Doflamingo had never been a sentimental man, even when every return to Dressrosa was met with a passionate embrace, of course that was only the times that Anberlyn had been left on the island they had dominated so long ago. He also wasn't much of a motivational speaker either, though through threatening promises you know he'd keep Doflamingo motivated those around him to do his bidding. And not even Anberlyn was exempt, no one was.

But, sometimes, even such a meticulous man like Doflamingo slipped up and offered no only a glimpse into his carefully guarded thoughts but, offered the slightest of sentiments and encouragements.

Anberlyn hung over the side of the ship, whose name she didn't even know, contemplating everything that had happened recently.

Once again, she had failed and now she had not only the memories of just the past two years, but of the period of time in which she had self-induced amnesia as well.

It was a nice night, clear with twinkling stars overhead and a slight breeze. Below were churning black waves, capped in white sea foam, that slapped against the sides of the ship.

Anberlyn had never really considered it, but she could jump. No one was around to stop her. And, sure it would be slow and painful; a death that she deserved after everything she had done but, on the bright side, Doflamingo wouldn't be able to stop her once she was pulled under. He didn't have the physical ability to dive in after her or even use his strings to pull her up or to stop her mid fall.

The only problem was that Anberlyn didn't want to die. At least she didn't want to if she wasn't dragging Doflamingo down with her.

For one reason or another, Doflamingo was feeling restless on this fine night and found himself on the deck. And, surprise, surprise, guess who was out there, hanging over the railing of the deck, appearing as though they were about to slip over it and fall down into the ocean below.

Even though Anberlyn had returned, not just her memories, but her brilliant fire as well, she still wasn't the same. When he told her to do something she would do it, mumbling under her breath unintelligible things of course but, she didn't down right refuse and tell him to do it himself, or demand that he ask someone else, like she usually would.

Like the cat upon the canary, Doflamingo stalked up to an unsuspecting Anberlyn. When he reached her, he placed a hand on either side of her, bracing himself against the rail. Anberlyn was hunched over the rail, up to her armpits, not on her knees but not standing tall and proud, as she should be, either.

Lost in thought, Anberlyn hardly noticed the hands on either side of her, or the sudden warmth at her back.

"Are you that miserable Sweetheart?" Doflamingo's voice suddenly sounded right next to her ear.

The breath on her ear, and the voice that accompanied that breath having startled her, Anberlyn shot to her feet, her heart going crazy in her chest until she realized that it was only Doflamingo. Letting out a heavy sigh, the word, "No," floated out on the exhaled breath as she turned around in the small space between the rail and Doflamingo.

Now, the small of her back was against the rail and there was virtually no place to go if she so felt the need to escape. Well, she could do down, she could solidify the water and run but with Doflamingo's Ito-Ito no mi, she would not get very far.

Just as he was about to praise Anberlyn for the lack of a short, ill-tempered responses, she sharply retorted,

"You're just that awful."

With a laugh and feigned hurt, Doflamingo said, "You don't mean that."

But, they both knew damn well that she did. After all, Anberlyn wasn't near as fond of Doflamingo as he was of her.

Anberlyn mocked Doflamingo's carefree laughter and then, with a straight face snapped, "But I do."

Had she not been so ashamed about her recent failures and the fact that she had gone to him like a hapless lost child whose parent had suddenly reappeared, than she would have looked him in the eye. But, she couldn't and who could possibly blame her?

After countless failed assassination attempts, a failed attempt at leaving everything, including her memories, behind, just as many failed escape attempts and that episode in which she clung to Doflamingo and cried into his jacket until she had fallen asleep, the unsettling, yet comforting aroma of Doflamingo and his jacket carrying her off to dreamland with the aid of the exhaustion that always followed crying.

She was a full grown woman, one who was constantly butting heads with a powerful and vile pirate man without a second thought, how could she have let him see one of her weakest sides?

Anberlyn crossed her arms, fingertips brushing against the bandage covering her entire upper arm. It was part of the reason that she was even up at this time of night, thinking about things she should just forget or let settle to the bottom of the current of her mind.

Suddenly grabbing Anberlyn by the chin and forcing the eye contact she had been so avidly avoiding since the return of her memories, Doflamingo demanded, "Care to explain your abnormal behavior?"

In his mind, it didn't add up. Doflamingo couldn't figure out the reasons behind Anberlyn's drastic behavior and decisions as of late. And, instead of being able to drop it or brush it off, like he could so many other things, this was kind of bothering him…a lot. If he didn't find out the reasons, he couldn't do anything differently; he couldn't threaten the right thing to ensure that Anberlyn didn't have these strange mood swings again. He wouldn't be able to solve the problem.

"Not to you I don't." She glared fiercely, trying to pull out of his, as always rough, grasp.

Someone should teach Doflamingo that he would catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. But, then again, Doflamingo didn't want flies, he wanted hornets and there were no saying about catching hornets with honey.

"You don't have anyone else." He so cruelly pointed out.

The worst thing was that he was right, she didn't.

Anberlyn had chosen not to get close to any one of his subordinates. First of all, she hadn't planned on staying near as long as she had. And even though it wasn't by choice, she was still here. Also, the men and women on the ship, whether they were from rookie crews that had been adopted or random groups of people who were allowed to fly his flag, or the people who stayed on the ship for the most part, they had the tendency of dropping like flies.

If they didn't meet his unreasonably high expectations, they were dead. If they failed in a task, they were dead. If they messed up or cut corners or got different results than what was desired, they were dead. Make him regret giving them a second chance, they were dead. They were always taken care of in the worst of ways.

Because she had purposefully ostracized herself, she could not confide in the ever changing crew.

Having moved away from home and to Sabaody, she had left her family behind. And while she did checkup, rather infrequently, Doflamingo cut all ties to them, if she expressed wanting to keep in contact, he wouldn't have allowed it, not that she would have wanted to endanger them anyways.

But, despite the depressing truth, Anberlyn bared her teeth, like a snarling dog, and with a venomous amount of sweetness said, "Me, myself and I are quite enough. But, thank you for your offer."

After five days of sulking and despair and that half day of memory loss, Anberlyn's attitude was nothing short of refreshing.

So much so, that he found himself thinking aloud, "Don't change."

It was one thing to think those words and have them tucked safely within the confines of his mind, to lock them in the vault of things that would not make it to the tip of his tongue. But, to allow the slight slip of tongue was out of character, especially so when it wasn't purposeful, as his slip ups so often were.

Doflamingo had never been sentimental but, the words that had come from his mouth were frighteningly close. Blinking slowly and trying to digest the words, unsure of her ears had translated the noise that came from his mouth correctly, she quietly asked, "Pardon?"

Covering up his mistake was a matter of acting and by gods that was something he was rather good at.

Lowering himself closer to her level and pulling her to the tips of her toes, he said, "You heard me Sweetheart. I don't want you to change."

"It's a bit too late for that isn't it?" She growled.

All she had been doing since having been forced to take a seat upon his lap in that dark cavern of a room was change. He was always the one pushing for it anyways.

She wasn't the one who forced them to go to that weapons emporium, or constantly pushed for her to be able to kill without batting an eye or feeling a crushing amount of guilt. And sure, she was the one pushing to get stronger, but she had a reason. And she supposed that Doflamingo had his reasons as well, but just like he didn't know her reasons, she didn't know his, though it wasn't as though she couldn't figure his reasons out.

"There were a few things we had to fix before. But now, you're perfect."

Anberlyn could help but scoff at his words. He was the one always trying to get her to stop being this or stop doing that or whatever.

"I am far from perfect Donquixote." And that couldn't be any more truthful.

"Perfect does not mean without flaw Sweetheart."

"So then what are you trying to say?" She irately snapped. It was kind of sweet that he had said that she was perfect, not that Anberlyn wanted to be perfect in Doflamingo's eyes, but, it was the thought that counted. But now, he was saying that she wasn't perfect?

Make up your damn mind. She mentally grumbled.

"I'm saying do not become any different than how you are at this current moment."

Dark eyes rolled in their sockets. "That's a bit unrealistic don't you think? Change is inevitable as we grow older no?"

As time changed, they were bound to do so as well, adjusting to new circumstances, gaining new knowledge and experiencing new things. Not only that, but, there was nothing they could do about it. No one ever noticed things change until it's in the past and they are able to look back. Or at least, that's what Anberlyn thought.

Doflamingo's brow furrowed and the smile on his face shifted down every so lightly and he opened his mouth to speak, but, she started before he got the chance, saying,

"Let me get this straight…"Anberlyn trailed off, giving Doflamingo room to speak if he so wished because she hadn't given him any time to respond to her previous statement. But, he closed him mouth and said nothing so, she continued. "You don't want me to become a brainless robot pawn of yours?"

Doflamingo shook his head no; he already had enough of those in his repertoire, standing ready for him to call upon them and thrust them into whichever situation he needed them for.

"You want me to question everything you say and do, like I always have just because I can or because I don't feel like listening or think I have better ideas?" Anberlyn clarified. Because, that's what she had been doing since they had become acquaintances.

Doflamingo smiled and said, "Someone has got to do it."

Had it been anyone else he probably would have killed them. He wasn't holding back because she was special in any way, but because she had been like that from the start, he was the one who incurred her wrath by taking her from the auctioning house and fixing her up so that she was nothing short of perfect. Her input in things wasn't important in the least, but he rather enjoyed hearing her calculating plans because, sometimes she had a good idea or two. She had different ways of doing things that was for sure.

"It's not my fault you've got a bunch of spineless subordinates."

They weren't spineless, just loyal, convinced that everything he said was right and carrying out every order without so much as a heavy sigh or a roll of their eyes. If every order were met with such, as they were when he ordered Anberlyn to do something, they wouldn't live to see the next minute; it was as simple as that. A pirate ship cannot run smoothly if the men of lesser standing did not know their place and accept their captain as their leader.

Doflamingo chuckled and said, "Good night Sweetheart," letting go of her chin and starting towards his quarters.

Anberlyn just stood there, thinking about everything he had said. He didn't want her to change, meaning that her future was no longer bleak. She wouldn't have to obey his every whim or carry out his every mission the exact way he wanted it, she had been given full permission to disobey Doflamingo and his stupid orders.

Anberlyn felt liberated.

Suddenly, she didn't mind being back. She didn't mind having failed so many times. She would one day get her revenge; she would end his life and she had all of the time in the world to do so. After all, she had no one to go home to, no family, no life to return to. Anberlyn would bide her time and grow until her goal was within reach.

At the door, Doflamingo turned and said, "Don't change or I might have to beat you back into shape," in a tone that was both playful and threatening.

When the door closed, Anberlyn looked skywards and smiled, muttering the words, "Ok. I won't."

A/n: What do you guys think about me adding in Law? I've been avoiding adding him in because his and Doflamingo's relationship is still quite vague. Sure, it's really bad, but, as of yet, we don't really know what happened, so I'm kind of unsure as to whether I should feature him or not. But, for the plans in the end, I don't want him to just randomly appear you know? Uurg. I'm sorry I probably shouldn't be asking my readers for help…

Guest 2: :D well I hope the end doesn't disappoint.

Review please. I would be delighted to hear your thoughts and opinions. Please, if you think that I have gotten anyone OOC, tells me. Thank you much for reading and I hope to see you next chapter.