The Heart's Pain

Title: The Heart's Pain
Rating: T
Fandom: One Piece
Summary: Law had succumbed to the disease. Corazon had failed and became cold and dark. The Donquixote Pirates gain another member: Doflamingo's biological son whom he decides to name after Law. But this boy seems a bit odd for a boy his age. [Serious Version of Donquixote Law]
Warning(s): Character Death; Evil Voices; Suicidal Thoughts

Corazon wouldn't eat or sleep. When Doflamingo dragged him to the dining table, Corazon would just sit there emotionlessly, pushing the food around in his plate but not eating it. Dark shadows formed under his eyes from the lack of sleep. Despite the atmosphere around him being depressing, the kids still managed to get laughs at his clumsiness.

On the fifth day, Doflamingo got fed up. He slammed his fist on the table during lunch time. "Damn it Corazon! You need to stop starving yourself and eat!"

"I don't care,"

Those three words pained Doflamingo's heart. "Why?"

Corazon's eyes betrayed his poker face, showing his sorrow. "Is it really necessary to ask that?" Even though his eyes showed his true emotions, he was a great actor and kept his voice monotone.

"Rocinante…" Doflamingo whispered.

"Just let me die,"

Everyone at the table stopped eating and all the attention was to him. "Ne Doffy, we should just do as he said; just let him die!" Trebol for once agreed with the klutz.

"Shut up Trebol," Doflamingo snapped, his patience having diminished.

XXX

Corazon was lying in his bed, a Den-Den Mushi beside him. 'Why didn't they take it away? I can still relay information to the Marines…not like they'd give me important info anymore though…'

'You're a failure,'

Corazon picked up the Den-Den Mushi. 'Should I call someone?'

'Who would want to talk to a weakling like you? It's a shock that Bellemere accepted your wedding proposal!'

'Bellemere…Nami…Nojiko…' Corazon remembered his fiancée and her two daughters. He dialed their number.

"Hello?"

"Belle…This is Rocinante…" Corazon said.

"Roci! Sengoku-san said that they lost contact with you for months! What happened!? Where are you!?"

"Belle…I'm breaking off the engagement…" Corazon's voice nearly cracked but he managed to keep it stable.

"What's wrong!? This isn't like you!"

"I couldn't save him…"

'Because you're weak!'

"Save who? Your brother? That man was far too deep in evilness to be saved,"

"No…I couldn't save Law…a sick boy from Flevance…"

"Flevance!? Roci, there's no cure for White Lead Disease! You know that,'

"I promised him that he'd be cured…" Now Corazon let his voice break. He was crying.

'But you lied!'

"Roci, it isn't your fault,"

"I vitiated that promise! I gave him the Op-Op Fruit but he died!" Corazon snapped. "If I can't even save one boy, how can I protect you and the girls!? That's why I'm calling off the wedding! You should marry someone who is able to protect you three!"

"Roci—"

But Corazon had hung up. He hadn't bothered to create a sound barrier nor had he taken notice of the people listening to their conversation.

"Corazon was engaged?" Jora questioned.

"He is still wallowing in a pit full of guilt," Doflamingo sighed. "I'm gonna go head to town,"

XXX

He didn't know how he ended up at the familiar front door of a woman he had soon only once, and that one time was over a year ago. He brought his fist up and knocked on the wooden door. A female voice called from inside, "Hang on a second!"

After a few minutes, the door finally opened to a woman with long brown hair and blue eyes. She held a little boy in her arms who had the same blonde hair as Doflamingo and grey eyes. "Doflamingo?"

"Fufufu, I didn't think that you would remember me Dei Nikko," Doflamingo grinned.

"Who can forget a ten foot tall man that wears a pink feathered coat, has a wide grin, and doesn't take his sunglasses off even during sex?" The woman pointed out.

"Ooh! Ahh!" The child in her arms squirmed around.

"Hmm? Who's this kid?" Doflamingo asked.

"Your son," Nikko yawned, tired from the boy's cries waking her in the middle of the night. She soon realized what she had just revealed and tried to cover it up. "I mean my son!"

Doflamingo narrowed his eyes. "You never told me that you were pregnant," His voice was threatening. "You never told me I had a son,"

Nikko tried to close the door but Doflamingo was much stronger. She took a few steps backwards. "You're a pirate! A child does belong at sea, especially with a criminal like you!"

"That doesn't excuse the fact that he's my son, my blood running through his veins," Doflamingo used his strings to force her to hand the child over.

"No! Give back my son!" Nikko tried to take him back but coughed up blood, Doflamingo having used Five Colored Strings on her. Nikko fell backwards, blood pooling around her.

The boy giggled, not comprehending that his mother had just been killed. Doflamingo left, not knowing that the boy's older sister had been a witness to the murder. "Mom?" The five year old girl walked over to her. "Mom?"

"Nikki," Nikko whispered. "I'm so sorry…"

"Sorry for what?" Nikki asked. "Mom, we're gonna get Law back from that man, right?"

"I'm sorry Nikki…" Nikko repeated. 'Sorry that you have to witness my death…Sorry that I couldn't stop Doflamingo from kidnapping Law…Sorry that you're alone now…' Her body went limp.

"No…No…No! No! NO! NO!" Nikki screamed. "I'll get Law back, Mom! I'll kill Doflamingo for you! I won't let him get away with this!"

If you had read the Donquixote Law prequel, Gloomy Heart, Nikko named her son Dei Law. Don't ask why or how, it was just the name that popped into her mind at that time. Wow…this is so angsty…I need to go write a crack chapter for my other story!