Chapter Eighteen: Common Memory Loss

Law woke up with Kid's head set firmly beneath his chin, they were chest to chest and the doctor was being kept in the narrow bed by a strong pale arm, not unlike the one that wound around him last night. It was almost dream-like what happened the day before, the kiss...everything else...Law smirked and closed his eyes with a subtle shake of his head.

Kid mumbled something but did not wake. The Surgeon of Death actually admired the way the mid-morning sun set the carmine locks of his hair aflame. His lack of eyebrows was unusual, but Law was more surprised with the thick length of his eyelashes. His nose had clearly been broken more than once and was of a strong yet mildly crooked structure. His skin was of ghostly pallor and contrasted starkly with his scarlet painted lips.

Law had an amusing thought and as though to confirm, he leaned down, lifting the other's chin as he went and gently pecked his mouth. Not so long that Kid would run out of breath and awake with a desperation for oxygen but long enough that Law smirked at the smudge of crimson just under his lips. Deciding he best start organising his crew for the dock off at the stop-off island, he attempted squirming out of the bear-trap hold yet to no avail.

"Fuck you going, Law?"

"To be the captain of this ship, now please let go of me"

There was a low groan in reply as amber eyes fluttered open for a moment before closing.

"Nah"

"It wasn't a request"

*BAM BAM BAM*

"Captain! Captain!"

Law jolted up so fast the redhead had no option but to loosen his arms to let the lithe man head over to the door with certain urgency.

"What is it?" Law answered, drawing a hand through his hair, at least making his already shirtless appearance seem more acceptable. Snowie, who stood at the door didn't seem to mind in the slightest, by the shock in his eyes he had something entirely different on his mind.

"Sir, we are coming up to the island but it appears the ship we encountered before...that of Captain Sandhurst Mirage is also there"

Law went very still. Eyes cold and he swept back into the room to collect his top and hat before storming down the corridor, Snowie in tow. Kid just waited in the room, having heard what the ship-mate had to say and rolled onto his back with a low snarl.

"Oh look...it's...who is it again?"

"The Heart Pirates, Captain...we encountered them before"

"Oh yes, of course...that...Killer fellow and...Partridge?"

"Penguin"

"They were right little buggars...what are they doing here?"

"Don't know" Pebble finally replied. She leaned against the wall her captain sat upon, sharing a bottle of rum and looking out across the sea where Law's ship approached. "Do you reckon they want to fight?"

"Hopefully not, I don't fancy conflict"the older man sighed, taking another swig and squinting, coughing roughly.

The ship eventually docked up, the little bridge being slid across. It had been above water on the way there and had no need to emerge from the depths. So Pebble watched as the spotted, fur hat clad captain stepped out onto the main deck and looked down on her and the captain. Several members she didn't recognise and then Captain Kid, Killer and Penguin stepped out into the sunlight.

"Is it too late to form an illusion of us not being here?"

"Probably" Pebble admitted and stood away from the wall, stretching a little. She tugged on the large slingshot tied to her bag just to check before looking out over the sea. The ocean was wild today, though it glittered like a cluster of sapphires, it still crashed with a spit of sea-waves at her and the old man.

"I better tell em we don't want any trouble" Pebble told her captain and he nodded.

"I'm getting out of the way, my skin is burning in this damn weather" he chuckled gruffly and stepped down to start hobbling over to his ship. The young woman looked back to the "Death" ship where the crew and their associates had reached the harbour and watched her warily from where they stood. Pebble took in a deep breath and stuffing her hands deep in her pockets.

"Hey!" she called, finally standing a couple of meters away. They just watched her so she coughed and continued.

"Look, we don't want any trouble so how about we just ignore-"

THWUMP

Killer drew his fist back and under his mask raised an eyebrow at the chunk now missing from the young woman's face as it slowly filled in with murky grey stone until it became her skin once more. She stretched her jaw with a low groan.

"Whoa, whoa..." she muttered irritably, checking her cheek with a tentative hand. The others just watched in disgusted awe.

"Fucking logia type..." Law mumbled and Kid heard with some intrigue and looked over at the older woman who was now glaring at the blonde who moved back, simply claiming.

"That's for selling us, seems pretty fair"

Pebble shrugged, sticking her hands back in her pocket.

"Guess so, but hey, you're all together again, how cute, now...what was I saying..."

Penguin narrowed his eyebrows. Was memory loss common throughout the whole crew?

"Oh yeah, don't bother us, we don't want to fight, alright bye!" she called with a wave over her shoulder as she started walking away.

"H-Hold on! You...you can't just walk away, you...you killed Morris?"

"Hah?" she yelled, upper lip curled up in a wide-mouthed yell. Then she turned to them completely and pondered.

"Whose that?"

"The red haired man on the merchant ship, the one your captain shot" Penguin growled. Stepping forward a little and Pebble watched him with soft amusement.

"Screw off, he ain't dead, it was a rubber bullet and the blood was illusion and shit, captain can't be bothered to get more blood on his hands, he's fine" she explained, rolling her eyes and carrying on her way. Penguin's jaw dropped and he looked down at the ground with a hysterical grin. That meant...that meant he was alright...oh thank the gods. Maybe he could see him again, apologise for all the trauma and trouble the crew had to go through...

"Who is Morris, Penguin?" Law inquired once Pebble had wandered all the way back down to her ship. The hat-clad man turned to the older member.

"He is a man who helped us out on a merchant ship we came across after we escaped off the White Knife..."

"Wait...so...they attacked that ship, a merchant ship?"

"Yeah"

"..."

"Captain?"

"Nothing Penguin, you will have to tell us more of your adventures when we return to the ship" Law pushed his hat down and gripped his sword for a moment. Penguin blinked twice and just nodded. Kid had been staring at a nearby rock trying to figure out what had got to Trafalgar but was distracted by Killer.

"Sir, the ship is over there..." he claimed, though there was little enthusiasm in his voice despite the calm comfort in his tone. The redhead nodded with a deep inhale and looked over at his beloved sea vessel.

"Yeah, we better get going then"

"So soon Eustass-ya, we were going to stay over for a single night after some beverages, would you join us?" the Surgeon of Death purred, smiling over at the Kid captain with genuine invitation. Kid blinked twice but a wide grin spread over his red-lipped mouth and he nodded with a bellowing laugh.

"Might as well, but I sure as hell don't recommend that hotel" he jerked a thumb over at the hotel Killer had been abducted from. The blonde seemed a little on edge looking over at the building but a slow smile slipped onto his face.

"To the return of Killer and Penguin!" Kid yelled, raising his glass with a heavy laughter and Penguin actually grinned in return when he realised his name had been remembered. Killer chuckled and the rest only cheered in reply as the population of both Law and Kid's crew took up nearly the entire pub, not that the owner was complaining. As they continued to enjoy their intoxicating drinks, Penguin sat back and leaned against the polished mahogany of the bar counter. Content that he was back and the idea of slavery was far behind him. Killer slid up next to him and sat on a stool, Penguin laughed at his outfit, it was his original black and white shirt, red sash and blue-tassel jeans.

"Finally, clothes that fit" the blonde muttered and Penguin sniggered, taking a swig of his drink. All of a sudden he felt a hand slipping onto his waist toward his backside, turning to Killer with a blush he narrowed his eyebrows when he saw the blonde had folded his arms. Turning quickly to his left where a gruff looking young man was feeling him up, not making eye contact but providing a leering grin. The hat-clad man snarled.

"Oi" he muttered, for the sake of not causing a humiliating scene for him personally, Penguin kept his voice low. "Piss off"

"Oooh, make me...Penguin" he noticed the label on his hat and squeezed the slim flesh around his hip before moving further down. He stopped when he felt something hard and calloused in his way. Looking behind the blushing overall-clad man's shoulder he saw a bulky helmet-wearing man. He followed a monochrome patterned sleeve to the stool where his hand casually lay, not actually touching the younger man, but making a point.

"I was here first, mate" he only sneered, taking a swig of his vulgar liquid and grinning. He had plaster dust in his auburn hair and his skin was marked with oil and dirt from his work probably.

"Hey, don't treat me like-"

"Shush, little bird...let me deal with this rude old man" he pressed a grimy finger to Penguin's light lips and the hat-clad man turned bright red from shock and fury.

"No, let me" he replied and drew his elbow back to throw a teeth-knocking punch into the filthy man's face. He fell back off his stool and there was laughter from the surrounding crowd, including Killer. Penguin however was fuming and got up, stepping over the former aggressor and out into the night air. Killer followed swiftly after to Law's notice.

"Whoa, they leaving again? I don't want them to go missing again..." Kid went to get up but Law stopped him.

"Leave em, the chances of it happening again are slim, we'll check on them in a while" he winked and took a sip of his drink. The redhead scowled but settled down.

"The fuck was that...little, slimy, bastard!" Penguin kicked a stone and Killer chuckled amiably, coming up behind him.

"Hey, don't worry about it, he was drunk and filthy and he sure as hell won't try anything like that again, you decked him" Killer whispered in his ear and embraced his back. Feeling his other half* tremble with fury, the cold breeze and Killer's touch.

"Yeah, yeah...I know..."

"Besides...no one will be trying shit like that while I'm around..." Killer slid his helmet up to the bridge of his nose without Penguin's notice as the hat-clad man was staring out to the ocean, taking it in whilst calming his skin from the former ferocious blush. Yet such blood flushing to his cheeks only occurred once more as the blonde lifted the dark material flap of his hat and bit gently onto the upper cartilage of his ear.

"You're mine" he whispered shortly after and started kissing down what he could expose of his neck, using an index finger to pull the material of his overalls away.

"Not out here...N-ot out here, come on" Penguin pleaded, nevertheless moving his spine into the firm chest of Killer, the kid pirate only too happily winding a strong arm around his abdomen and holding him close.

"Alright, alright"

All of a sudden Penguin felt his body leave the safety of the ground as he was slung over Killer's shoulder, head facing the back of his deep red sash. He yelled out with a laugh and Killer smirked, pulling his helmet down and wandering down over to his ship. A few people still outside watched with confusion but Penguin was laughing too hysterically to have the situation considered as an abduction so they simply shook their heads wryly. Killer shifted them both across the little bridge onto Eustass 'Captain' Kid's ship.

A few guys had set up a little gambling table and dismissed Killer and Penguin entering for the sake of their game to which they were in a tight draw currently, allowing the blonde to take the heart pirate down under the deck to his room. It was a simple, wooden based room with a fairly large, comfortable bed, sink, cupboards and a considerably larger circular window. There was other bits and pieces around but it was too dark and Penguin was too upside down to take much consideration of the decor.

Hitting the flat but comfortable material of the cover upon the bed, Penguin had little time to stabilise himself as Killer straddled him, yanking off his helmet revealing a sinful grin. Without asking he tore off Penguin's hat yet the heart pirate didn't mind, the look in the blonde's eyes was enough to distract him from feelings of irritation or shock.

Fingers deftly undid his overalls and dragged them down to his hips. He was then forcefully sat up by Killer but the younger man was is no need of the older man's constant movements as he dragged his tank top off and squirmed out of his overalls. But before he slipped them off with his boots, he worked on Killer's shirt. Having only just had the material returned to his body, it was almost a shame they would be removed so soon but neither had much disagreement with the way the shirt was thrown off across the room, quickly followed by the scarlet sash.

His jeans stayed on, willingly or unwillingly, impatience got the better of them in the end. Penguin, having been lifted up before took this opportunity to straddle the blonde, smirking at the momentary look of surprise Killer showed. Rolling his hips forward ever so slightly he fell into the plethora of kisses Killer then placed on his neck. Both of them sitting upright, Penguin tilted his head back with a light gasp.

"Mine"

A/N: Sorry about the cliffhanger smut scene again, I wasn't in the mood for intense smex and my smex is only good when I'm in the mood (MY WRITING) so yeah, next time! *nervously laughs and adjusts collar*

I'm thinking this story will turn out to be 20 Chapters long (Inc. mini Paste/Canine story) but I am considering a sequel that looks more into Penguin being in the Blue Thorn Slave System.

Sorry this chapter isn't great, it was a bit of a filler and a "move along the plot-line" chapter but I think it was written alright so yeah, hahah, see you next time! Yeah, Pebble is a logia-type devil fruit user, no biggie, just thought it'd be cool, plus "Stone" hasn't been used yet so I figured it would suit her. Pebble does indeed belong to me. Whoo crappy OC's!

-LAW09

AriesDanger24: aHAHA, I love a good ol possesive character (in moderation albeit) and hopefully more aspects like that will appear in a sequel fiction, ahah, ahaha oh god I know right, they know JUSTT what's goin on, ahaha. NONE PIECE! YES! ahahaha, thanks, I didn't want to go into her too much and to be honest she tries not to use it too much for reasons but thanks for the review! apologies about my awful grammar in this reply!

yaoifan49: *Doctors voice* Well, now you must take fluff in moderate dosage, or else it can have drastic symptoms such as uncontrollable squealing, giggling and in some cases DEATH. Anywho, ahah, thanks a lot for the review! I'm so pleased you are so into it and I'm looking forward to this couple getting more attention! Your patience is most admirable, thank you :)

Wolfen Artist of HetaStuck: Marvelous username if I may say, and thank you so much for the praise! So glad you are into them now and I'm glad you are enjoying the fiction, believe me we are waiting together for more of this adorable couple, ahha, thanks for the review!

SoulMore: As I can only assume this means you are a fan of either this fiction or the couple, to both I say "YES! and THANK YOU!" ahaha! :D

Childerika: Oh gosh that means so much, thank you! It's great you also like the Kid/Law and you described Kilguin so perfectly with those little descriptions! I really like the idea of Penguin lying back and explaining his tattoos to Killer in a bed or something...I might have to use this in my sequel if you wouldn't mind :) Don't worry about your fluency, I'm thrilled to have your reviews, thank you so much again!