and he rubbed her bottom lip dry with his thumb. She blushed slightly at the tender touch. Oh how she wanted to nibble on it, savor his taste and…she turned her head abruptly to the side as she resisted the impulse. She was stronger than this, she wouldn't succumb.

He stood there, watching with a heavy heart as she went terribly still. The light was fading in her eyes as she was hiding within herself. It hurt to see that, to feel the loss of their carefully crafted connection altogether. He sighed in mild surrender as he rested his forehead against hers. "Ash…" he whispered in a soft, apologetic tone, but he couldn't bring himself to follow through. After all, he was sorry for all the wrong reasons. "I never meant for you to find out this way."

His closeness, his warm breath was tantalizing but she refused to give in and forgive him. "You weren't going to tell me," she accused in a cold manner.

"No," he readily confessed. "I wasn't."

Her temper flared and she shoved him hard. He braced himself against her strike, refusing to be forced back. "How dare you!" She seethed as she glared up at him.

He narrowed his eyes in turn as he stubbornly clung to his pride. He had made the right decision and he wasn't about to second-guess it now. "As Captain, I made-"

"But you're not my Captain!" She snapped. He flinched as if she'd actually slapped him. He took a step back as he stared at her with such shock. She realized with equal horror the implications of her statement. She hadn't meant it to say it like that, but there was no taking it back.

His expression soon settled into a cool detachment. "So…you have made your decision then." His voice struggled to remain indifferent, but she could hear the hurt within it.

"It was never a choice to begin with!" She protested as she refused to feel bad. "You were going to blackmail me into joining in the first place!" He suddenly looked confused, and she bristled at his nerve. "Don't deny it!" She insisted.

"What are you talking about?" He asked incredulously.

"The bounty was your doing!"

"Absolutely not!" He exploded. "I would never-!"

"Of course you would! You're a pirate after all!" She interrupted him with a sharp jab to his chest. "And you're all the same! Selfish jerks who only think of themselves and what they can get! Use people and then throw them away when you're finished with them!"

"Like when I left you for dead when you failed the last mission?" He harshly cut in.

Her face flushed red with such shame, but she wasn't about to let him win. "Well maybe you should have-!"

He suddenly lunged forward and seized her face with both hands. "DON'T!" He hissed through clenched teeth. His grip was tight, almost painfully so, but then she realized that his hands were shaking. His trembling fingers made her long curls bounce slightly along her shoulders. The fire in his eyes burned down to an eerie hollowness. "Don't joke…about…" His voice cracked as he stared straight through her. So very similar to the night of the disastrous mission, his emotional slip.

That's really not fighting fair! She groaned within herself as she caught hold of his wrists. "Hey, just relax-" She grumbled out as soothingly as she could muster.

"Do you know how many times I nearly failed to contain that asinine poison?" He growled low in this throat.

"It doesn't matter-" She insisted.

"Five!" He snapped irritably; his pride still stung at the memory of the struggle. Not just trying to unravel the complexity of the idiotic mixture, but also keeping her vitals from spiking all over the place. "Five times that vile excuse for a-"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER!" She shouted in his face. He needed to snap out of this already! There were other things to worry about right now!

"It does!" He blurted out. "It does because I can't lose you!"

Her eyes went impossibly wide. She stared in such wild disbelief, what the hell was he talking about?

He crushed his mouth against hers as his fingertips enmeshed in her thick, tangled hair. Touch was as enticing as it was intoxicating. She was always such a temptation to him, nearly since their first meeting years ago on Sabaody Archipelago. She got under his skin so easily with her barbs, or even worse, her cruel indifference. But even then, he recognized it for what it truly was: an emotional shell carefully crafted to hide behind. She was hurting, a broken soul that didn't want to be fixed.

She squeaked as he greedily parted her stubborn lips with his tongue. He was being selfish and stubbornly so. She wasn't his to claim, she had rejected him, and this goodbye was going to hurt like hell. His hands continued to wander, across her shoulders before trailing down the length of her spine. Her eyes closed as she curved into him. It felt so damn good! It was nearly impossible to stay angry with him as her body began to respond just as eagerly. It felt even better than the night before because he wasn't restraining himself. That sort of wild abandonment was always thrilling! And completely unlike him too. She gasped at the sudden chill she experienced as he nimbly unfastened the front of the uniform. His hand moved to squeeze her breast as he bent over to savor the taste of the other one. He growled possessively as he kissed along her softest curve yet. They seemed to swell as she panted softly.

"Damn you," she cursed in a breathless tone. "I…it's not…"

"Hate me all you want," he gently challenged as his other hand applied pressure to the small of her back, making her arch against him. He easily toppled her onto her back and knelt over her. "I can live with that," he grinned wickedly from ear to ear.

"I never said I hated you," she grumbled in a mumbling sort of tone. She really had to rally her temper to remain upset.

He lowered himself, brushing that perfect body in its tight clothes against hers. His lips were a breaths away from her own, the heat warmed her face. His rich scent filled her senses, making her feel tipsy. "You will soon enough," he promised as he nibbled on her bottom lip. "But there will be time later for such regrets."

She felt his power spread over them, a warm tingling sensation, what was he up now? "Shambles," he whispered against her mouth.

They shifted abruptly out of sight, replaced by a pair of boots from his closet.