Disclaimer: Shiningheart doesn't own One Piece.

Chapter 12: A Line is Crossed

"Stop being such a child! Hold still!" Another yelp escaped from Nadeen when Law ran a hand over her ribs. Honestly, he wasn't even pressing hard! He just wanted to see if she'd broken her rib clear through or not. The way she was acting, he might have been trying to break them himself! Maybe he should, just to show her how much it really hurts! "Dammit Nadeen, I will sedate you if I have to!" At least that seemed to do the trick. Though she pouted and looked away from him, she at least had stopped squirming. "Finally!"

She scowled at him, which Law dutifully ignored. Then she went back to sulking. "I wouldn't squirm if you'd stop fucking touching my ribs! They fucking hurt, dammit!" Law rolled his eyes, not bothering to hide them from view. Then Nadeen started mumbling underneath her breath, and Law distinctly heard the words, "stupid", "scalpel", and "up his ass". It wasn't the first time he'd heard the threat, but something about it coming from Nadeen made him smile in amusement. She dropped the muttering in favor of a sigh and looked at him tiredly. "Did you at least get the herbs while you were out? I'm tired now and want to take a nap."

Nadeen was actually looking rather exhausted. Her shoulders were slumped and her eyes look a second too long to open back up after blinking. Law felt himself softening before mentally shaking himself. The redhead brought out more emotions in him than he was comfortable with. "You're lucky you didn't collapse earlier than you did. I'd just visited the apotheracy when I spotted your little... show."

Her cheeks flushed red almost immediately, and her voice pitched into a squeak. "Oh my God, you saw that?" Law smirked and nodded, leaning on the wall beside the bed she sat on. Nadeen groaned and hid her face in her hands, keeping the pirate captain from seeing her expression. He could imagine it, though. "That's it. Give me your scalpel. I'm going to kill myself." He debated with himself. Oh, not on whether to give her a scalpel or not, though part of him wondered what she would do if he actually handed one to her. When he didn't give a response, Nadeen peeked out from between her fingers. Law didn't know what expression was on his face, but it certainly was enough for her to bring her hands down and eyes to widen. "Oh shit, you have that 'to kill this bitch or not' look on your face. The hell have I done now?"

Well, since she asked... "You gave me an order." The wary look dropped into a surprised one. "I don't like being told what to do, Miss Nadeen. I am the captain. I give the orders. Are we clear?" She nodded slowly, looking rather confused. At least, that's what Law thought the narrowed eyes and scrunched nose were for. "You look confused. What's so hard to understand?"

She started to fiddle with the edge of her shirt. This time, it was actually her shirt. She'd changed as soon as they'd gotten to the sub. Now she wore a dark blue shirt that matched her eyes and brought attention to how pale her skin was, and shorts that went to just above her knees. She'd also finally gotten those socks she'd apparently been wanting. "It's just, well, this isn't the first time I've said something like that and you've never reacted that way before!" Did she? He couldn't remember. "And I didn't really give an order. Orders are serious things that someone actually expects to be followed. If you'd actually given me a scalpel, I probably would have given an exaggerated gasp and ask if you were so sick of me already that you'd enable me to end my own life."

Law had no troubles believing that. In fact, he could quite easily picture it and found himself doing so, causing a small smirk of amusement to blossom over his face. Nadeen was correct, though, on both accounts. "Oh, trust me. I'd be much, much harsher if you'd actually really tried making me do something. It's just a future reference kind of thing." She hummed slightly in understanding as he pulled out the baggies of herbs he'd picked up. The last one he took out was capsaicin, which he held up for her to see. "This is capsaicin. It will take awhile to make the cream needed. If I start now, it'll be ready by tomorrow morning."

The groan his patient gave was comical, and Law had the distinct feeling that, if she were able to without causing herself more pain, she'd throw herself back against the bed. "That long?" she whined, sighing heavily when he nodded. "Dammit, does that mean I have to take another one of those drowsy pills? As much as I'd love the relief, I don't want to sleep another fifteen hours. You never did tell me if that was just a bad reaction to that shit or not, but I'll trust your judgement if you keep giving me them."

Well, didn't that just touch his frozen black hole of a heart? Even in his thoughts, the sarcasm made him feel better about the way it actually did kind of warm him to hear she trusted him. "I wasn't going to. I dropped off some cowslip," he picked up a separate bag to show her, "to Mister Coryn and instructed him to make you some tea from the petals. It's good for both pain relief and headaches. He should be bringing some soon."

Nadeen noticeably relaxed and nodded. Then she tilted her head at him. "Why do you call people Miss and Mister sometimes but not other times?" Law just looked at her, not comprehending what she meant with the seriously random question. She waved her hand mindlessly in the air. "Earlier, when you were scolding me for moving. You called me Nadeen. But a little bit afterwards, you called me Miss Nadeen. I'm just curious, because it seems like an odd habit to have."

Right, and ignoring your injuries for the sake of entertaining others is totally healthy. Law chose not to voice this specific thought and instead shrugged. "It was literally beat into me when I was about ten. I probably couldn't stop now even if I wanted to. And besides that, it's more of a mocking politeness than any genuine respect, as I'm sure you know by now." She nodded again, just as a knock sounded from the door. "And that would be your tea."

After Law's granting entrance, the door opened to admit Coryn, who held a teapot in one hand with an oven mitten and two teacups in the other. "Where you want 'em, Captain?" Law cleared a space wordlessly from the counter he was leaning against. Coryn set down the pot and cups while speaking. "Just like you said, Captain. Tea made from cowslip, mixed with honey and sugar to heighten the taste."

Nadeen got to her feet and walked to the counter Law was leaning against. At his raised eyebrows, she shrugged. "If I stay down, I'll probably fall asleep mid-drink and spill it everywhere." Law made an understanding sound and dismissed Coryn with a wave of his hand.

The tall man half-turned to leave, but looked at the woman. "Don't sleep through dinner, woman. I made something just for you with all the nutrients a starved person needs. And God help you if you decide to skip."

When Coryn left, Nadeen had a bead of sweat on her temple. She stared at the door the cook had closed and only looked at Law when he chuckled. "It seems you've gained Mister Coryn's respect. Feel proud; not many people can get on his good side so quickly." He poured two cups of tea and handed one to her. They drank in a surprisingly comfortable silence before sighing at the same time. "God, I needed this." he grumbled.

Nadeen gave a half-hearted smile. "Headache reliever, huh?" she weakly joked. Law smirked at her, but didn't answer verbally. When her cup was empty, she placed it by the tea pot. "So, what's the verdict on my ribs? Considering you haven't reached for your scalpels yet, I'm guessing they aren't broken completely."

He nodded. "The crack spread a little more, but it doesn't require surgery yet. Keep jumping around like a fool, though, and I can't guarantee that I won't be annoyed enough to take you up on your offer of operating without painkillers." She looked away at that with pursed lips, and Law chuckled in amusement. "I want you to stay in here for your nap. Penguin and Shachi will come by to check up on you. They know enough about broken ribs to know if any medication is needed."

Nadeen looked at him with a blink and a tilt to her head. "Not that it's any of my business, but where will you be if you're making your crewmembers making sure I'm fine?"

Damn straight it wasn't any of her business. Still, Law decided it wouldn't actually hurt her to know. She was tactful enough to not mention it to anyone. He hoped, at least. "I want to visit the southern beach, where Mister Doc mentioned finding the scraps." Nadeen's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but Law somehow knew it wasn't at him. "It isn't that I think he's lying. He believes what he says. But something about it strikes me as odd. Think about it; the ruins were supposedly their main attraction, more so than his shipyard. What would make a sea king, even one like Chelydrus, stay around in one place for very long?"

Nadeen crossed her arms thoughtfully, speaking her mind slowly. "Bepo said that the sea king was protecting her babies... But for her to have babies, there'd have to be a father hanging around. Doc didn't mention a second local monster, though." Wasn't where Law was going with his thought process, but also a good point. "If Chelydrus has been sticking around for ten years... Do you think something's keeping her here? Something aside from her supposed children?"

Law shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe. Maybe not. That's what I'm hoping to find out." She chose that time to yawn big enough that he heard her jaw crack. "Enough. Sleep. I'll be back by dinner and check on you then."

She rubbed her eyes and nodded, going to what Law had subconsciously designated her bed. "Yeah, okay. Do me a favor, though? Be careful. If you're gonna have your ass on the line, I want to be around to save it in case anything goes wrong." He chuckled and nodded, finding it amusing how she worried over her debt even as she was half-unconscious. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, if the snores were any indication.

He went about his usual routine before shutting off the lights and leaving the room. But he didn't leave immediately, slumping against the door. She'd been lucky the break hadn't been worse. The rib was dangerously close to puncturing her spleen. It wasn't a vital organ, but it would still require surgery if it was hit. Usually he wasn't in the habit of holding back anything, but she'd been so tired that she might not have remembered when she woke up and Law wanted her to get the full impact of just what her stupidity could cause.

The Surgeon of Death pushed himself away from his infirmary and walked towards the gallery. He'd choose someone to go with him, swing by the hotel to grab Bepo and his nodachi, then they'd go to the beach. The only person there was Sam, who was nursing a cold drink. Law couldn't be sure if it was alcohol or not, but didn't think it was his business. "Sam." The teenager's head snapped up at his captain's voice. "I want you to accompany me on a mission. Finish your drink and let's go."

Sam nodded eagerly and knocked back the drink in less than thirty seconds. He met Law at the door, leaving his cup on the table, and together they traipsed down the hallway. "Where are we going, Captain?"

Law didn't look at the younger man when he answered. "The hotel first. Then down to the southern beach. I want to find the place Mister Doc mentioned the sub scraps were at. And while we're on that train of thought," he looked at Sam from the corner of his eye, "are you alright?" Sam hesitated, and that was all the answer Law needed. "You know they can't hurt you here. I won't let them."

Sam nodded finally, a weak smile on his face. His left hand curled around his right bicep, and Law knew he was giving himself a bruise from the grip. "I know. It doesn't stop the memories, though. When Doc was talking about his wife, I remembered my mother." They left the sub and jumped down to the floor of Doc's Dock in unison. "I know I've said it before, but thank you. I probably wouldn't have lasted much longer if you hadn't taken me away from that life."

The doctor nodded his head. "I know. I was the one who conducted the physical, remember?" For a moment, Law pictured how Sam had looked back then. Bruised physically, too skinny for comfort, and mentally broken. He'd only just been starting to show personality a week before they'd found Nadeen. Honestly, it was amazing how quickly they'd bonded. He'd have to get the story from Penguin and Shachi later on what happened during their shopping trip. He glanced over to his crewmate, if only to reassure himself that that wasn't the case now. Sam had a blank look in his eye, and Law knew he only had about thirty seconds before he regressed. "So tell me, what do you think of Miss Nadeen?"

Sam startled slightly, and life came back into his eyes. "I'm sorry, Captain. What did you say?" Law usually didn't like repeating himself, but he wanted to distract Sam from wherever his thoughts had led him. So, though he frowned, he did repeat himself. "She's weird."

It was said so bluntly that Law chuckled. "Everyone is weird in their own ways, Sam. Need I remind you that Derek has a 'secret' collection of colorful rocks? Or that Penguin has a penchant for remembering the women his crewmates have spent the night with? Or that Shachi does baby talk to the submarine when he's working on the piping and engines? Or that-"

He was interrupted by the younger male's laughter. Law was glad to see the smile. "Okay, okay, I get it! Jeeze, Captain, you really do know everything about everyone."

Law smirked and said in a haughty fashion, "Of course I do. I'm the captain; it's my job to know everything about everyone." They walked the rest of the way in silence, and they collected Bepo without any troubles. Law carried his own weapon for once, just in case they came across any trouble. No one tried to stop them as they went south, though they did get a few odd looks.

They went through the forest, trying to keep as quiet and undetected as possible. Law and Sam were naturals at it. Bepo had... a bit more difficulties. "Ow ow ow ow ow ow." He leaned on a tree and pulled a bare foot up to rub at the sore heel. Stones and sticks were uncomfortable to walk on. "What are we looking for anyway, Captain?" he asked.

Said captain sighed. This was the third time in ten minutes Bepo had had to stop. Really, they had to find him some shoes that fit. "I'll know it when I see it. Something felt off about Mister Doc's story. I'm hoping to find some clues at the south beach." 'If we ever get there.' He knew better than to say it out loud, though. Bepo would just get depressed and apologize over and over again. Don't get him wrong, he loved the bear. But sometimes, Law had to resist the urge to whack him with his nodachi. "I'm going ahead. Sam, stay with Bepo. He can track me when he's ready to move on."

Both ignored the almost immediate apology from the first mate. Sam settled down on the floor next to Bepo in answer and Law moved on. He'd been walked for barely five minutes when an unexpected flash of white, covered in ivy vines and dust, caught his attention. Law used the scalpel he kept strapped to his shin at all times and cut away the ivy, careful not to touch it with his hands, and used the sleeve of his hoodie to wipe the dust off. "Danger, do not enter. Violators, you've been warned."

He allowed an amused smile to come to the surface. The sign was old, probably put up ten years ago when Chelyrus first appeared. All it did was stir his curiosity more. A rustling behind him made him grip his nodachi, but it was only Bepo and Sam. They both read the sign when Law moved away from it and Sam sighed heavily. "Would it be a stupid question to ask if we're really going on?" Both captain and first mate nodded. "I figured. Just had to ask."

The group moved on after that, not sparing the warning even a second glance. Even Bepo was moving more carefully. Law held a hand up to stop them at the bottom of a hill and lowered himself into a kneeling crouch. His instincts were screaming at him that something was wrong. If it made his gut churn, Bepo must have been feeling it twice as bad. His ears and nose were both twitching, and he seemed to be almost unaware of his lip curling into a silent snarl. "Keep low. Whatever's on the other side of the hill, we don't want to attract attention."

They both nodded and got down on their bellies. Law led the slightly undignified crawl upwards and just barely peeked over the top. What he saw made his stomach twist in anger and his fists to clench. Bepo and Sam were speechless, and Sam was pale to the point of looking like Bepo. "Back to the sub. Now." Law growled.

-Nadeen's POV-

She was woken up by the sound of the door opening. Law must have come back. She listened to the person's breathing, but something felt wrong. Law's breathing was hushed, steady, and soothing. She shouldn't have been able to hear Law's breathing unless he wanted her to, and she couldn't think of a reason he would want her to. It might have been Penguin or Shachi; Law had mentioned ordering them to check on her. 'Yeah, it's probably them. No reason to worry.'

But that gut feeling wouldn't go away. Especially when the person took slow, methodical steps towards her bed. Like they didn't want to be heard. Nadeen's eyes popped open and she opened her mouth to scream, but a cloth was quickly put over her mouth and nose. 'Chloroform!' It was her last thought before the drug did it's work, and she descended into darkness.

Pages: 6

Words: 3662

Me: Mwahaha, how's THAT for a cliff hanger?! XDD Thanks for reading, now it's time to review! Feel free to threaten me with angry words for the long wait as well. I'm sorry it took so long; I started another One Piece story and that's been kind of taking my attention. And no, that's totally not self-advertising. Psh, whatever gave you that idea?