By some kind of miracle I finished this chapter...

Just so you guys know... I will finish this story. I'll try posting a new chapter every week or so, depending on how much time I have.

Hope you enjoy and sorry for the wait!

"You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star."

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Thesa woke up early in the morning. It was not her usual style, but she was freaking out a little. It was her first official day as a member of The Heart Pirates. She didn't count the day before, with trying to kill the captain, with moving her things in her new room and arranging everything. That was pre-joining. But now she was all settled and ready.

But what should she wear?

She had already made her hair a vibrant green, short and cute, ending just below her jaw. She opted for the same striking color for her eyes. Now the clothes should be somewhat non-descript, so she wouldn't end up a freaking rainbow.

She chose a pair of long black pants and a white sleeveless T-shirt. As she picked a grey hoodie, she thought she could improve it. Thesa picked one of the discarded cardboard boxes and proceeded to cut it apart. Nori yawned lazily from her pillow while watching Thesa's hands work their magic. When she was done with the design, she searched for a can of spray paint that she got from her ship. Taking care not to get any where she didn't want to, she sprayed it on the cardboard. When she was done, the hoodie had the crew's logo on its back. She smiled, pleased with her work.

Passing a quick glance at the mirror, she left her room, panther on her heels. Now for the hard part: finding the dining hall. The yellow submarine was a maze, no exaggeration. Every door, wall, floor and ceiling was made of the same metal, same design. Thesa had a vague idea to where the room she was looking for was, but she still had to back up a few times and make a right turn instead of left. Bu the time she reached her destination she was fairly certain that she was actually supposed to walk a straight line, no turns at all.

The dining hall was full, chatter being heard all the way from the stairs. Thesa entered warily. Maybe she shouldn't have changed her appearance so dramatically. Heads turned her way, mouths hung agape confirming her thoughts.

"Thesa! Over here!" Erin's over enthusiastic voice struck the noise of the crowd and drew Thesa over to their table. They were sitting in the same formation: scarf-guy, the cook and Ryan on one side, Penguin and Erin on the other. The mechanic slid next to the petite red head, Nori sprawling on the floor next to her.

"Good morning, guys."

"Good morning, Theresa. How was your first night aboard?" Scarf-guy, who was wearing a red and blue stripped scarf, meticulously twisted around his neck, peered into her eyes as if waiting to catch her with a lie. What was his name anyway, something with an 'S'?

"I fell asleep right after my head hit the pillow."

"Well, it's understandable. You had such a full day." The cook said as he placed a plate in front of her and dared to set the other on the ground next to Nori who didn't even flinch. She did that when humans were scared, as if she knew fast movements would only unnerve them further.

"Oh, I never thanked you for clearing the room I'm using. Thanks a lot. You really didn't have to."

"The captain asked us to-"

"Shut up, Sam! It was no problem, Thesa. It didn't even take us long." Erin smiled and the world seemed a little sunnier. Thesa wondered briefly if it was some kind of Devil Fruit ability. The cuteness-overload power. At full potential it would allow the user to enslave the minds of lesser humans and make them do her bidding. She shook the thought away.

"Nevertheless, I am grateful."

"Do you need help with arranging our things?"

"Oh, no. I already placed most of them." She took a bite out of the strange looking food in her plate and her taste buds exploded with delight. Erin giggled besides her.

"Aww, look Micha. She likes your cooking."

"Like? I love this! What is it?"

"Ha ha, why thank you, dear. I made it especially for you. It's a recipe passed down in my family. It's basically chocolate and almonds. But prepared with love and dedication and a technique only known by me that I will some day pass down to my son."

The table went silent for a moment. The cook's eyes were burning with passion, his fist pressed to his chest. Thesa blinked a few times, fork held mid-air. The sweet smell reached her nose and she recovered, moaning a little at the magical taste. More giggles and snickers sounded around the table. The guy could pass the recipe to whoever he wanted as long as she got more of the fabulous cake.

The conversation around the table went on as Thesa half listened, her attention being on the rest of the crew she was yet to properly get acquainted with. People were sending glances her way and she wasn't sure if they were merely curious or distrustful. But then again, they didn't really know her; they would've been stupid if they did trust her on the spot. Thesa was pretty sure not even the 5 lovely pirates at her table trusted her, but they were trying hard to make her feel like she belonged.

"What do you guys do all day around here?" Thesa found herself asking before she really thought about it, the words leaving her mouth abruptly. Erin answered her in a heartbeat.

"Well, it depends from person to person. When we travel we hang out mostly. Micha tries out new dishes, Sam makes clothes as a hobby, Penguin usually helps Shachi in the engine room or Bepo in the control room." Erin's checks reddened as her eyes locked with the muscular pirate. "You can find Ryan most days in the training room." The young man had a sheepish look, his big hand ruffling the hair on the back of his head. Yes, there was definitely something going on there. If anyone asked Thesa, the two of them were rather cute together, both shy and adorable, him - a tall, broad chested gladiator, her - a petite curvy nymph.

"What about you, Erin?" Saying her name gave Thesa an odd satisfaction, like she was proving herself to the woman that she indeed remembered her name. She couldn't say the same for the rest of them. Well, except Penguin, but the guy wore his 'name' on his head.

"She helps everyone around. She's one second here, the next she's someplace else. Like a tireless little working bee." Scarf-guy waved his hand around like the red head was wrong in doing so. The girl let out an exasperated sigh at which the guy smiled mischievously.

"You say that like it's bad thing… Anyway, regardless of what I do in my free time, the captain changed course, so everyone is on their toes right now."

"Oh, where to?"

"No one knows. We were initially headed towards Fishman Island." Penguin answered nonchalantly as if this was not the first time their captain didn't tell them where they were going.

"Does he usually not tell us our destination? Or is there something special this time?"

"Well, he never makes a big deal out of it. We usually find out from Bepo, but no one's seen him."

"Aren't you worried?" Five heads turned towards here, eyeing her like she had spontaneously grown five heads.

"About what?"

"I don't know… that maybe he's taking us somewhere we don't want to go? What if he gets an idea of breaking a friend from Impel Down? Or declaring war against the Celestial Dragons?"

"What if he did that?" It was Thesa's turn to look at them like they were missing some of their faculties.

"Are you saying no one, not one of the pirates of this crew, would even consider leaving the captain if all that awaited then at his side was certain doom?"

"Well, maybe some would think about it. But, Thesa, we're pirates, outlaws. We live dangerously because we chose to." Scarf-guy was serious, all the glee he previously had gone.

"Besides, most of us owe the captain." Muscles added, his voice deep and vibrant. Was his name Ryan? She would bet a lot of money on Ryan.

"What do you mean owe him?" She lifted a green eyebrow, wondering if Law blackmailed all his crew into joining. It didn't seem so far-fetched, but his crew seemed not to fear or even despise him. If anything, they looked ready to kiss the ground he walked upon. They probably would if the asked them to.

"It's not like we're serving out a sentence, Thesa. Nor is it as if we're repaying a debt. But the captain has saved most of us from one thing or another, or offered us a chance to fulfill a dream." Penguin smiled as if he was rememorizing the moment he joined the crew. Thesa was not entirely sure she understood. If Law was so generous and loving, why had he obligated her to join? Not that she really minded, she wanted to try something else besides being a mercenary. But still, he'd been kind of a jerk to bring up the fact that she owed him and that she had no real say on the matter.

"You seem unconvinced. Take me for example. I tried joining a crew for the better part of a year and no one would take me because, well, I'm small and a woman." The frustration was obvious in her voice. "They didn't even spare me second look, and the ones who did… had other expectations of me. But then I stumbled upon the Heart Pirates and the captain asked me what I was good at and why I wanted to become a pirate. He looked at me like at any other sailor longing for the sea."

"All of us feel like we belong here. And that is mostly because of our captain. He created the Heart Pirates and he decides who joins and who doesn't."

"And who is banished." They were probably referring to the last mechanic. Thesa sighed.
"You make him sound so… noble. But what is he after? What are his ambitions?" The pirates gave her angry looks.

"If you truly want to join this crew and make friends here, I suggest you stop being so suspicious about the captain! Come on Micha, let's go." Scarf-guy looped his arm around the cook's and dashed away from the dining hall. There silence was deafening, until Thesa broke it.

"I want to be part of the crew. If the rest are half as nice as you have been so far, I want to be in no other place. It's just…"

"Just what?"

"He's called 'The Surgeon of Death' and I've seen his power. He could probably part all of us from our limbs and do it while laughing. It's gonna take more than a few sob stories to make me trust the guy."

"You're called 'Widowmaker'."

"And 'Breaker of men'."

"'Soulsnatcher'."

"And we've accepted you regardless."

"Besides, didn't he save that little boy you came with months ago?"

"He did…"

"See! He does that. He especially has a soft spot for kids."

Thesa wanted to contradict them, tell them that their hero of a captain only saved the boy because he had an agenda. But she couldn't bring herself to shatter the proud and happy looks on their faces. Who knew? Maybe Law was actually a nice guy… She almost burst out with laughter. Law, the friendly neighborhood pirate. Hilarious!

Her eyes found him at the table she'd always seen him sit at, the man with the dark sunglasses at his side. Could he be playing a role, too, much like she had all those years? A terrible mask of death to hide insecurities and pain? As if sensing her eyes on him, his steel-gray orbs landed on her. They stared at each other, poker faces in play, until his eyes traveled lower and a wicked smile crept on his handsome face. She shivered a bit, feeling like a lab rat under observation and somehow knew he was interested in her wiring not her boobs. She was not sure what to think about that if it were true. One on hand, it was great he was not terrified of what might come out of her metal arm. On the other hand, she was kind of sad her flesh wasn't granted as much interest. She was sick of people paying attention to only one or the other. She was both, why couldn't people see that?

Momentarily distracted by her own thoughts, Thesa only noticed Law was missing from his spot when Penguin and Ryan excused themselves. Apparently they had some sparring session to get to. That left Thesa and Nori alone with Erin. The young woman smiled sweetly at her. This was the perfect opportunity.

"Erin, can I ask you to do something for me?"

"Sure, Thesa. All you have to do is ask."

"It's not big of a deal… it's just… I'm really bad with names and…" The redhead giggled, her hand raised to cover her mouth.

"Say no more. I had a hard time remembering everyone's names when I joined. And there weren't even ten people on the crew then."

"So, you'll help me put names to the faces?"

"Sure, don't worry. I'll make sure to remind you their names until you get them."

"Thanks a lot. You're the best." Thesa smiled genuinely; one thing less to worry about. Erin waved her hand, dismissing the idea that she was actually doing anything for her. Thesa noted the faint blush on the girl's cheeks. Damn woman was a nice to a fault, the good Samaritan from all the stories you were told as a child. How ever did she end up being a pirate? She was the kind of person you found married to her childhood friend, living in the suburbs of a quiet town, with two kid by the age of 25. It kind of made Thesa wonder what was her deal. Was she ridiculously powerful? Did she get a bloodlust when in battle, completely changing her personality? Double personality? Some mental problems? Perhaps something less dramatic… family 'business'? Followed a lover?

"So, you have any plans for the day?" The redhead brought her out of her thoughts. Thesa realized she had been starring intensely at the woman besides her and felt her cheeks burning up.

"Hmm, no, umm, not really. I should probably get a better look at the engine room at some point… I was also thinking of at least trying to blend in more with the crew."

"Oh, you're finally getting a boiler suit?"

"Heavens no! I mean no offense, but I still find it ugly."

"You'll warm up to it sooner or later, just wait." What was it with that suit? Did the captain brainwash every last one of them?
"Err, doubt it. I was actually thinking about getting a tattoo." Erin pursed her lips and watched her for a few seconds. The redhead wore her heart on her sleeves, the confusion she was feeling plainly painted on her face. "What? Something wrong with that? Do I have to earn them or something?"

"No, no. It's just odd to me that you'd do something so… permanent when you don't seem entirely convinced that joining us was a good idea." It's not like she had a choice in the matter, but now that she was here she wanted to make the most of it.

"I'd rather tattoo myself than wear that orange suit every day."

"You don't have to wear it every day. It's not glued to our skin"

"Still, a tattoo seems better somehow. I always wanted one. Plus, it won't be anything grand, just a cute, small logo."

"Well, I can take you to the infirmary, the captain is probable there." Erin must have seen Thesa pale at the mention of Law. "He's the one that usually does the tattoos. You didn't know that?"

"How was I supposed to know?"

"Oh, well, does it matter?"

"Umm, yes? No. I don't know." Did it? She really didn't feel like letting the captain anywhere near her skin. But he did seem professional to some degree.

"Come on. It will be fine. He's good at it, you won't feel a thing. And you said you wanted something small so it want take too long either."

"Ok?" Before she knew it, Erin had looped her hand around her flesh one and was leading her out of the dining hall. She head Nori let out a small growl at no one in particular. The panther had probably dozed off and was alarmed when the two of them took off without warning.

Corridor after freaking corridor, Thesa was becoming sure she needed a map of the place. She was never going to learn her way if people were always showing her around or if she backed up a hundred times before she got the way right. Sooner than she expected, Erin paused them before a door – plain metal as most of them.

"Here we are. Have fun!"

"Wait, you're not staying?" The look on the redhead's face was pure grief. It almost made Thesa feel guilty for asking, for having the nerve to put her in suck a position as to decline.

"I'm really sorry. I promised Jean I was going to help today."

"No, it's okay. Don't worry."

"Are you sure? We can come back later if you want."

"No, no, it's fine, really. I won't be alone anyway. I have Nori with me." The young woman eyed the panther. She didn't look scared, but rather contemplating.
"You know the captain doesn't bite, yes?"

"The same cannot be said about Nori." Thesa grinned but Erin didn't seem all that amused.
"Okay then... I'll see you later. I'll want to see the tattoo." Her demeanor quickly returned to her happy go lucky state. Waving at her as she turned and descended the stairs back the way they came. Thesa made a mental note of that for when she would leave the infirmary – take the stairs one level down. Taking a deep breath she knocked on the door.

"Yes?" She cursed a little under her breath realizing she was hoping he was not in there. She pushed the door open anyway and entered the room. He was sitting on a desk chair, his hat on the table before him besides an opened newspaper. Damn, he looked even hotter with his dark hair slightly messed up. He rolled the chair around on its wheels and his sharp eyes landed on her. She was fairly certain they sparked a bit when he saw her. Smirk in play, he leaned back in the chair that was now facing her.

"What brings you here, little mechanic?"

"So, umm, I was thinking of getting the crew's logo tattooed…and, umm, I was told I could get it done here… from you…"

"Is that so?" He chuckled, but it sounded somewhat dark and menacing in her ears. Nori, though, jumped on a bed and was resting peacefully, not a care in the world. "I get it that you like it here after all, Frey-ya?"

"Don't make me turn around and leave, please. Let's just get this done with." Law's expression got serious as he regarded her for a long while.
"It doesn't sound like you really want one. Better if you come back when you're completely sure." He had cornered her into joining his stupid crew and now that she was actually doing something to be a part of said crew, he was sending her away?

"It's not the tattoo I have a problem with…" The smile that had vanished from his face reappeared in full force. He was infuriating! And why was he so darn cute with bed head. Did he look like that every morning? "Will you do it or not?"

"But how could I refuse? Where would you like it?"

"I was thinking on the wrist. I heard it hurts more than in other places, but I always wanted one here."

"Very well. Take a seat there." He gestured at the chair in the back of the room. She made her way to it slowly and took a seat. Her knees were shaking nervously. Was it too late to back out? But instead of making a run for it, she watched Law with interest. He had taken out a large metal box and placed it on the table besides them, then proceeded to slip white rubber gloves on his hands. Her nerves calmed a bit as she watched him do his thing, taking the tattoo machine out and setting some colors and placing a new needle. He then rolled his chair besides her and took her wrist without warning.

"H-hey!" She tried pulling her hands back but he lifted his eyes to hers with a bored expression. "Sorry. You just startled me." He went on examining her wrist and applying something on it, which was most likely sanitary alcohol. He picked up a line drawing from the box at his feet and pressed it on her skin. When the sheer paper was off, the logo was in place on her writs. Well, at least its skeleton drawing.

"Is the size alright?"

"Yeah, it's perfect." Without another word he brought the needle to her skin. His grip on her hand tightened to make sure it would stay in place. And she was glad he did, because the second he started her first instinct was to cradle her hand to her chest.

It hurt. Not so incredible bad that it would make her cower in fetal position and cry, but it was no mosquito bite either. Which was actually preferable. After the whole ordeal she would end up with more than itchy skin. Mosquitoes were the worst, in close tie with cockroaches. And pretty much all insects and some fish.

Thesa watched Law work. It was remarkable how he'd change when he was at work. His creepy demeanor would be replaced with an unwavering confidence, that was supported by skill and what she thought might be passion. He truly liked what he was doing. But why didn't that apply to his pirate status? He clearly enjoyed being a doctor, and apparently a tattooist, too. He could've chosen either profession and earned enough to make a decent living. With his Devil Fruit powers, people from all over the world would've paid good money to have him cure them. And even without his powers, talented surgeons were quite rare.

The infirmary was filled with the soft buzzing of the tattoo machine. The needle made a quick motion of up and down, filling the small logo with black ink. It was mesmerizing to Thesa. At half way through the tattoo the pain didn't bother her so much. It didn't hurt any less, but she got used to it partially. But more fascinating than the expanding pitch-black ink was the captain. He was so focused, so dedicated to the task at hand. He made no attempt of questioning her about her 'condition', nor did he even lift his eyes to seek her metal appendage. It reminded her of the day he stitched her shoulder wound. Why was he so irresistible in moments like those? Maybe because it was somewhat akin to seeing a veiled part of him, a face he didn't usually wore, but didn't exactly hide either. A piece of his soul, poured into the things that he was passionate about. It made him look like a real person, not some pirate-monster the marines made up to scare the masses. 'Surgeon of Death' they dubbed him, but he looked nothing like a killer.

He would gently wipe her skin from time to time, removing the excessive ink from the logo tattoo. Once it was clear she wasn't going to move away, his grip on her hand had loosened, barely a touch. Thesa wished in a moment of weakness for the white gloves to disappear, for his skin to be on hers, gently caressing.

"All done." She almost jumped out of the chair. Law eyed her suspiciously, but, entirely out of character, said nothing on the matter. He cleaned her skin and wrapped her wrist in fresh bandages. "You have to come back tomorrow so I can change those."

"Yeah, of course." She got out of the chair and thanked all the sea gods her legs were not as wobbly as they felt. She watched him throw away the gloves and needle and place the tattoo kit back in its box. He was being odd. No creepy smile, no weird sparkle in his eyes, not even a mention about her being a cyborg. She was starring at the back of his head, wondering if she should push her luck and ask, or just walk out, when he broke the silence.

"You need anything else?"

"Well, since you asked, I was curious where are we headed to, captain?"

"Marine HQ."

"WHAT?" He was making fun of her. Right? Law gestured for her to come closer and slid the newspaper to his right so she'd get a better view of it. The main page showed a picture of Ace. He was to be executed in a couple of days. Such a bold move for the navy to bring forth the wrath of the Whitebeard Pirates. She wouldn't have cared much for the news, though, if the person being executed was some other pirate. "Oh, no…"

"You know Fire Fist?"

"'Know' if a bit of a stretch, but he helped be once. Nori had an injured paw so I went alone. I ended being ganged up by some brutes. One moment I was waiting for them to start beating me, the next they were scorched on the ground. We spent the night drinking and breaking things." Thesa smiled at the memory. She never crossed paths with Ace again, but that one time was more than enough to tell her he was a decent guy. He had saved her without knowing who she was, that alone was remarkable seeing as how most people would've just seen to their own business. He asked nothing in return afterwards which was another kind of noble. Then, even drunk, he made no passes at her. No ridiculous pick-up lines, no flirting. Just two people enjoying the rum and the sound of breaking glass. All in all, Thesa was sure there were worst pirates out there the marine could've used to set an example for the rest. Because a public execution was just that – a warning, a reminder to the pirates that they were being hunted down.

"Well, either way, we're going there to help." Law's deep voice made her eyes leave Ace's picture from the paper. She looked at the captain for a long moment, brown furrowing just slightly. What was Law's end game?

"Why are you helping him? I didn't think you were allies with Whitebeard…"

"We're not."

"Then… why?"

"It may help my plans… on the long run."

She stared at him, long and good as he took the paper away from her folded it. He was handsome, there was no news to that, but she realized he was also somewhat broken. He would smile, but his eyes would remain hollow. What was so important that he wanted to achieve? Surely he was not after the mythical One Piece, like most of the pirates. Whatever it was he desired, it was becoming clearer and clearer he was willing to wade slaughter.

"Everything is about meeting your goal with you, isn't it?"

"It's more of a promise than a goal, but yes. I've sworn to do it and I will."

It's pass 4 am... I ain't ding no spell check... *snooze*

Ah, about wade slaughter ... I find it as translation for a saying in my language, but when I try searching for an explanation of the actual wade slaughter ... Google comes up with nothing. It's supposed to mean unscrupulous in reaching one's goal. Can anyone tell me if that is the actual English saying? Or if I used it right? Because all Google gives me is profiles, probably phony ones, of people called Wade Slaughter... *sweat drop*

Anyhows... hope you guys still like this story. [ I feel like there was something else I wanted to mention... *falls asleep on keyboard* ]

*hugs & cookies for everyone*