Cuts and Worry

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Trigger warning

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"Daddy, why is Momma crying? Did I do something wrong?" She tugged on her father's pants' leg. All she had done was ask her mother a question. She had asked her if she was happy about the picture she and drawn of their family.

Her father crouched down to her height with her brother in his arms. He smiled at her as if he was hiding something. "No, honey. You didn't do anything wrong. She's just...having a moment. She is crying with happiness." Ash felt as if he was lying. But her parents never lied to her, right?

"Ash, dear, come here for a second," her mother called. Ash gave her a worried look. Her mother was smiling at her with tears falling down her cheeks. Slowly, Ash let go of her father's shoulders and walked over to her mother. She took her in her arms and cried on her shoulder. Something was off about her.

"Momma, is something wrong? Are you okay?" Ash wrapped her arms around her. She fisted her mother's long, dark-brown hair. She heard her father leave the room with her brother in his arms.

"You know I love you, right?" This was something she wasn't expecting from her.

"Yes. I love you, too. I love Daddy and Cedric, too." Her mother shook with her sobs.

"I wouldn't give you up for anything in the world." She didn't understand what her mom was talking about. It was strange.

"Momma, is something going on?" Her mother's grip tightened on her. "Momma?"

"I never cared what they said to me. I wanted to keep you and your father let me make that decision." A kiss was placed on the side of her head. "You are a wonderful gift that God bestowed upon me. You are the best thing that came into my life." Another kiss was placed on her head in the same spot. I love you so much. So very, very much. You probably don't understand what I'm talking about now, but you will at some point. Just know that your father and I love you so very much. I don't care what other say about you." Ash was confused. But her mother had been right. She found out years later, after she was murdered, what her mother had meant.

"I'm the product of a rape," she whispered as she looked at some papers. They told her what her mother was talking about at the time. It hurt but tears of happiness came to her eyes. Her mother and father loved her even though she was the product of a crime.

...

She opened her eyes to see a grey, metal ceiling above her. It wasn't pink. Thank God. Ash touched her face. It was wet with tears that were shed in her dream. She sat up and looked out the window. It was still dark outside and she felt sad.

Getting up, she walked to the door. Before opening it, she took a deep breath. She left the room and went to find the kitchen. Where is it? I need something from there kitchen. Taking her time, she was able to find the kitchen. It took her a little more then ten minutes to find it.

Getting to a drawer, she searched through it. Picking up a small paring knife, she quietly shut the drawer. Ash put the knife in her pocket before leaving to find the bathroom. That took her about five minutes to find.

In the bathroom, Ash studied her surroundings. There was a towel rack to her right, a row of showers to her left, and about three tubs in front of her. Hm. Must be an actual bathroom since there is no toilet. Turning around, she locked the door behind her.

Ash walked over to one of the shower. She took off her shirt and undid the bandages from her torso and arms. There were scars on her arms from the last she did this. Taking off her pants and underwear, she turned on the water to the shower.

As the water ran down her body, she reached into her pants' pocket and brought out the knife. Ash sat down on the ground. She closed her eyes as she lifted the knife. Slowly, she started to drag the knife across the skin of her right leg. Blood bubbled up to the surface before being washed away by the water of the shower. It was routine.

Many more cuts followed after that. A few cuts to both of her legs, some to each of her arms, some to her stomach, and a couple to her chest above her breasts. The feeling of lightheadedness came across her. She kept going even when she heard a knock on the door.

"Ash, are you in there? Captain wants to know if you are okay." That sounded like a female. She had never seen a female on the ship but it didn't bother her at the moment.

"Y-Yeah." Another slice to her stomach. "I'm just showering. Could you give me a bit?" There was movement outside the door. Another slice below her collarbone.

A few minutes later, the knob to the door jiggled. She was even more lightheaded then before. Her vision was also blurry. "Ash-ya? Open the door. How long have you been in there?" She didn't answer him at first. She slowly turned her blurry gaze to the door. She blinked slowly twice at the door.

"I'm fine. Don't...Don't worry about me." She looked back to the water. There was red mixing with the clear water. It made it a lovely pinkish colour. "Don't come in. I'm...I'm naked." She thought back to Doflamingo walking in on Baby 5 bathing her. "He doesn't understand privacy." She sliced at her shoulder. "I'll...be okay." Another cut to her right side.

A minute passed before she heard the lock click, letting her know it was open. She didn't pay it any attention. "Ash! What are you doing?!" Someone came running up to her and grabbed her hand that held the knife. "Captain! Prepare some blood!"

"N-No. Don't come in." She gave off a shudder. The feeling of eyes on her made her try to struggle away. Her movements were sluggish and held no real effort. "T-The eyes. Get him to go away."

She was let go and the woman rushed away from her. The knife was dropped to the floor at the movement. The woman came back and wrapped something fluffy around her. Ash looked down and saw red seep out of a white fabric. She was lifted bridal-style and carried out of the room. Looking up, she saw a woman with curly black hair and a colourful hat on her head toting her.

"Where are we going? I'm fine." She lifted a hand and saw red plastered on her palm. "Hm. See? I'm not dead yet." The woman looked increasingly worried for her. That confused her. It was strange look for someone she didn't know. "Why are you worried? I said not to worry. I'll be fine. This happens all the time."

She was brought to a room. It looked like an operating room. "Captain, do you know her blood type?" Ash moved to were she could see Law. He was searching for something on the other side of the room. There was something off about him. The woman set her on the table-like bed.

"No. I need to take a sample to check. Get her to hold still."

Ash raised her hand. "How about this? Will this blood do?" She knew that she sounded strange to them. "I wish Fox was here." The thought of her best friend made tears come to her eyes. "I might never see him again."

Law came over to her with a needle. She tried to focus on one of him. It was hard where there were three. "Ash-ya, I need you to stay still. I'm going to take a sample of your blood to see what type of blood you have." Ash nodded and removed her right arm from inside the towel.

"Here. Do what you need to." The three Laws nodded at her. She closed her eyes as the needle was stuck in her arm. After a few seconds, it was removed. She opened her eyes and watched Law moved back to the other side of the room.

"Do you know?" Ash looked to the female in the room. She reached out her hand to her. Ahs grabbed her arm.

"Who are you?" she asked as she tried to focus her sight on her. Like Law, it was hard when you couldn't tell which one was her when there was two of the woman.

"My name is Rin." Rin smiled at her. Ash didn't like the look. It made her look away.

"Please. Don't pity me. I don't need you pity." Ash sat up and brought the towel with her. She moved it to where her arms were out of it but it was wrapped around her torso. "I'm not helpless." She scrunched her face up. "I hate that. People pity me because I look weak." Ahs knew she looked angry. "I'm no weak." A dizzy spell hit her. She laid back down. "Please, don't pity me." Rin nodded.

"Hm. This is interesting." Law looked over to Rin. "Do we still have some blood from when Straw Hat-ya was here?" Rin looked confused before nodding. "Go get it. She has the same blood as him."

Rin left for a minute before returning with a red bag. "What blood type is she?"

"F." Ash was confused. That wasn't something she had heard before. What blood type is that? "Help me. I'll stick it in her arm while you set it up." Rin nodded. Ash watched them move. Law took her right arm an dstarted to stick it in.

She quickly grabbed his arm. Tears were in her eyes. They spilled over when he looked up at her. "I'm sorry, Law. I didn't mean to upset or scare anyone." Law looked worried fo her. He stuck the needle in her as Rin hung the bag up. "It's strange." She watched Law whisper to Rin. The woman agreed before leaving.

"What's strange?" Law bought a chair up to sit beside her. "I'm going to have to clean your cuts." He gave her a serious look. "Do I have your permission to remove the towel to clean your wounds?"

Mulling it over for a moment, Ash nodded. Law slowly removed the towel. She looked down to see blood all over her torso,'t l legs, and arms. "You asked what is strange?" Law nodded. "People being worried about me."

"Don't you have friends or family that worry about you?" He got up and went back to the back of the room.

"I only have one friend back home and that is Fox." She thought about her family. "My family is dead." She heard him stop moving around for a split second.

"I'm sorry to hear that." There it was again. Pity. She made a fist.

"Don't pity me," she said through gritted teeth.

"My apologies. I didn't mean to offend you." Ahs sighed. She wasn't angry at him.

"It's fine. I just don't like being looked down upon." He came back with a rag and a bottle of clear liquid.

"Did the water bother your back?" Ash thought about it. She actually felt nothing when it happened.

"No. I didn't even feel the pain of the slices." She was quiet for a moment. "It always happens when I do it. I block out everything." Ahs raised her hand to where she could look at it. Law started to clean the blood off of her. "Pain is not something I can feel properly."

"What do you mean?" He wiped away the blood and cleaned her wounds at the same time. "Do you feel this?"

"Sort of. What I mean is that, at times, pain seems nonexistent." Law continued to clean her scratches. "It started to happen after my family...died." She didn't fully trust him enough to tell him the truth about her parents. Law said nothing to her.

About fifteen minutes later, Law was finished with cleaning and bandaging her. Rin came back with some clothes for her. Ash dressed and Law put the needle back in her arm. He asked her to stay on the bed. She agreed and stayed lying on the bed.

Suddenly, Bepo came running into the room. "Is she okay?! I heard that Ash is hurt!" The bear looked over to her. She smiled.

"I'm fine, Bepo. Just a few cuts and scrapes." Bepo seemed to calm down a little. She got him to come to her and she grabbed his hand. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

Law tapped he on her shoulder. She turned to look at him. "Would you like to tell Doflamingo?" she nodded. Getting up, Ash followed Law out of the room with the bag of blood in tow. He guided her to the office from the day before.

He called Doflamingo back using his snail. It still fascinated her. After a minute, someone answered. "Law, are you calling me to say that you will hand her over?" Ahs regretted saying she wanted to speak to him.

Law handed the speaker to her. She grabbed it. "Doflamingo?" There was silence for a moment.

"Fuffuffu. Speaking. Who are you? Is Law tricking me?" Ash remembered that she had never spoke when she was on the island with him.

Swallowing some saliva, she started to tell him. "This is Ash. Law told you that I would speak to you today." All she wanted to do was hand up on him. The man scared her and disturbed her at the same time.

"Ash, dear, why did you leave us? Haven't we provided you enough? Is there something wrong?" There was silence for another moment. "Did I upset you? Was I too forward with you?" The feeling of the kiss on her cheek made her shiver with disgust.

"Um..." She had to take a minute to remember what she wanted to say. "I am sorry for leaving but I simply don't trust you." Law raised his eyebrow. She didn't want to tell him that he reminded her or her boss. "Please. Don't come after me or Law.' She took a deep breath. "And, yes. You did upset me."

There was a grunt of what sounded like anger on the other side of the speaker. "Law, what did you do to here? She sounds exhausted. If you touched her in any way, I will rip your throat out and cut your hands off." That made her worry.

"What are you talking about? I haven't done anything to her," he replied as he took the speaker back. Ash was scared for her new friends and what the man might do to them.

"Leave him out of this, Doflamingo," Ash said as she took it away from him. "I left with him of my own accord. I just asked if he could take me with him. He has done nothing wrong." Law went to grab it from her. She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and held him at arm's length. "Law is just taking me away from you."

"Ash, my dear, I will find you. Fuffuffu. And when i do, you will be with me forever after telling me all about yourself." Anger rose up in her. Law hadn't moved since she grabbed him. She ground her teeth together.

"Who would want to live in a place where they are watched every moment of every day? That is what you were doing to me. I am a free woman. You are not the ruler of me." Her voice lowered to a dangerous tone. "If you date hurt Law because of me, I will never forgive you and I will personally see that you die." She put the speaker on the back of the snail. Letting go of Law, she walked over to the wall and punched it. It put a dent in the metal.

"Ash-ya? Are you okay?" He came up to her. Her world was spinning but she sat down before she fell.

"Yeah. I'm fine." She ran a hand through her short, dirty blond hair. "Where do you have to be in a month and what are you planning to do?" Law smiled at her and began to explain his plan to her. She agreed to it and they started to strategize for the future. Maybe I can stay with him a little while longer. His plan should help me feel better. Maybe he can help me get back home when this is over.

Hope you like the new chapter. Thank you for the support. Please, tell me what you think. Have a great day. Tatty-bye!

satansweetsibling - I love that you love the story. And no. Her ability is not like the door-door fruit. She can make portals to different places and dimensions. It is just something she was born with. She can also communicate with animals. You are also welcome. Please, have a great day.