Chapter 23
When he got out of the deepest emotion, Law said, 'We must talk,' and decided to move them to the All Baratie, where he always had a private box at his disposal... no that he'd used it much so far. Rosapelo's question, 'What about your work?', a proof of clear thinking, if anything else, reminded him that, indeed, he should occupy himself with so-called professional things now. Belated as it was at half past twelve, he called his secretary and requested that she informed the doctors that the consultation session was cancelled today. However, he learned that Clione had already taken care of it, therefore he announced that the new admissions would start with a delay and he couldn't yet say how big. Then he hung up before Elle snapped out of astonishment and began inquiring about the cause of such a revolutionary deviation from the schedule.
Now nothing could prevent him from taking Rosapelo to the restaurant, which he then did. Like always, Sanji himself waited on them, but Law ordered only two daily sets and asked that they weren't disturbed for the rest of their visit. He wasn't hungry, but it was a matter of decency to order a meal in a restaurant, and he hadn't eaten lunch anyway, as hadn't Rosapelo. However, when Sanji brought the dishes and left, drawing the curtains to contribute to their privacy, an awkward silence fell... and then food appeared to be a good thing to occupy oneself with and slowly start talking.
It was somewhat chaotic conversation that Law had never planned nor assumed... that he hadn't even imagined to ever have. In addition, the two of them were too overwhelmed by what had happened in order to act casually; it was hard to even look at each other, so in the beginning the talk consisted mostly of fumbled and abstract questions and similar replies. It was Law who talked and asked more, while Rosapelo was the one to rather listen and answer. Law tried to sound matter-of-factedly and confidently, although inside he was shocked and almost scared to death. He realised he was doing something he hadn't been prepared for, yet it wouldn't even occur to him to back out. Rosapelo's voice was almost a whisper, and the boy was sitting with his eyes fixed on his plate and his hair obscuring half of his face. Every now and then, a prolonged silence fell, and Law tried to frantically think of something to say, and when he managed to resume the topic or start a new thread, Rosapelo immediately responded to his words, apparently grateful for breaking that oppressive silence. Law suspected that, had anyone seen them now, they would undoubtedly consider that scene ludicrous and had to fight the urge to break in and offer their help. He remembered Mrs Lise, who, not even an hour ago, had managed to avert a cataclysm and make the world normal again, and only with a few words...
But as the time passed, the words started to come easier, fears diminished, and nervousness vanished, as all that their relationship had become over the last two months started to fill the air again. Finally, Rosapelo cast him a few shy looks from under his too long fringe, and Law managed to send him a few very hesitant but fully sincere smiles. Even though this conversation - and the whole situation - filled him with a million of conflicting emotions, one remained unchanged: desire to stay with the boy and resolve to realise it. Now that he was sitting here and looking at that little frame opposite to him, his heart clenched with emotion, compassion and great joy... and, at the same time, he was in cold sweat at the thought that he'd almost lost him. Clione deserved a dinner indeed, as it was solely thanks to him that Law had understood what he'd wanted and needed in his life...
In the end, during slightly over three hours of conversation, they succeeded in creating quite a solid plan for their future together, that had already started. It all began from yet another reasonable question by Rosapelo, "Law-san, actually... Where do you live?"
"Actually, I live in the hospital," Law answered truthfully, but for some reason it filled him with shame, so he rushed to add, "But, of course, I'm going to find us a normal place to live. What do you think of Roger Bay? 'Cause I understand you want to stay on Raftel? You don't want to go back on Vokzel?"
Rosapelo nodded. Roger Bay was fine, and he had nothing against it; he was used to living in a harbour city, and besides... "My mom is here," he said softly. "And it can't be far from your work."
"And you will go to school there," Law supplied, wondering distractedly about finding a flat. Well, he came to a quick conclusion, there was nothing impossible for Trafalgar Law, especially on Raftel. Actually, there was even nothing difficult when someone was considered to be a common good for humanity... or was someone akin to lord and master in the neighbourhood. "We'll bring your things from Vokzel... everything you wish to take to... to your new home," he ensured and then, on impulse, he added, "I'll go with you."
In three days was the sixteenth, the compulsory free day of the director of the Corazon Memorial Director, so he had a whole day at his disposal; he could take care of the transfer and all related matters. He imagined it wouldn't be easy for the boy to return to the place that he'd lived in for years with his mother when she was gone now, but he had to visit it once again... to say goodbye to it, at least. Law decided to postpone until the vague future the question of what to do with Mrs Irma's flat, now belonging to the boy.
"Until then you're going to stay in the hospital, all right?" he suggested. "You'll take my room, I can use my office. Unless you'd rather stay in the hotel...?"
Rosapelo shook his head and then glanced at him from under the fringe. "Can I really stay... with you?" he asked quietly.
Law's chest ached. "Yes," he replied simply... and then something made him ask, "And do you really want to stay with me?"
This time, Rosapelo nodded with confidence. Neither of them asked why, but Law suspected they would ask it many times yet. Himself, he had no idea why it was Rosapelo who'd managed to find the way to his heart and turn his world upside down... just as he didn't know why it was him that the boy had chosen. He still was perplexed by it, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
"Then, Roger Bay," he said cheerfully. "I'll find us a pleasant flat. You're going to go to school... maybe you'll even land in the same class with the Pirate King's son," he added with a smile, realising that Rosapelo and Ace were of the same age. "That is, if their mother gave the boys her permission to attend the school... Maybe you'll find some nice extracurricular activities...? Or-"
"Law-san..." Rosapelo interrupted him, staring at his empty plate; something clearly weighed on him. "Law-san... Really... will I now bother you?"
Law frowned. "Bother me? Why? Why would you bother me?"
"You have a lot of work and-"
"To hell with work!" Law blurted and was praised (or reprimanded) with Rosapelo's astonished look when the boy raised his head and looked him straight in the eye. "I mean... Pelo, my work isn't the most important thing in the world," he rushed to explain... and then realised he had really said that.
But that was what he thought, indeed. When there was something more important at stake, everything else fell into the background; at least, it should be so. A real man should be able to abort his mission, no matter how lofty or serious it was, if his heart told him so.
"But you're the most... the best doctor in the world," Rosapelo weakly tried to protest. "I don't want that you... because of me-"
Law shook his head. "Pelo, I made a decision. I want to make a home with you, and I'm perfectly serious about it," he said in a decisive voice, but then anxiety overcame him. "Or maybe... you don't want to live with me...?"
Now Rosapelo looked at him with clear reproach. "I do," he said softly. "I really want it."
"That's good, I'm glad," Law muttered and didn't show how relieved he felt.
He could expect that disagreement and conflict were inevitable whenever the interests and opinions of two people were in question. Law had never wished for disagreement and conflict... so he'd preferred to avoid any other relations than professional. Well, Rosapelo did seem a very agreeable person, but Law suspected that the boy wouldn't have the same opinion on every single thing nor would he always do as Law wished. Law had to be prepared for that... to be able to cope with it. One thing he was sure of: he didn't plan to force the boy to anything, just as he'd never intended to impose his will on him.
For now, he was looking forward to living together. Since they'd already decided that Roger Bay would be fine... He tried to imagine their life - in some sunny, cosy flat with a bay view and a balcony with the gulls flying over it - but that bright vision was quickly blurred by more mundane matters.
"But... I think we'll need to hire a housekeeper," he said hesitantly. "Someone to cook, clean and so on..."
"I can clean," Rosapelo offered, and Law felt touched. "But I can't really cook... I can only prepare sandwiches for breakfast," he admitted in a lower voice. "And cook an omelette or fry an egg."
'That's bad, for I don't eat sandwiches,' Law would said in every other situation, but this time it was out of question. "Omelette and eggs for breakfast sound good. As for the rest... Don't worry about it, we'll think of something," he decided lightly before adding with a smile, "But thanks for cleaning. I really appreciate it."
Rosapelo nodded, but something clearly was troubling him as he said, "If I were a girl, like my mom wanted, I'd have known how to coo."
"Your mom wanted you to be a girl?" Law asked before he managed to bite his tongue.
"Well, I have such a girly name..." the boy muttered and lowered his head so that the hair obscured his face again.
"Pelo, one's name is the last thing to draw such conclusions from," Law stated. "If I'm right, the female form of your name is... Rosabel...? That is, if those two names are even related, in the first place," he added. Rosapelo didn't seem consoled, though, so Law wondered frantically about another argument to support his hypothesis. "In fact... maybe you didn't know that, but letter O in the end indicates male gender beyond any doubt."
Rosapelo stared at him, and this time there was some gratitude in his eyes. "Letter O in the end indicates male gender?" he repeated shyly.
"Absolutely. In some languages, that ending is reserved for men," Law replied immediately, although it was something he'd just made up, having remembered how the Straw Hats used to call him: Torao.
But it was one of those moments when he would do anything and say anything - no matter how stupid, exaggerated or incorrect - in order to comfort someone who needed it. Before, it wouldn't have even occurred to him to act this way, but in the last two months he'd learned it and quickly reached a perfection. He could still remember that long ago Cora-san would try to raise his spirit at all cost, distract him from sorrow, fear or despair, without caring about his own pride or self-respect, having not stopped even at a harmless lie. And even though Rosapelo's despondency resulted from something objectively trivial, it was a big thing for himself, and Law had to accept it.
"Such a name suggests a strong man," he kept talking, and the boy seemed to listen to him with obvious hope. "For example Bepo, my friend from the emergency unit, or Marco from orthopaedics. I'd say those two belong to the strongest people in the world. Or Zoro, the greatest swordsman that had ever lived. Or Sabo, the Prime Minister in the World Government, I don't think there's anyone as powerful as him. And I used to know a certain king who could destroy a castle with just one punch, and his name was Elizabello... It's very similar to your name, isn't it? It could make one think of a woman, and yet he was a big guy. I can say many examples like that, and have you ever heard of any girl with a name ending with O?" he asked.
Slowly, Rosapelo shook his head, and Law hoped that Clione would never ask the boy to address him 'Clio', which he sometimes did. Maybe he should make the psychiatrist aware of this matter...
"Besides... if your mom had wanted to you to be a girl, she would've undoubtedly brought you up like one...?" he guessed. "I heard about such cases," he said in a serious voice and nodded like a wise man. "While you're one hundred percent guy."
"Yeah... but if she'd brought me up like a girl, we wouldn't have had the cooking problem now," Rosapelo pointed out and seemed dejected again.
Law gaped at him, perplexed, and then snorted. "I think you think too much, Pelo," he said cheerfully and laughed again. "Decide which one would you rather be. It's all the same to me, I'll conform. Thanks to our psychiatrist friend I'm pretty liberal to men who consider themselves as women... But, for the sake of this conversation, I've never heard that his mom had brought him up as a girl. As far as I remember, ha fancied to become a woman as an adult already... when we were over with the piracy."
He drove away a sudden yet intrusive thought: that Clione could keep house for them. He suspected that the head psychiatrist would be more than happy to do so... but for Law it was some ten years too early... and that conclusion disturbed him to such an extent that he concentrated on the situation at hand, deciding to forget all about Clione for the next few hours.
In the meantime, Rosapelo nodded pensive and then focused his gaze on him. "I'd like to be of some use," he said with emphasis. "I don't want to... abuse your kindness, Law-san. I already owe you so much I don't even know... when I could repay it... and it's not right..."
His words surprised Law, who needed a moment in order to be able to reply, for his throat clenched with emotion. "Pelo, Pelo, what should I do make you stop thinking that? I'm not doing it because of pity, I just..." He paused and shook his head. "You don't need to be grateful to me for anything... even less feel obliged. It's not like we do business here or exchange favours... but it's no charity either. It's just... Just as much as you want to stay with me, I want to stay with you. Isn't it enough?"
Rosapelo lowered his head, so that only the tip of his nose could be seen from under his brown hair. He nodded.
"Besides... you've already offered to do cleaning. I think it's a big thing, really," Law went on, and this time he managed to smile.
"I'll vacuum, do laundry and wash windows," Rosapelo mumbled. "And everything else."
"I guess once in a while won't hurt," Law said merrily without asking if the boy had used to help his mother with the chores. "But I really wish that you spend your time as you please. Don't hesitate to ask me what you want. There are few things that I can't give you... arrange for you. You only have to usk. Books, clothes, I'll get you anything..."
Rosapelo shook his head. "I don't need that," he replied softly. "I just want to... to stay. Everything else doesn't matter."
And Law asked himself - for he didn't have courage to ask the boy... and didn't even have voice to say it - why he. He wasn't the best person in the world, had much more faults than virtues, and there were many people that Rosapelo would be better off with, that was what his reason and self-esteem told him. But now Law no longer planned to give him to anyone. The sight of the hunched figure across the table filled him with warmth... even heat that radiated from his heart to all parts of his body, like it was being carried by blood. Now it was hard to believe that once he could despise or hate that boy, although he remembered he had, and it still could made him feel guilty. Once again, he promised himself to never again said anything that could hurt him; this very moment something like this seemed completely impossible and infeasible, anyway. This very moment he felt so attuned to Rosapelo as if the boy were his extension, his part.
Never before had he felt that way towards another person. In his adult life, not even once had he felt the urge to embrace and hug someone close, and now it'd seemed so natural. And once he'd held Rosapelo in his arms - crossing the last barrier between the two of them, which led only to unity - he'd known he would never want to let go of him. He wanted to make him feel safe, certain and never alone. He wanted to give him strength and protect him from any harm, and never part with him. He could still remember that magical power Cora-san's arms had had: they could drive away any menace, creating the illusion that no evil, not even death could reach little Trafalgar Law. And even if he wasn't Cora-san, he wanted to pass to Rosapelo at least some of those things, for every child needed them, especially a lonely, despairing child that had lost everything important...
He focused on the present again. "In any case, I want you to know that I'll take care of you and address all your needs," he declared. "You don't need to worry about the future. I'm going to support your choices and help you as much as you want me to." 'And I'll do everything to remedy those falls and fractures of yours,' he added in his mind.
Rosapelo listened in silence.
"In four years you're going to be an adult," Law kept talking. "You're free to choose your way of life, but you'll always have my support. But looking too far in the future is quite pointless," he pointed out. "Even if time flies..."
The thought of parting with Rosapelo as soon as four years filled him with reluctance and protest... but then he told himself that going from one extreme to another was overacting. Apparently, it was his tendency to 'never go halfway' speaking again, he decided resignedly. Well, there was nothing he could do about the time flowing... so maybe he should rather look forward to spending at least four years with the boy, right?
"Law-san... I don't deserve it," Rosapelo whispered with his eyes down.
"I'm going to smack you in your head if you don't stop that," Law said, displeased. "Do you really consider me as someone who regards the others in such categories? Who wants to associate with the others only because of their merit or usefulness?"
"No," Rosapelo denied, shaking his head.
"I hope so!" Law replied in a faked menacing voice. "Besides... Be a man, Pelo. Stick to your decisions. You wanted to stay with me, so stop whining like a girl and don't imagine that your choice was wrong, after all."
Rosapelo put one elbow on a table and covered his face with his hand. "I'm so stupid..." he muttered. "But... I'm happy. I just can't believe... that you let me... that I can stay..."
"You can stay as long as you want," Law said lightly, although his throat was clenching, and thus his next words came softer, "And I hope that you will stay as long as possible."
Rosapelo nodded, still covering his face. "I thought you hated me," he repeated his words from before, the words that pierced Law's heart. "You told me to leave... And you didn't return. And I knew that I brought it upon myself. That I'm terrible and no-one... and you wouldn't want to see me. And it all felt so pointless. I didn't want to go with Lise-san... But I promised you to never do anything to myself. And maybe I really believed I'd be able to come back in four years and... I hoped that maybe that time..." Ha paused and only swallowed in silence. "Law-san... Am I really good enough?"
Law reached over the table - his hand was trembling, but Rosapelo couldn't see it - and put it on the boy's head. "I could ask you the same, Pelo," he whispered, for his voice failed him. "Thanks for wanting to stay with me."
Rosapelo raised his gaze - his blue eyes were full of tears - and gave him a look of astonishment and disbelief... and maybe even a question, 'Are you stupid or what?' He couldn't know that an adult man could thing so poorly of himself that he wished even a kid to accept him.
They stared at each other for a moment until Rosapelo finally sniffed. "Law-san... Can I... go over to your side?" he asked through tears. "Just this once..."
Law moved on his seat to make a place for him. "Come."
Rosapelo came, and Law embraced him and pressed to himself as if he didn't want to ever let go of him. He leaned back and closed his eyes. Words, 'I didn't want you to hate me,' resonated in his mind, and it could be the very first time that he thought he understood that Cora-san could have felt that way. Law had never managed to grasp it... or maybe he hadn't been ready for that. Even the conversation with Sengoku-san, making him aware of Donquixote Rosinante's past, hadn't convinced him. His saviour might have felt such a despicable man that he'd cared about what the kid in his care might think of him...? In his eyes Cora-san was someone larger than a human, seemed a powerful angel - after all, he was one of the Celestial Dragons, whom some considered gods - and maybe that was why Law had found it so hard to see any weakness in him...
Now he knew it wasn't a weakness but a human nature. When you loved someone, things like power, abilities or status lost any significance, vanished from thought. The man wanted only to be accepted... wanted to be good enough, even if the other person was a kid two or three times younger... and above all, he didn't want to be hated.
'I'm sorry, Cora-san,' he said in his thought. 'I'm sorry I let you believe that I hated you until the very end.'
"I'm sorry, Pelo," he said aloud, although his voice was still but a whisper. "I should've done something else. I should've realised what I wanted... and what was important much earlier."
Rosapelo shook his head in his embrace. "But you weren't too late," he mumbled.
All of the sudden, Law felt like laughing. "I wasn't," he agreed in a more cheerful tone. "You're right, this time I made it..."
After that, things got somewhat complicated.
Since Law had enough work, he found himself a temporary assistant to tend to his private matters. He didn't want to put a burden on anyone in the hospital, although it was certain that a line of people eager to make him a favour would appear in no time, if only he asked it. He appointed Ed, a little brother of his secretary working in the town as a jack of all trades and, according to Elle, could be trusted. Law left him with the task of finding a good flat in Roger Bay, and within two days, too, for the plan was to move there quickly. Ed made a good impression on him as he didn't ask any stupid questions nor wondered aloud about such ideas of the hospital director, only got down to work right away.
Soon, Law learned that buying a flat in the biggest city of Raftel bordered on a miraculous or was simply impossible. Due to the constant demographic growth, Roger Bay suffered from a chronic lack of available flats; new people kept coming to the island of the end and beginning, drawn by the Pirate King's fame and the discoveries made here. New houses were being built all the time, but currently there were no residential buildings for sale until the early summer, so the plan of moving in two days could be as well thrown out the window.
And despite that, Law and Rosapelo did manage to move to their new home, not even built by the head of the family, which he'd in despair considered. It had happened that - which he learned about only later - that his conversation with Ed had been overheard by Kaya, who then had informed her husband about the director's trouble, and through Usopp it finally had reached Franky, who reportedly had shed a tear of two due to such a misfortune of 'our friend Torao'. Then the matter had been practically settled, for the greatest carpenter in the world wasn't someone who needed anything to be repeated twice.
Franky had asked Zoro, who finally had managed to return to Raftel this spring, to supply the building material; the first swordsman of the Pirate King had no equal in cutting the wood in regard to speed and accuracy. Then the cyborg had grabbed his tools, arrived in Roger Bay, found the indicated spot (Kaya had casually asked Law about his preferences) and, in half a night, put a two-story house south to the city and by the road to the hospital. Then he put Law himself: in front of the house and in front of the fact, and awaited only 'thank you'.
Law was once again amazed that people could act that way, although maybe he should say 'friends'. He'd lived almost forty years, and he still hadn't got used to people making him a favour just like that, out of their good will. Then again, he knew that the problem didn't lie in others, but in himself, so he could only humbly accept the gift, although he did manage to almost offend Franky mentioning vel offering a payment. The cyborg said such things were but a piece of cake for him and a good warm-up for the work in the shipyard and refused taking any payment, but he mentioned he was looking forward to a moving day party.
For Franky's work, the house was pretty unpretentious - probably owing to the time limit - although the cyborg wouldn't be himself if he hadn't allowed himself even a little extravagance; he'd decorated all outer frames of the doors and windows with fantastic patterns, as he'd done with the spiral stairs leading to the upper floor, too. As for the interior, there was enough space for a big family; Franky had apparently assumed that Law would get it one day. There was a living-room, six smaller rooms, a kitchen, the bathrooms on either floor and even a sauna. The cyborg had also made a fence around the parcel so that a cosy garden could be created; it could be reached through the side door from the living-room.
When Franky had left, having first handed the owner an incised key, Law and Rosapelo stayed in the living-room of their new home, breathing the smell of fresh wood and trying to wrap their mind around the new twist in reality.
"Can we really stay here?" Rosapelo asked faintly, looking around the house.
"It's not like we have any other option," Law replied in a similar manner. "Besides, Franky would be hurt to the core if we didn't."
"What are we going to do with all these rooms?" this time Rosapelo's voice was much more crisp.
"Well, they certainly won't go to waste..." Law muttered, delighting in the warmth that filled him every time when the boy said 'we'. "Anyway, now you know you can look for a girlfriend since we have place for your future family, too."
Rosapelo stared at him in shock for a moment before looking at the empty interior. "What about the furniture?" he risked yet another question.
"I'm sure we can arrange something," Law replied with a phrase that had become a habit with him over the last few days. "First, let's go to Vokzel and see what you want to bring along."
Like he'd expected, during their travel to Rosapelo's home island, the boy grew more and more untalkative until he turned completely silent and lost in thought, obviously saddening ones. As they walked to his house, Law put one hand on his shoulder to offer him his support. Just like Ida had mentioned in the letter, Rosapelo and Mrs Irma had been living close to the city centre, in the three-story tenement house. The neighbours had a spare key to their flat - an elderly woman next doors was very glad to see the boy, although she seemed to still grieve for his mother - but Rosapelo's hands trembled so much that it was Law who had to open the door.
The flat had a living-room with two little bedrooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. White lacy curtains were hanging in the windows with several pots of dried geranium. The walls were of pastel colours, with a few paintings and framed photographs decorating them. A sewing machine was placed in the corner. Upholstered furniture seemed old but well-maintained, and the table was covered with a beautiful cloth. Flower vases and other trinkets could be seen everywhere. The flat seemed very cosy, and Law could imagine this place loved and cared for. Even though he'd met Mrs Irma only once, she seemed someone familiar to him - probably because of Rosapelo's tales and Ida's information - and now he felt this flat matched her character.
The boy was holding up well, but when they got inside he broke down. He sat on the coach and covered his face with his hands. Law let him cry and tried to not feel guilty for having brought him here. Finally, Rosapelo pulled himself together; he blew up his nose, wiped his tears and said he was fine now. In the end, he only wanted to take his desk, clothes, books and some other personal effects. When Law suggested that they took the pictures, too, he agreed, but nothing else; other items and furniture probably reminded him of his late mother too much. With the use of ROOM, the luggage was transferred to the harbour, then aboard the ship, and later to their new home...
...where they found a commotion and obvious beginning of a party, despite it being only 3 PM. It seemed that, through Usopp and Franky, the rest of the Straw Hats had got to know about Law's move - actually, was the opposite even possible? - and now the majority of them was bustling around the building. Law closed his eyes and then opened them again, but the vision wouldn't disappear. The former Straw Hat crew was really inside his new home, but for some reason the Pirate King himself was absent, which was rather concerning than comforting. Law knew that Luffy had returned to Raftel as soon as the news of the volcanic eruption in the neighbourhood had reached him, and he still hadn't resumed his voyage, hoping for another show, so far in vain.
It took a moment before the Straw Hats, lost in work, noticed the two of them in the doorway.
"Torao-kun!" Nami called, waving at him from the kitchen door. "How could you be so mean and never tell us you were moving? If not for Franky, we would've never known," she added reprovingly.
"I knew, but I didn't tell!" Sanji's voice came from the kitchen, and the next moment the man himself emerged from there in a dance of delight only to kneel before the former navigator and present her a dessert in a glass cup. Law was perfectly certain there hadn't been such dishes, nor any other, in the flat the last time he'd been here. "Nami-swan, cherry-blossom flavoured ice dessert, to emphasise your unrivalled beauty. Ah, you're even more pretty this spring!" he called with affection.
"Thank you, Sanji-kun," Nami replied, accepting the dessert.
"Can I have some, too?" Usopp poked up from behind the railing upstairs, his gaze full of hope. "Hello, Torao! I'm installing the lighting," he explained, waving with the screwdriver in his hand.
"The extras can have some vanilla cream that's left," Sanji informed in a snarly manner, but then he again assumed a blissful expression. "Robin-chwan! Let me bring you a dessert as a refreshment during your work!" he called and moved outside through the garden door in merry leaps.
Law glanced in that direction and saw Robin, who, with the use of her extra hands, was creating the flowerbeds around the house, while herself she was occupied with reading on a lawn chair. Sanji leaned over her in a serving pose and offered the dessert, which she accepted with a smile. A little farther, Zoro was sleeping in the sunlight, resting against the wall; his three swords were lying next to him on the grass. As if sensing the cook's presence, the swordsman opened one eye and, without changing his position, cast him an unfriendly look before resuming his nap.
Brook was hoeing a bush, three of them having been seating by the edge of the garden.
"It's a gift from me," Nami said, coming up to Law. "Some of my tangerine trees. You better take care of them."
"I'm finished, Nami-san!" the skeleton called, wiping his forehead. "I worked myself to the bone. But I'm all bones, yohohoho!" he laughed before lowering his voice. "Nami-san, as a reward, can I see your pants?"
Sanji knocked him out with one kick. "Brook, I won't have you speak to Nami-san that way. Besides, I'm the only one to see her pan-"
The rest of his statement turned into a groan when he was hit by a cup, already empty. Sanji fell on the grass in a pose of suffering and turned his painful face towards Law.
"The kitchen accessories are from me. Every kitchen should be decently equipped, even if you don't use it much. We opened another local, All Baratie: Roger Bay, right in the market square. You're free to dine there as much as you want or order meals home. I happened to overhear your conversation about catering troubles."
"Sanji, you're a man amongst men!" Franky's voice was to be heard from upstairs, and then the cyborg leaned out of the window. "It's a suuuuuuper offer! I wasn't wrong about you. Torao, I made you some furniture so that you didn't need to sleep and sit on the floor."
A sound of clicking - like hooves on the pavement - came from the direction of the hospital, and the next moment none other than the head of the internal medicine department in the Corazon Memorial Hospital jumped over the fence, in his full reindeer form. "Am I very late?!" he asked in a fluster, looking around the present ones, and assumed his daily appearance.
"You're just in time, we're still waiting for Luffy," Nami reassured him, squatting down to hug him. "Long time no see! And look who's here," she waved at the two in the background.
"Robin! Zoro!" Chopper called happily. "When did you come back?"
"Last week," Robin answered, showing him the place next to her that he willingly took. "I thought we would be back before the New Year, but..." She smiled sheepishly.
"No need to guess. Marimo got lost," Sanji said; he'd already got up after Nami's unexpected attack.
"I didn't get lost, you perverted cook," Zoro snapped back, casting him another hostile look. "I just wanted to spend some longer on the South Blue."
"I bet you don't even know where the South Blue is, the biggest lost child in the Grand Line."
"You want to go for it, mister curly eyebrows?" the former first mate of the Straw Hats grabbed his katana.
"Come, you third-rate-swordsman!" the cook replied, raising one leg in the fighting pose.
"Zoro-kun! Sanji-kun! Stop it at once! The children are looking," Nami stopped their advances with a glare.
"Yes, Nami-swan!" Sanji danced around the woman of his life.
"You better bring out some booze," Zoro muttered and rested his back against the wall again.
"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!" came from a distance, growing near with every passing second.
Everyone looked in the direction of the calling, which meant the centre of the island and somewhere up. The next moment Monkey D. Luffy appeared in the garden, as if he'd just fallen from the sky. He landed exactly between the flowerbeds and tangerine trees, which earned him a glare from both Nami and Robin.
"I've come!" the Pirate King announced happily and looked back. "The boys will be here any moment. They weren't fast enough, hahaha!"
"It seemed like you've jumped from the hill," Law said in a cold voice he used to address Straw Hat, once he could talk again.
"That's right. Hi, Torao!"
"Hello, Uncle Torao!" Laelya and Catleya called when their father disentangled them from his arms, and leapt towards Law, who stroke their hair.
"Are we still waiting for anyone?" he asked in a resigned voice.
"My three boys," Luffy replied. "Hancock isn't coming, she stayed with Faran and Boi, but she asked me to say that she wishes you all luck in your new life."
"It sounded like I got married," Law muttered with a sneer.
"You didn't?" Luffy asked in astonishment, shifting his gaze on Rosapelo, who was standing in Law's shadow all this time without a word, which couldn't surprise anyone. "But you have a son...? Where did he come from?"
Law closed his eyes and counted to ten, trying to ignore stifled snorting of Nami and Robin. "Straw Hat, I'm really amazed by the fact you know where the kids come from, after all..."
"More or less," Luffy grinned. "Well, who's the mother? Clione?"
"Clione is a guy," Law replied, astonished by his own patience. Only then he asked himself how Luffy could think that, in the first place.
"Is he...? Ah, right. I forgot, hahaha!" Luffy didn't seem to care much about his mistake. Then he did what no-one had dared to do so far: he approached Rosapelo and extended his hand. "Hi, I'm Luffy, the Pirate King!" he introduced himself.
Rosapelo cast Law a perplexed look and then shook the offered hand. "I'm Pelo," he said softly.
"Pelo, nice to meet. I have three sons in your age, they should be here any moment. Here are my daughters, Laelya and Catleya. So what really happened? Explain it to me, Torao. So that I understand..."
In the end, what should be a cosy evening in a new home turned into a party that, it seemed to Law, half of his employees participated in. Some came only for a moment, to congratulate him on the family and home; others stayed longer, mostly his former crew members. Many people brought gifts to the new flat along with food and drinks. Law had to come to terms with the fact he'd been naive, thinking he could keep a secret about the change that had happened in his life. Tomorrow, everyone probably would read about it in the global newspaper, he decided ironically... and then he stopped bothering about it.
Even though the commotion initially made him dizzy, later, whenever he recalled it, he would feel only nice warmth, for nothing unpleasant happened... once he overlooked the fact that the Pirate King Monkey D. Luffy had descended on his home with his family and crew to throw a big party...
Law briefly told Rosapelo's story both to his colleagues (except for Bepo, Clione and Kaya, very few had known who that boy was and how had he appeared in the life of their director) and the Straw Hats, who immediately accepted the teenager into their hearts. Franky shed a tear over Rosapelo's tragedy and ran to furnish his room. Brook, contributing to the atmosphere with his violin music, dedicated him a farewell song to dear people. Nami, who had a soft spot for children, expressed her sympathy and promised that Rosapelo could always count on her; she also guaranteed him a free pass to the New Piece. Robin gave him several books about history and travelling and offered her company in discussion on interesting topics. Usopp handed him a tool box and a sling of his own making, and wished him to become a brave warrior of the sea one day, while Zoro informed that he didn't have much to do and could help him in his training anytime. Sanji prepared him a special dessert that almost made Luffy's eyes fall out of his head, but the Pirate King had to settle with something less elaborated.
The Pirate King himself said that Rosapelo could visit him whenever he wanted. It was impossible to say if the boy had become friends with Luffy's sons right away - he was too overwhelmed, and besides he had very little contact with his peers for over two months - but at least their company didn't seem to displease him. Laelya and Catleya were clearly enchanted by him and clung to him for the rest of the day, which brought a wry smile on Law's face; he hoped that Luffy would wait some longer with making marriage plans, though...
Party was going on even after it got dark. Sanji provided the guests with delicious dishes and drinks one after another. Franky, whenever he managed to get away from the little work in the house engaging his attention, would sit down with a guitar and plied the gathered with wistful ballads. Most of the time, though, Brook would play happy tunes. Chopper would dance to his music and jump, crying of joy and clasping his hooves. Zoro, Usopp, Penguin, Shachi and Jean Bart formed a drinking circle in the garden; every now and then, raised voices or bursts of laughter could be heard from there, the latter whenever Usopp managed to tell a good joke. Beautiful ladies - Nami, Robin, Ikkaku and Kaya - with their hair pinned up and make-up, wearing evening dresses and jewellery, ganged together... letting Clione join; in regard to dressing, he was no less magnificent. The psychiatrist was wearing a navy dress with a low cut on his back and even higher heels he normally had... and occasionally cast Law come-hitter looks that Law himself tried not to notice.
Luffy accompanied the host all the time, talking about everything and anything, among others giving him advices on bringing up children that Law listened to with one ear and let out with the other. Fortunately, he was saved from the Pirate King's unrestrained affection by Bepo, who kept very close and whom Luffy admired almost as much as he did Law; that way, Luffy's attention was divided between the two of them.
When Laelya and Catleya fell asleep, Senti was very close to it, and his brothers tried to stop yawning, and at least half of the guests were completely drunk, Nami ordered the end of the party. Accepting no words of complaint, she drove all men (except for Clione and the two hosts) into cleaning, which brought the flat to the state from the morning. There was no end of farewells, but finally Law and Rosapelo were left alone in their own home... that appeared strange without the crowd that had gone through it today. (In the morning, they were to find Zoro in the garden, but neither of them knew about it yet).
"Did you have fun?" Law asked, closing the door and locking it, then looked at the boy, who had sat on the chair.
"I don't know... I guess so."
"I think something like that won't happen anytime soon," Law said in a comforting manner and smiled wryly. "And now you got to know all that crazy bunch all in once."
"They seem very nice," Rosapelo said cautiously.
"And they really are so," Law confirmed, and his smile grew wider. "They are good friends."
Rosapelo nodded and yawned.
"Time to sleep?" Law suggested, dimming the light. "It was a long day. And, in a way, very exhausting..."
"No, I want to sit some longer," Rosapelo replied, putting the elbows on the table and resting his chin on the hands, so Law sat next to him.
Neither of them would speak for a while, and the house filled with silence so deep they could hear the sound of waves, coming through the window. A gull cried on the shore, as if something had raised it from sleep, and a barking could be head from the city. The evening was calm and quite warm, although the spring chill could still be sensed. The air was smelling of fresh soil and wood. Law thought that this setting didn't make it hard to believe his life had really started anew.
"Law-san...?" Rosapelo finally spoke.
"Yes?"
"This... isn't a dream, right?"
"You think either of us could see such a crazy dream?" Law replied with a question. "I certainly couldn't."
Rosapelo shook his head... and then his lips twitched in a promise of smile. "Me neither," he said, but his words were hesitant when he added, "I hope it won't vanish when the morning comes..."
Law put one hand on his hair. "It won't," he warranted. "Franky's building can survive any cataclysm."
And this time Rosapelo giggled. Law looked at him with affection and asked himself what he had done to deserve such happiness.
"We'll enjoy living here, Pelo," he said.
"Yes," the boy who had become his son agreed. "Thank you, Law-san."
"Silly boy. There's nothing to thank me for."
So Rosapelo said no more, only nodded. 'It's me who should thank you,' Law thought, as they kept sitting by the table in the living-room, as if they didn't want to interrupt that magic moment: the first of the countless evenings in their home.