A/N: So sorry for the long update! It's so unlike me but I promise now that final exams are done, I will be more frequent and consistent. I want to give my usual thanks to those who leave me sweet reviews. You guys are my motivation to improve and continue on with this story :D I apologize if this chapter seems a little bland but it will definitely pick up in the next one I can assure you. Hopefully you all enjoy Number 8
"Should we check on him?"
"For the last time Bepo, just leave him be!"
The bickering trio dressed in thick, black parkas sat in a triangle on the floor, enjoying a game of cards, or at least attempting to.
"I can't function knowing Captain's upset!" the white bear whined, throwing a card into the center among them.
"Captain's been in a pissy mood the past two weeks so you better get over yourself." Shachi growled in agitation. It was bad enough that they all had to deal with Law's shortened fuse since Ember's escape and he'd be damned if Bepo's bitching had to be added to his plate.
He soon sighed as his annoyed tone brought self-awareness to his own diminishing patience and adjusted his attitude with much effort. It appears that everyone has been on edge since Ember had left, especially after the way Law had reprimanded them all for allowing such a thing to happen so easily. Ever since then, the crew has done their best to stay out of Law's crosshairs, even if that meant playing a game of cards outside on the deck in practically sub-zero tempetures.
Law's unusual behavior didn't just come about overnight. The deterioration of his calm and collected demeanor was a gradual process similar to that of a slow spreading cancer, whose early stages had slipped by unnoticed from his crew. Shachi should have, they all should have known something was amiss by the way their captain's laid back, almost lazy drawl was replaced with short, curt responses that held just enough edge to hint that something was wrong yet not enough to raise question.
Just like an untreated wound, Law was left to fester in his inner turmoil and regret, weakening his emotional immune system, which he took meticulous care of for so many years. It seemed safe to say Law has been diagnosed with love sickness and there was no treatment plan the surgeon could follow to remedy himself from such a disease. Ember was his only antidote and the chances of her returning were similar to the chances of surviving a heart transplant.
"How much longer do you think Captain's going to be like this?" Penguin asked, his hand hesitating over a card before deciding to throw it in the circle between the three of them until a strong gust of wind blew the pile away. As hands and paws scrambled to gather the scattered cards, jaws went slack as they looked up in unison to see that the end of their game wasn't due to a bitter breeze from the frigid ocean.
"Be like what?" The black, leathery wings of Ember beat several times before letting her drop into a neat crouch on the deck while holding a large, wooden box polished in a cherry red stain under her arm. Wherever she had gone, she had picked up new threads similar to her usual attire except she wore black sandals instead of boots and by judging the scales that lined her body underneath her clothes, it was obvious that she was unaware of the wintery weather she would be returning to.
The trio alternated between gaping at her and at each other, unable to form coherent words as their minds struggled to grasp the situation. No longer will they have to walk on eggshells around their captain. Ember has returned.
Why?
How will Law react to this news? The Heart captain isn't exactly the type to welcome someone with open arms, especially after they escaped his grasp. Then again, its not escape if they return willingly.
Bepo was the first to find his voice. "Y-You're back!" he stammered in excitement, but it quickly evaporated. "Why the hell did you leave in the first place?! Do you realize the misery you put us through?"
Ember smiled. "I wasn't aware of how much I meant to any of you, Teddy Bear."
Shachi stepped in. "What fuzzball here is trying to say is life on the sub went to shit when you left. Captain's been difficult to deal with."
Her face softened with concern. "How so?"
"If he's not cooped up in his operating room days at a time, then he's snapping at us, scaring the living crap out of everyone! It's only a matter of time before he dissects one of us due to the bad mood you put him in!" Penguin chimed in.
Ember was expecting a great wave of satisfaction to wash over her at the thought of her departure having such an impact on the surgeon, but no such thing occurred. For some reason, the idea of being the cause of Law's sadness, distress of whatever it is he is going through according to the Heart pirates, bothered Ember more than she thought it should, especially when she felt Law didn't give a damn about her to begin with.
"Oh…" she muttered. "Well, I'll see what I can do."
The three watched as Ember let herself through the main door that leads deep within the ship, debating on whether to sneakily follow and spy on the events sure to unfold or to simply stay out of the way.
"Should we go see what happens?" Bepo whispered.
"Are you insane? Do you want to be scarred for life when Captain dismembers that girl?"
"So what should we do?"
Shachi threw in a suggestion. "I say we give it an hour, then check up and offer to clean the mess for Captain. I'm sure that'll cheer him up and win him over"
"I like that idea." Penguin stated.
"Me too." Added Bepo.
It was absolutely frigid within the metal belly of the submarine, probably more so than outside. Ember clutched the box to her chest in a poor effort to keep her body temperature from falling several more degrees, wondering what kind of course Law had set that has them leading toward a wintery climate. She absolutely despised cold weather.
Ember had soon found herself hesitating before the double doors leading to Law's operating theater, thoughts running through her head faster than she could process them. Why was she here? Why did she even bother to come back? Back to the man who destroyed her ship, held her captive and brutally attacked her? Who made her feel so prized and so worthless at the same time? Law was right; Ember really couldn't differentiate between good choices and bad ones but that wasn't going to stop her from following through with her gut feelings no matter how bad the decision.
She took a deep breath before quietly slipping past the doors, wrinkling her nose immediately as the pungent smell of blood hit her full force. She found Law by his operating table, snug in a long, black trench coat with a hat similar to his previous one with added thickness and a bill, hovering over his subject who appeared to be nonhuman. Tip toeing closer revealed that the specimen was in fact a rather large monitor lizard, which struck Ember as odd. Law was no veterinarian; what was he doing with an animal on the table?
Ember didn't have much time to wonder as the surgeon cast his blue room around them, not even bothering to look over his shoulder and acknowledge her intrusion. He simply continued to poke around his subject's innards as a distraction to the pounding heart in his chest that was fueled by a mixture of rage and thrill of her return.
"I do hope you have a good reason as to why I should refrain from slicing you to pieces for your escape." Law said in a lazy tone as he separated the still heart from the lizard's body.
"It's not escape if I come back."
Tools clattered onto the table as Law whipped around to shoot her a dangerous look, face hardened with agitation.
"I'm curious to know where in your thought process allowed you the idea that returning to me would come with no consequences." Law approached her in a predatory manner, casually grabbing his nodachi that was leaning against the table. He slid the blade out at a leisurely pace, accentuating the sound of metal dragging against the sheath. Raising the tip of the blade, he allowed it to rest beneath Ember's chin, lifting it gently so she could look him in the eye. "I don't need fancy tools to dismember you."
"In that case, I suppose my gift has no use to you." She said, sliding the box underneath her arm with nonchalance.
Law knew what bait looked like when he saw it, yet the doctor couldn't refrain himself from nibbling at the hook. He raised her chin higher with the blade. "What are you implying?"
Her slightly bashful expression had completely hooked Law, who was now itching to know just what in the world she was keeping from him. There were to be no secrets from Law, not on his ship.
Eyes cast elsewhere, anywhere but into those dark grey pools, she hesitantly hands Law the box who accepts it with the same uncertainty. He walks over to his operating table, resting his weapon before opening the box underneath the fluorescent light to study its contents in details. A shy Ember began slinking away into the shadows as she heard the faint gasp from the surgeon, unsure as to how Law will handle a gift she may very well regret giving to him.
Law spoke, not bothering to turn toward her. "Where did you get this?" he asked in a calm tone.
"From a previous doctor." Her voice was small with a hint of apprehension.
Law immediately stiffened. A previous doctor? So she was the patient of another before him. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to tear her wings apart if it meant keeping her grounded and all to himself, out of the hands of other doctors, or anyone for that matter.
"I thought you didn't visit doctors." He asked, finally deciding to turn towards Ember, who was semi-concealed in a darkened corner.
"I said I detest them but that doesn't stop me from seeing one if I'm injured badly enough," Ember had found enough confidence to push her from the comfort of the shadows. "Which is why I want you to have this."
Law's face was as blank and as neutral as ever although his mind scrambled to make sense of it all. Careful fingers plucked a platinum scalpel from its velvet impression within the box, sampling its impeccable quality. It was just one of the several slicing tools found in the box that were also constructed from a precious metal.
Law has never received a gift in his life, especially one of such generosity so he stood there in silence, unsure as how to react. Why was she giving him tools he could use on her?
Ember broke the silence. "If I'm going to spend anymore time on this ship, I want to know I'm in good hands if I ever get severely hurt, especially by your doing."
Law turned to her. "If that is how you feel then why did you return?"
Ember paused, allowing the question to sink in so she could really think of an answer not only for him but for herself as well. She knew what a twisted bastard Law was and that anyone in their right mind would have ran and never looked back, not even taking a second to question Law's reasoning for allowing them to escape. However, Ember's conscious refused to leave behind unfinished business, especially the unanswered question of Law's unexpected gesture of kindness.
Law was growing impatient with her lack of an answer. "I really hope you don't take me as some sort of fool to believe this ploy of yours. Giving me the tools I need to split you open is not how to earn my trust."
Ember gasped, absolutely offended by such a comment. She may not have planned this as thoroughly as she had first thought but she knew damn well this was no trick to stab Law in the back. Does he really think that lowly of her?
A small puff of black smoke was exhaled from Embers nostrils as she huffed in agitation, turning her heel on the doctor in an attempt to head for the exit. Law frowned, swiftly coming up from behind her while gasping both ends of his nodachi, swooping it over her head and down to her waistline where he used the weapon to roughly reel her into his chest.
"However," he began in a softer tone, speaking into the black hair that intoxicated his nostrils with its sweet scent. "It is a sign that I have earned yours."
Her spine stiffened against his chest. Law seemed to know her intentions better than she did herself but she wasn't going to allow him the privilidge of uncovering a truth she was not ready to accept just yet.
"Does that mean the return of my wings is a sign that I have earned yours as well?"
Ember heard the brief catch in Law's throat before he spoke. "It was an experiment."
"A trust experiment."
Law's grip loosened slightly as a consequence of being caught off guard but when Ember saw it as an opportunity to slip from his grasp, he immediately brought her back with the sword, pulling it painfully tight against her hips so there was no space between his chest and the weapon that prevented her escape.
A tension filled atmosphere that Ember couldn't place a finger on, causing her to switch from agitation to concern when Law allowed his weapon to drop on the floor with a loud clatter. Arms suddenly wrapped around her with a tightness that seemed almost desperate and Ember couldn't understand why.
"I suppose you could call it that." The surgeon mumbled. His grip tightened even more around her. "Thank heavens my hypothesis was correct."
Ember was thankful that Law couldn't see her smile from behind her. "And what exactly was your hypothesis?"
Law hesitated, gritting his teeth before finally agreeing with himself to share such a private thought. "That you would continue to stay here…with me."
Ember wanted to whip around and look Law in the eyes as he revealed his honest hope for her to remain on his ship, a huge challenge for the shichibukai she was sure but Law's tight hug prevented her from doing so and she had a hunch as to why. There must be some emotions on his face he doesn't want me to see.
Law's chin slumped onto her shoulder as if exhausted by his confession, welcoming the palm of Ember's hand that reached to cup the side of his cheek. It was in this silent moment, a brief exchange of mutual affection not fueled by a lustful desire, that Ember realized this was the extent of the little warmth that Law possessed, perhaps extending a bit further than she would have ever expected from the doctor. It was in this moment that she finally came to terms with the fact that Law will never be as openly affectionate as she had hoped for him to be, yet despite his laidback sarcasm that disguises the true complexity of Trafalgar Law, he still wields some level of respect and care for her. With that little bit of insurance to hold on to, Ember can readily accept the fact that Law and his deeper feelings, if he has any, will forever remain a mystery.
Now enlightened, Ember decided to bring some relief to Law by going off topic.
"Care to explain the reason why you're dissecting an over grown lizard?"
Law paused before giving his short answer. "Research."
Ember raised a brow. "For?"
When Law didn't answer right away, the Zoan User decided to take it upon herself to form her own conclusion. "You were trying to replace me with another reptile, weren't you?" she joked.
Law turned Ember around to face him. "That is the most ridiculous thing to ever come out of your mouth."
"So tell me your logical explanation then."
Law released a short, annoyed sigh. "Without a dragon to work on, I chose the closest thing to one."
"I was right! You were trying to replace m-mmph-" Lips crashed on hers, refusing her rightful privilege to verbalize how correct she was. Cutting into human flesh just didn't have the same appeal anymore ever since he met this interesting dragon-human hybrid of a Zoan user.
Luckily for Law, Ember decided to keep her small victory to herself for now and melted into the lips she was beginning to have an insatiable taste for. He absolutely despised how much he truly had missed her and did not want to be reminded of the desperate attempt to fill the void in his cold heart due to her absence.
Ember broke the kiss, looking at Law with smug, red eyes. "Missed me, huh?"
Law growled angrily, roughly slamming her into a nearby medicine shelf causing several bottles and vials to crash on the floor, serums and pills spilling everywhere.
"Don't you ever disappear on me like that again. Do you understand?" Law bit his lip, not liking the desperation that seemed to be laced in his voice. He quickly sought safety from Ember's intense gaze by burying his face into her neck, feeling her fingers play with the black hair at his nape.
"Even if it was to get you a little gift?" she cooed near his ear.
Law pulled away to glare at her but the playfulness held in her eyes told him she was not intimidated.
"Don't get sassy with me."
"I thought that's what you liked about me."
Law paused, staring at her incredulously before allowing a smirk to appear on his lips. "That's right. You seem to be on a roll today."
With that, Law reclaimed her lips, hoisting her up higher against the shelf, guiding her legs to wrap around his waist. It was in this moment that he finally realized just how much he needed this girl. It wasn't about experimenting on her for the sake of medical science, but to experiment with these overwhelming yet pleasant feelings that seem to be evoked by her sheer presence.
Rough kisses continued to be exchanged, causing several more medicines to fall off the shelves from their fit of their passion. Too absorbed in one another, both failed to hear the swing of the double doors where Shachi, Bepo and Penguin watched in shock as their captain ravished what was supposed to be a dismembered Ember.
"C-Captain?"
Law pulled his lips away from Ember, turning his head slightly to look at them through the corner of a grey eye, unfazed. "Yes?"
Exchanging nervous glances, Shachi and Penguin pushed the white bear forward, volunteering Bepo to speak on behalf of their trio, who was not at all pleased with this decision. "W-we came to help clean up any…mess."
Law was reminded of the fallen medicines and looked down at the floor to make an assessment of the mess he had made. "How helpful of you three." He praised in a flat tone.
He couldn't help but smirk at the hint of disappointment Ember had expressed when he placed her back on her feet. Walking to the table to grab his weapon and new tools, he motioned with his head for Ember to come follow.
Trailing a couple of feet behind Law, she winked at the crewmembers who stared at her with bewilderment. "All fixed, just like you asked."
The sheets on Law's bed were ripped off the mattress and wrapped around Ember in a tight cocoon. It was still cold and the clothes on her body just weren't cutting it. She sat cross-legged on the bed in her bundle of minimal warmth and watched the surgeon search through his large armoire for something suitable for her to wear. He threw a bundle of clothes over his shoulder at her but it wasn't what she had in mind.
"These are my old clothes." She stated.
"I'm aware of that." He responded, continuing his dig in the closet. "I'm simply returning them to you so you can transition back once we reach reasonable weather again."
Ember smelled her clothes, inhaling the light clean scent signifying that they have been laundered. She remembered the paper in her pocket that Kid had given her, retrieving it from its confines to place in her bra for safe keeping.
Law hummed with uncertainty, pulling out clothes that were exactly of his currant state of dress. Taking his trusty nodachi, he made two very large incisions in both the hoodie and the long, black overcoat for Ember's wings to go through. "You will definitely need a belt to keep the pants on your waist but other than that, this should hopefully suit you, considering this is all I have that would fit a female."
Ember was not amused at the fact that she would be dressed identical to Law but if it meant retaining valuable degrees of body heat, then she would hold her tongue for now. Taking a deep breath in preparation of leaving the comfort of the warm sheets, she quickly got undressed, slipping into Law's clothes in record time. She retreated back into the sheets once again, wrapping herself to where only her ruby red eyes peeked through.
"It's not that cold, stop exaggerating." Law told her, despite how amusing it was to watch her antics on keeping warm.
"Says the man bundled head to toe." She countered. "Where are we going anyway that it has to be so cold?"
Law closed the closet doors to lean his back against the furniture, arms folded casually. "There is no point in sharing such information. The location is under the radar so the less who know about it, the better."
Ember's eyes narrowed from her displeasure of Law's response. "If you plan to include me in whatever objective it is you have planned, it would be smart to fill me in on where we're going and what we're doing.
Law raised an eyebrow at the mass of sheets that was Ember. "How do you know I have something planned?" He didn't have to see her to know she was grinning beneath the covers.
"Because Trafalgar Law always has a plan."
Law grinned inwardly, feeling the light stroke to his ego. "You've come to know me quite well in such a short amount of time, Miss Ember."
"Indeed I have," she said with a smile. "Now quit delaying and tell me where we're going."
"Fine," he said with a sigh. "Have you ever heard of Punk Hazard?"