A/N: Hello Everyone!

Chapter 2: Adoption

Ace woke up in the middle of the night to answer the call of nature. He silently went out off the bed in order not to wake up his brothers. Surprisingly even though the doctor is the only one living in the house the bed that he owned is enough to fit four or five people. So it was not a problem for the three of them to share in order to sleep peacefully.

Since the room is located in the second floor and the bathroom in first floor, Ace forced himself to open the door and went downstairs as he tried to fight off the sleep spell from his eyes. He yawned a bit and walked towards his destination when his eyes caught a light from the living room where the creepy doctor should be.

The said man is sitting on the couch in a hunch position. Knees pressed on his chest while his hands secured his legs in that position so that he could bury his face away from the cruel world. Ace might not see Law's expression but he knew the man is crying if the shaking of shoulders is an indication at all.

"Hey," Ace called out to get the man's attention and the respond he got was a flinched. Like Law is afraid in hearing his voice right now, "What's wrong?" he continued to ask.

Law does not know if luck really hate his very being because not an hour ago he had received the devastating news and now he had to face one of Shanks' son and explained what happened to the red hair that the kid knows as his adopted father. If this is a dream then he wanted to wake up. Face the busy life of a doctor, drink his coffee and go back to bed. Unfortunately he has a firm grasp in reality so he knows that he has to face this once and for all.

"Why are you still awake?" he asked but still not showing his face to the boy.

Ace frowned when the earlier question was not answered,

"I asked first here." He said with a superiority voice.

"I'm not obliged to answer though." Law replied.

Ace was about to start a verbal argument to prove his point but the ringing of the phone interrupted him. He saw the said device beside the doctor but the man made no move in answering it.

"Why are you not answering your phone?" he asked another question again.

Law stared at the object that seems to give him nothing but bad news right now. When he saw the same unknown number again he knew that he could not dance around the subject anymore,

"Wake up your brothers." He stated simply as he went out to ready his car.

^_^ Poor Shanks! First chapter and he is dead! Yeah I know that's mean of me ^_^

"Ace, where are we going?" Sabo asked his brother as they sat inside the car of the current babysitter taking them to somewhere they don't know because Law haven't uttered a word to them since they start their journey.

"I don't know." Ace answered. When Law asked him to wake up his brothers he complied because he sensed the solemn aura of the man. It's not hard to wake up Sabo but Luffy on the other hand is a whole lot problem because the boy was a heavy sleeper. Not in the mood to punch his little brother to return to reality he simply drag him along. So now the youngest is sleeping on Ace's lap while Sabo was slowly dripping back to dream land by leaning some of his weight on the window.

Law does not know whether he was doing is the right thing or the complete opposite. Either way the kids need to know this sooner than later. No matter how painful it may be.

Shanks had been nothing but a good friend to him. He may not admit it but he really respected the man in every way. Law is also adopted so he knew the life of being an orphan in the first place but unlike him Shanks never had someone he could consider as a parent figure. Some people with this background will always end up as the trash of the society but the red haired proved them wrong. With the smile that could approach any danger and say hello to it, Shanks live a life where he will not regret anything.

Lived a life where he did not regret anything

The voice echoed from the back of his mind and Law tightened his hold on the steering wheel.

'You've got to calm down Law' he thought to himself, 'You need to go to the hospital with the children and face the horrible news' as bitter as it sounds that is the very thing he must do.

Going to the Red Line Hospital is a two hours drive so when they arrived the three children were asleep again. Tonight it seems like he is the angel of nightmare for the kids.

"Come on, wake up already." Law muttered as he shook Sabo and Ace by their shoulders. After a while the two finally opened their eyes and saw that they were at a hospital.

"What?" Ace asked in annoyance, "Someone call you for duty and you woke us up for that?" he is completely angry that the doctor brought them in what he thought as Law's workplace. Surely he could left them in his house, that way they could have a good night sleep and wake with sunshine tomorrow.

"No," Law contradicted as he shook Luffy this time.

"W-what?" Luffy asked still induced in a sleep spell, "It's not breakfast yet…" he mumbled as he snuggled more.

"Luffy-ya, wake up please." Law pleaded and at that solemn tone Luffy snapped his eyes open.

"What's wrong Traffy!? Are you hurt?" he panicked as he realized that the man who played and cooked for him earlier is wearing a sad face now.

"No… but I need you guys to come with me." Without waiting for a reply he motioned for the boys to get out of the car and followed him inside.

Curiously the boys wondered why Law didn't bother to ask the nurses. Surely if he is here then he was supposed to know where he is needed right? But Ace and Sabo went into a conclusion that the doctor already received a message on what he was supposed to do when he got here. That statement though was completely erased when they saw that they were approaching the morgue and another thing that left them confused is that Dracule Mihawk, their uncle by Shanks' words, is sitting on the ground and facing the floor with an expression they never saw on Mihawk's face ever.

"Hawky!" It was Luffy who called the man first and Mihawk immediately look up only to see the three kids of his now deceased friend.

"Luffy? What are you guys doing in here?"

"Dr. Trafalgar brought us here." Sabo answered as he and Ace approached their uncle, "How about you, Uncle Mihawk?"

"Yeah, aren't you supposed to be with Shanks?" Ace asked also.

Oh, how ironic that question is. He of all people should have known that he should not let Akagami to wander on his own but then he did the opposite and what happened?

A complete tragedy.

"Hey!" Luffy gathered the attention of everyone as he picked up the object lying beside Mihawk, "This is daddy's hat!" he declared, "But where is daddy?" he stared at Mihawk for answers.

But Mihawk didn't utter a word and instead look down again on the floor. Luffy then gazed at Traffy but the man didn't meet his eyes…

The kids do not like such treatments.

"Where is Shanks?" Ace demanded for an answer.

Sighing was the only thing Law could do as he realized that the kids should received an answer.

"Do you guys know what a morgue is?" he started the conversation and the children looked up at him then shook their heads, as expected. After all they really should not know that such place exist at their age right now. But this is not the time for him to not tell them the harsh reality.

"It is a place where they put patients who are already dead." He continued.

"What is 'dead'?" Luffy asked then.

Oh…the pain of innocence.

Mihawk closed his eyes as he think of a light way to explain it to the children.

"It means that people went to sleep without ever waking up, Luffy."

"Oh…" Luffy muttered as he tried to process the information, "So?"

"Shanks is inside right now." Law said as he pointed at the entrance of the morgue.

"So daddy is sleeping?" Luffy asked.

But Ace and Sabo completely got the message,

Ace might look like an idiot but he has an ability to quickly grasp what is happening around him.

Sabo is a smart kid and knows things that a typical ten year old should not.

"You're kidding right?" Sabo said as he backed away and ran for the door and pounded it with his tiny hands, "Dad! Dad! This is not a funny joke!" he screamed as he tried to get answers from his father. Ace followed next,

"That's right! Dad this is not funny! I don't know how you got Uncle Mihawk to get along with you but this is not funny at all!" Ace demanded as he mimic Sabo's actions.

Luffy, still confused at what is happening, copied his brothers, "Daddy! Wake up!" though nothing but silence answered them.

Mihawk and Law shut their eyes as they heard the desperate cries of the children. The doctor tried his best to not let his tears fall down as he kneel on the floor and pull the children away from the now abused door,

"Stop it…" Law muttered as he pressed their backs on his chest, "Shanks-ya is dead…"

"You're lying!" Ace argued.

"It's true Ace." Mihawk confirmed.

"No! You've got to be lying!" Sabo was the one who contradicted him.

"Yeah! Daddy always wake up whenever we call for him!" Luffy added, "So he is supposed to wake up now!" he took a deep breath before shouting again, "DADDY! WAKE UP!"

Law and Mihawk let the children scream their lungs out until they got tired and nothing but small whimpers left their mouth.

"Akagami was hit by a car," Mihawk started as the boys mellowed a little, "the doctors did not have a chance to save him at all."

There was a moment of silence as Law released the three from his grip.

But then Ace decided to shatter the silence,

"Where were you?" Ace asked in a whisper, "Where were you!" he look up at the man that was supposed to stick by his father's side, "Aren't you supposed to protect him!" he shouted. He is clearly blaming the man right now.

"I'm sorry…" was the only thing Mihawk said to them right now, "I'm really sorry…"

"How could you let this happen!?" Sabo cried

"I'm sorry…"

"Ace, Sabo, it is not his fault. It was an accident." Law tried to make sense to them.

Luffy on the other hand is slowly realizing what is happening. Shanks is dead and dead means never waking up. So…does this mean Shanks left them? Daddy went away just what mommy did to him? The information is painful now that he could understand it. He clutched the strawhat against his chest. This hat is the most treasured thing his daddy has.

But daddy is not here anymore.

As these thoughts managed a full entry in his mind he only did the thing he knew to do.

Cry his heart out.

And when Luffy cry it sends anyone into guilt mode as if they were the reason why those droplets of pain fall down from the child's eyes. Tears for lost, tears of sadness, tears of being left alone…

Law closed his eyes as he let the other two kids to calm the youngest. Even when Ace and Sabo is still distressed they don't like to see or hear Luffy's cries. They promised Shanks after all that they will make sure their cute and innocent little brother will always be happy.

Now the problem for the doctor is what he should do from now on?

^_^ Aw…. Poor Law… ^_^

Eustass Kidd is known as the owner of one of the largest and most successful steal company in the Grand Line and it is all thanks to the wealth he was bestowed upon by his parents. Now most of the people viewed him as a heartless monster because of his attitude and way of talking to people. While the monster part may be true partially the heartless part is not.

Kidd treasures the threads of bonds. That is something very rare to find in his life. People only come near him for his money so he rarely trust anyone in first glance.

His best friend and right hand man is Killer. They knew each other since they were children and the blond prove to him several times that the one he has as a friend is not Eustass Kidd, the son of the richest family, but just Kidd. Ever since then they watched each other's back every time.

The second person who earned his unbreakable trust (and slight overprotective instinct) is the man named Trafalgar Law.

They met in college in the worst scenario Kidd could think of. The moment their eyes landed to one another their blood instantly boiled and irritation filled their whole mind that they started fighting out of nothing. That was the mark that his college days didn't go as quietly as he could. Trafalgar always aimed to slash his throat figuratively and literally since the insomniac carries his favorite scalpel and who knows where he was hiding it. Even now in the present he brings that sharp object wherever he goes. How he managed to enter malls and other public buildings, no one knows the answer. Hell, maybe Trafalgar didn't go there in the first place and have Sachi or Penguin does his shopping's.

Though as irritating the man could be Kidd found out that his school life might be boring when Law is not around. When the doctor is around he always tug to Eustass' instinct to prove himself better. Something that even Killer can't do and imagine the surprise of the blond when he found the red hair studying on his own accord and not being forced to sit down and read thick books for hours.

Then the relationship shifted from enemies to friends.

The night where they partied because Sanji, a mutual friend of Law and Kidd, won one of the cooking competition in East Blue everyone got heavily drunk except for the doctor since Trafalgar hates drinking alcohol saying that it will only made his sadistic sides more unstable.

That night also Kidd needed to go home but too drunk to drive and Killer already passed out so Sanji, in drunken state, suggested that Law should drive for Kidd to go back to his place. Reluctantly the raven haired agreed.

The next thing Eustass realized was that he was thrown outside the car and the thing was wreck in havoc while its driver was unconscious and blood was everywhere. Law pushed him outside to avoid the impact without thinking obviously. Kidd practically called everyone and shouted at the people who was supposed in the party and he get them to sober up immediately. He even shouted at the medics for taking too long in getting a patient on the verge of dying. All the time the red hair didn't realized that his arm has received damage also.

So Kidd got his prosthetic arm from that incident while Law was stuck in a coma for a month.

How marvelous things could be?

The days that Trafalgar was unconscious Kidd dutifully stayed by his side and he found out that the man lived alone on his own. No one is there for Law at all in times like this and somehow….somehow in some way it made Kidd to understand something. What is that he still does not.

So when Law woke up from his long slumber, Kidd swore to himself that this thing will never happen again so without asking the doctor got on the red hair's lists of people that should be and must be protect with his own life.

And now he is on his way to North Blue to visit the doctor that has psychopathic tendency sometimes.

At first his main reason is just to piss Trafalgar on his day off but Kidd decided to give the first day to the man. He knew how stress can affect the insomniac when it build up in his body. So today is the day to drag Law out and enjoy the normality of life.

That is if the said man pick up his phone hours ago.

As much as Kidd wanted to surprise Law he valued his life dearly. Scaring the doctor is equal to being slice to pieces with the scalpel. Calling beforehand has become a habit after he experienced the said impulse of Law personally. Good thing it was his prosthetic arm that had been slashed that day.

He already called twenty times but no one is picking up so he thought that Law collapsed again due to fatigue. It happened once and Kidd screamed when he thought he saw a decaying body when he opened the door. A passed out Trafalgar is not an appeasing scene at all. He looks like death himself.

Now that he already went to a halt in one of the houses in Heart street, Kidd turned off the engine and directly went to the doorbell. He ringed it ten times but no one answered.

"Oi, Trafalgar!" Kidd shouted, "Are you there?!"

No one answered him.

"You bastard, I swear if you will not answer me and open this door I will break it into pieces!"

Again silence met him.

"You asked for it." Kidd muttered, he was about to kick the door when a voice made him jump out of his skin.

"What the hell are you doing in someone else front door, Eustass-ya?"

Kidd whipped his head around you could almost hear a snapping sound and stared directly a very angry and very worn out Trafalgar Law.

"Shit! I thought something happened to you!" Kidd explained immediately as he sensed the murderous aura of Law, "You won't pick up your phone even after I call you twenty times!"

Law raised an eyebrow at this but he paid no mind to it as he went to the door and opened it. He didn't need to invite Kidd because the man let himself in like he owned the damn house.

"I didn't have my phone with me." Law answered simply while he make some coffee.

Which raised a lot of question in Eustass' mind,

"You," he started, " 'The Surgeon of Death' Trafalgar Law, forgot your own phone?"

Why is it sounds very disturbing? That is because Law never and it really means never forgot his phone. He even brought his own charger and two spare batteries in case it run out and there is no outlet to charge. Him, forgetting about it something really must have happened.

"I was in Red Line Hospital last night." Trafalgar said as he took a sip of his coffee while Kidd poured some for himself.

"Why?"

There was a minute of silence and Kidd noted the solemn expression of Law. This is the first time he saw a genuine sadness in the man's eyes and Kidd thought that the next words he will hear will not be pleasant at all.

"Do you remember Shanks-ya?" Law started again,

"Akagami Shanks?" Kidd asked and when he received a nod he continued, "Yeah, he was our World History professor back in the past, why?"

"Yesterday he brought his kids to me since he will be out of town for three days." Law explained.

"He had a wife?" Kidd asked in disbelief. That is because for all the time he knew Shanks he saw that the man has firm hold of not getting married.

"Sadly no, he adopted them."

Oh…that explains it.

"Then?"

"He was caught up in an accident last night and…" Law was trying to held back his tears but at last he can't anymore and he let the small droplets fall on his face, "They said he was dead on arrival when the ambulance finally got in the hospital…"

Shit, now that really explains everything. Kidd knew how Trafalgar looked up and respect the man. Shanks is like a second father to all of them who never knew the feeling of having a family. Hearing that his father figure is dead is like being run over by a train.

Wait… as much as Kidd wanted to lament about this something entered his mind. So he asked.

"Wait, I don't want to sound like a jerk in here but what about the kids?"

Law took a deep breath before speaking.

"I'm going to adopt them."

A/N: Dudududun! So how is it? Like it? Hate it? Whatever it is don't forget to review!