Hearts

Chapter Twelve

Treacherous Tattoos

Der Verrat liegt im Detail

The next weekend Law finally moved in with Kidd. They had hardly seen each other over the course of the last week – Law's schedule at the hospital was pretty crazy, and Kidd had some important business within the Galleya-Company. So Law enjoyed his last week of freedom. He didn't really feel like leaving his independence behind, but when he had told Nami that he would move in with his current lover and wouldn't need to pay rent she was immediately on the case and started calculating his new financial situation. Apparently moving in with Kidd gave him a realistic chance of paying off his dept. Also Nami and Sanji were pretty psyched about the fact that he would be living with them as part of the Galleya Company. He was also looking forward to finally spending some more time with his old clique. He actually missed his friends.

On the downside he had to share a room with Kidd. He no longer had a refugium of his own. Even if he felt uncomfortable sharing his personal space, he knew that it would be only temporary, maybe one or two years. He would live with Kidd as long as it was necessary. Until his dept would be paid off, or until Kidd found out about his whole ordeal with Doflamingo and threw him out. Or until Kidd got tired of him, but he was pretty confident that that wasn't going to happen soon. As it seemed Kidd was pretty infuriated with him. Well, he wasn't complaining. And finally it seemed like they found some kind of balance in their messed up relationship. He finally got the feeling that Kidd respected him more, that there was more equality.

Law smiled wistfully and packed the last of his boxes. Kidd was supposed to pick him up in a few minutes.

For some reason he felt like everything was finally coming to an end. Moving in with Kidd meant for him that the day where he would finally have to face Doflamingo came closer. His clock was ticking. He felt like he was coming up at a crossroad and each option he could choose from would inevitably lead to Doflamingo. Moving in with Kidd was just an interlude on his rocky road to hell.

But nevertheless he was looking forward to moving in with Kidd. He still had some major doubts about the man, for example Kidd's possessive and aggressive behavior, his crazy impulsive decisions and his cruel side. He had witnessed how Kidd hat unleashed the beast that lived within him. He was lucky that Kidd's fury had never been directed at him. And the one day he would ultimately betray Kidd, he would be hopefully out of his range.

Law sighed, sat on the kitchen counter, skimmed through a medical journal and waited for Kidd. He was halfway through the magazine when Kidd finally showed up.

"What took you so long?" Law wanted to know when the red haired man came in to greet him.

"There was a last minute job for the Company."

"You couldn't have called?" Law complained, just for the fun of riling Kidd up.

"Thought you didn't mind."

"I prefer if people would show up in time, so I don't waste any."

"Is it just me or are you extremely difficult today?"

"Would you rather like me easy?"

"You know damn well I ain't likin my guys easy." Kidd grinned. Apparently Kidd was in a way to good mood to get seriously riled up today. It probably had something to do with him finally moving in with Kidd. Since he had agreed to live with Kidd the man had been in an insufferable good mood.

"Well, Eustass-ya, make it up for being late and carry these boxes. They are quite heavy, since I own nothing but books."

"Oh yeah? You call this heavy?" Kidd joked while he picked up two boxes at once.

"Show off."

They kept on bickering for the half an hour Kidd needed to stash all of Law's belongings in the huge truck parked in front of the shabby apartment building.

Their ride to the Galleya grounds was rather quiet. Law didn't feel like talking and Kidd seemed to sense his mood and kept his trap shut. Pretty soon they arrived at the old shipyard and Kidd pulled the car up in front of their living quarters.

"I'm gonna carry those boxes of yours inside and while I'm at it you're going to pay my bosses a visit." Kidd stated.

"Am I?"

"Yeah, uhm, I kinda forgot the other day to introduce you to them and since now you're gonna live with me they want to get to know you and shit. They don't really want random strangers living on the Galleya grounds, but I vouched for you. So they wanna meet you. They are probably just gonna ask some questions." Kidd sounded somewhat sheepish.

"That's all?"

"Pretty much. They won't bite. They are pretty decent guys. Just don't let them irritate you. At least the red haired one is pretty crazy. But you'll figure that out on your own."

"So where should I go?"

"See that brick building over there? That's our office building. Just ask for Shanks and Iceburg."

"Got it."

"When you're done, come and find me, will ya? I'll probably still be working on your boxes-"

"Eustass-ya, don't fret." Law smiled. It was kinda cute to see Kidd all worried about him and what his bosses were gonna say to him. But before he turned around and sauntered towards the office building he gave Kidd one quick peck on his mouth. Kidd made a startled sound, but before the red haired man could properly respond, Law was already on his way to the brick building.

God, he didn't know why he just did that. He wasn't one that demonstrated affection in public. Please, don't let that be tender feelings he was developing for Kidd. The affair with Kidd was only temporary. He shouldn't let his heart get involved. Damn it. He sighed and entered the office building. A pretty blonde woman with rimless glasses sat behind the reception desk and was typing furiously. He cleared his throat to get her attention.

If looks could kill he would be dead by now, he thought when the blonde receptionist looked up and noticed him. Behind her rimless glasses she narrowed her brown eyes and gave him a scrutinizing look over. He felt like an insect beneath a magnifying glass.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a sharp cold voice and everything, from the tone of her voice to her body posture, told Law that she wanted to do the exact opposite of helping him.

He cleared his throat again. This woman was as cold as ice. "I would like to see Iceburg and Shanks?"

"What's your business with them?"

God damn it, in the presence of this woman he felt the constant need to clear his throat. He resisted the urge this time. "I guess they're expecting me, Kidd sent me over here-"

"You're Kidd's new roommate?"

"Yeah."

"Fine. Follow me." The blonde receptionist got up and led him down a hallway to a huge door. She knocked resolutely and then entered. Law followed her hesitantly.

The office was one large room from where you had a decent view of the Galleya grounds. Two desks dominated the large space, and they couldn't have been more different. One was quite neat, everything seemed to be in its place. A tiny ship in a bottle decorated the massive piece of furniture. The wall behind the desk was covered in construction plans and blueprints of ships, and he spotted all kinds of drawing materials all neatly organized. There were also lots of books on ship construction and architecture.

The other desk was littered and Law's first thought was that it fit exactly to the man who sat behind it. The man had fiery red hair, was missing an arm and had three prominent scars marring one eye. He had to be the one Kidd warned him about. He was currently nursing on a bottle with an unidentifiable content, but Law guessed it was most likely some sort of alcohol. It would match the profile of the man Law had, considering the state his desk was in.

"This is Shanks." The blonde receptionist introduced him. "Iceburg must be out in the yard, if you would wait a second, I'll go and get him."

Law nodded. The woman left the room and now Law was all alone with someone Kidd had described as pretty crazy.

The red haired man put his bottle down and grinned: "You must be Law, right?"

"Yeah, Trafalgar Law."

"I'm Shanks, nice to meet you. You got some pretty sweet tattoos there, don't you?" Shanks voice was anything but crazy. In fact, he sounded pretty damn sharp. Clear. Aware. Cold.

"Sins of my youth." Oh god. The last think he ever wanted to do was to explain how he got those tattoos. The pain when Doflamingo forced the ink under his skin. It hadn't really been the physical pain. It was psychological. The knowledge that Doflamingo hard marked him with his sign. That everyone who saw him immediately knew that he belonged to Doflamingo. The first thing he did when he had escaped Doflamingo's clutches was to cover up those tattoos. And add some of his own designs.

"You're a doctor, I heard?" Shanks continued with his questions. If there was a trace of friendliness in his voice, he missed it.

"I'm a heart surgeon. I'm currently employed at the Grand Line Hospital" he answered.

"So, Dr. Trafalgar Law, how come a heart surgeon is moving in with Kidd? You know he has only one room. Isn't it hard for you to leave your luxurious lifestyle behind?"

Law got the feeling as if Shanks was testing him. "I'm sorry, sir, but I'm not used to a luxurious lifestyle. Never have been."

"How come?"

"Financial struggles."

"Due to what? Drugs? Gambling?"

Law didn't know why Kidd had described Shanks as pretty crazy since he thought that Shanks seemed pretty sharp. The man was wide awake, no signs showing that the man had been consuming alcohol or other substances. He felt like Shanks was seeing right through him. "I never did drugs, nor do I gamble. Just due to irreversible circumstances I owe someone a huge monetary dept that consumes more than my paycheck. Thus moving in with Kidd provides me with a chance of further reducing my living costs-" he stopped in the middle of the sentence since the door was thrown open and a blue haired man he had seen somewhere before entered the office. The blonde receptionist was trailing behind.

The blue haired man gave him a friendly smile and sat down behind the other desk. "I'm Iceburg, nice to meet you."

"Trafalgar Law."

"Figured that. This is Kalifa, my secretary." Iceburg pointed at the blonde woman, who was now standing behind Iceburg's chair.

"So you're moving in with Kidd?" Iceburg inquired, his tone way more welcoming than the one of his partner.

"Yeah."

"Oh, well, that's perfectly fine with me. What do you do for a living?" Iceburg rolled up the sleeves from his red and blue striped button down and extracted a white mouse from his shirt pocket. Law tried to not let the mouse in Iceburg's hands irritate him.

"I'm a heart surgeon."

"Would you put that mouse away?" Kalifa's sharp tone interrupted them.

Iceburg ignored her, kept on stroking his mouse with his fingers: "That's great! Have you met Chopper? You'd be a great addition to his little clinic, if you don't mind, you could occasionally help him out. I'm sure he could learn a great deal from you."

"I've met him the other night at the party-"

"I'm telling you, the hands that touch this mouse won't be touching this body" Kalifa bitched.

"-and I wouldn't mind teaching him a thing or two." Law finished lamely.

Iceburg grinned, sat the mouse on his shoulder and reached back to pinch Kalifa right in one boob. Law thought he wasn't seeing right.

Kalifa seemingly unmoved swatted his hand away: "That's sexual harassment."

"Do you like mice, Law?"

"I guess I don't mind them-"

"Great! Welcome to the Company!"

"Stop fondling that mephitic mouse of yours!"

Iceburg leaned back and whispered something into Kalifa's ear that Law wasn't able to hear. But Kalifa shot Iceburg a death glare and left the office on clicking heels. When she walked right past Shanks' desk he grinned: "You can always come over here and fondle my mouse, if you understand what I'm saying-"

"That's sexual harassment." Kalifa said and slammed the door shut.

"This woman…" Iceburg grinned and placed his white mouse on his desk. "Now back to business."

Despite what Kidd had said Law still was under the impression that Iceburg was the crazy one.

"Kalifa is a bitch, don't mind her" Shanks advised him.

"Oi! You're not talking shit about my secretary!" Iceburg protested.

"I wasn't talking shit. I was simply reciting a fact."

"You should pay her more respect, after all she has done for us-"

"Let's skip the topic, altright? Let's concentrate on the matter at hand." Shanks turned his attention back to him and met his gaze head on. "Where do you see yourself in five years?"

Dead. Or somewhere far far away from here. Definitely no longer in the country, if he would survive. But certainly he wasn't telling that Iceburg and Shanks. He tried to neutralize his face, keep his features and heart rate calm. He had always been an exceptional liar. "I like where I work, so I hope that won't change in five years. I might cut back a bit on my hours, once my dept is paid. In regards of my personal life I picture myself still with Kidd, but well, we've just known each other for a couple weeks now."

Shanks and Iceburg both nodded. So his answer had been satisfying to some extent.

"There are certain rules and expectations once you are a Galleya worker. For once, you work at the shipyard during the days, and deal with me at night. In return we offer you a decent salary, a room at the apartment complex, decent meals and protection from the law. I understand that those terms will probably not apply to you" Shanks clarified. "The Company won't pay you if you don't really work for us. We may have a decent income, but we can't afford someone freeloading. Are we clear?"

"Yes. I've never expected any kind of payment from the Company in the first place."

"Good. I assume you will keep working for the Grand Line Hospital?"

"Yes."

"In return for us providing you with a room, food and a vehicle, all we want is simply loyalty. That's all what we ask for. I'm positive that Kidd gave you a brief overview of what we do – and since you're a smart kid you'll understand the importance of the concept loyalty in this regard."

"I understand."

"We would still appreciate if you would add something to the Company, if you get what I'm saying. Put some personal input in the Company. Complement the Company with your individual skills, like everyone does. In your case I picture something like tutoring Chopper."

"Of course. I'll gladly teach him a thing or too. I might even be able to help, if there are more serious injuries." Law was surprised that his offer was a genuine one. Of what he knew about the Company and its members he really liked it so far. Maybe he wanted to help as much as possible to lessen his guilty conscience.

"Thanks. We really appreciate your input" Shanks smiled softly.

"What do you say, Shanks? I think we have a new member to our Company right here" Iceburg grinned.

"Welcome to the Galleya Company, Law" Shanks finally said.

He shook Iceburg's and Shanks' hands; got a pat on the back and then was dismissed.

Law felt like he had just passed the entrance exams to med school. He was pretty fucking relieved. Despite what Kidd had said Shanks and Iceburg were not a piece of cake. They were both the leaders of a notorious underground organization and thus shouldn't be underestimated.

"Are you alright?" Iceburg inquired and leaned back in his leather chair. Shanks sat behind his respective desk and was nursing the bottle he had put aside when he had talked to Law. Shanks had a look on his face he hadn't seen before. Like he was contemplating something.

"What? Why?"

"You seem out of sorts. You're not grinning. You act sober. What's going on?"

"I'm not sure yet, but something about Law seems fishy. I don't trust him" Shanks answered.

"Why the hell not? Kidd trusts him. You know how he gets. He won't have some stranger move in with him, damn, I'm surprised that he even let someone come so close."

"Yeah, you're probably right. But still – I have this feeling in my gut-"

"You serious?"

"Look, Iceburg, when Zoro introduced Sanji – no problem at all. I knew Sanji's adoptive father. He was genuine. And then Ace with his police officer. We're dealing with weapons and Ace is a wanted arsonist and he fucking dares to date a cop."

"But Smoker's legit."

"I know Smoker is one of the good cops and apparently he has developed a blind spot for Ace and his shenanigans. But Law – I'm not sure about him. I tell ya, there's something fishy about him."

"Yeah, you already mentioned that. But what are you going to do? You just approved of him. You can't kick him out an hour later. Kidd will kill you. And besides, I don't see why you're so hung up on it."

"I guess you're right. But I will keep an eye on him."

"Wait a second."

"What now?"

"What was his first name again? You know I'm bad with names, but it was kinda weird, wasn't it?"

"Trafalgar. Trafalgar Law."

Iceburg massaged his forehead. "Shit, Shanks, I think you're right."

"Why? What do you know?"

"Shanks, you drink too much, your memory is shit."

"It can't be anything of importance-" Shanks said slightly annoyed.

"It really isn't. I just realized that we've heard the name Trafalgar Law before."

"Shit."

"Remember what I'm referring to?" Iceburg asked.

"Yeah. The Fischer-Deal that went wrong seven years ago."

"Joker."

"I know."

"God, I just picked up that name because I thought it was interesting. It was easy to remember. There were a couple others mentioned, but I only remembered his name. It sounded so odd."

"He works for Joker. He's a turncoat. A traitor. He infiltrates the company." Shanks spit out.

"Don't draw your conclusions that fast. What we know is that Law hat a connection to Joker seven years ago. We don't even know the nature of their relationship. He could've been nothing to Joker. A no one. At the wrong time in the wrong place. Or an errand runner. Someone low in the food chain. Or what so we know, he could've even worked against him!"

"Or he's one of Joker's loyal men. One of the Donquichote family. Have you seen his tattoos? They are awfully similar to Joker's logo. Yeah. Now I know what was fishy about him in the first place."

"You have to give him the benefit of the doubt."

"You serious? We run a fucking underground organization. We don't give people the benefit of the doubt. This isn't a court room. This is the real deal."

"I know this. But Kidd trusts him."

"Kidd isn't exactly known for being the smartest kid in class."

"Now you're being mean. That's pretty out of character for you."

"Iceburg, you're right. It's just – I realized what I can do to run a background check on Law without him, Kidd, or Joker noticing." Shanks said gravelly.

"What has that to do with your shitty attitude?"

"I have to call Mihawk."

A/N: God, I know it has been ages. But at least. here it is! Another chapter! And the next one will be up in a few days.