The sky was black and boiling with rage. Rain was slanting in through the broken window, sheets of ice-cold water slashed at the sides of the house and knocked all the petals from Topaz's blooming blood-red rosebush, and rushed through the gutters. The wind was howling through the eaves of the house and bearing soggy leaves and rose petals through the rain. The trees were thrashing and bowing in the gusts and several branches were already down. Thunder crashed and lightning flared. The power shuddered.

Law woke to the sound of rustling clothing.

His heart hammered against his ribs a few times before slowing and he warily cracked open one amber eye. The sheets beside him where Topaz had been gripping his hand last night were empty, but warm. He opened his other eye and immediately spotted Topaz's naked back, intersected only by her bra strap. Her spine was sinuous and curved, her ribs sculpted like long fingers around her chest, and he could glimpse the swell of her breasts. A few white scars speckled her skin, but the marks were barely visible on her porcelain-alabaster skin. She was wearing a pair of jeans with her brace buckled over them and pulling on a white t-shirt. Her caramel hair was tousled and glossy.

She looked…

Law's mouth went dry and he had to avert his eyes from the lighted curve of her lithe spine as she slithered the cloth down over her head. Then, he heard her brace scrape-thumping on the floor as she made her way to the bathroom. Once he heard the door close quietly, he sat up in bed and rubbed his face with his long-fingered hands.

He couldn't chase the image of Topaz from his mind. He found himself wondering what the rest of her looked like beneath her clothes, what the texture of her skin felt like beneath his fingertips. He wondered if she would ever want to touch him or want him to touch her. Much to his great distress, he found himself wanting her, wanting to know if any of those things were possible… and actually… he wished…

He wished that they would.

Law scrubbed his face with his hands and willed the image of Topaz's body and his wandering thoughts away.

He slipped from the bed, pulled the sheets neatly back up, and straightened the pillows. Then, he quietly left Topaz's bedroom to return to his own. He washed his face and brushed his teeth in his bathroom, ran a comb through his hair, and then slipped into clean jeans and a t-shirt. He was halfway back to Topaz's room when she hustled out, whipping her head from side to side as if looking for something.

"Miss Topaz?"

She jolted and gripped the doorframe to steady her trembling frame. Her crippled leg was shaking violently.

Law took a few steps toward her, hesitated, and then held out his hand. His fingers twitched and trembled.

Topaz smiled beautifully and reached for him. She slipped her hand through his until he was cupping her elbow in his palm and half-supporting half-steadying her. Her skin was warm and soft and dusted with fine caramel hairs.

His mind strayed again to her naked back.

Law shook his head to clear the beautiful image.

"Law?" Topaz asked quietly.

He wet his lips and murmured, "Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

He nodded. "Yes," he said.

She didn't look like she believed him, but she didn't say anything. "Let's go into the kitchen. What would you like for breakfast?"

"Anything is fine," Law said.

It was dark in the kitchen and Topaz gingerly freed her arm from his grip and crossed the room to flip on the lights. The moment her fingers touched the switch, the power flickered and crashed out. Darkness wrapped around them both like a thick quilt.

…

Thunder growled and grumbled. Rain beat against the window panes, raged through the gutters, and pounded on the roof. The wind howled around the house. A branch from one of the rosebushes tapped against the window, slammed and rattled. The sky boiled with a distant flash of lightning.

Topaz put her hand on the wall and groped her way to the kitchen counter. Her fingers collided with objects on the cool granite countertop. A loaf of bread fell off and rolled across the floor. Topaz slid her foot around, trying not to step on it.

She had matches and candles in one of the drawers and a flashlight under the sink.

There was a sound, a whimper of fear and unease. From Law, maybe? Or a trick of the wind?

"Trafalgar?" Topaz called curiously through the darkness. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yes." His voice was shaky and fearful.

"It's alright. It's just a power outage. I'm getting a flashlight," she told him. "Just hang on."

A groan crawled from Law's mouth.

"Hang in there, Law-kun," Topaz cooed and pulled open one drawer. She groped around in it and found a candle, but no matches. She tried the next drawer, scrabbled through its contents, found a box, and struck one.

In the ensuing flash of light, Topaz glimpsed something from the corner of her eye.

Then, the match went out.

Lightning flared and Law's silhouette was framed in the bright window. Another whimper emerged from the young slave, from the young man.

"Law…?"

"Y-yes, Miss Topaz,"

"Just one more minute, Law-kun. Just hang on."

Topaz struck another match and lit the candle. Then, she turned around.

…

Law listened to Topaz's halting scrape-drag-clunking gait as she moved through the dark kitchen. He heard her knuckles bang into the wall and she flipped on the light. It only remained for a moment before the power went out and the room was plunged into perfect darkness. Something hit the floor and rolled and he heard Topaz's foot scraping along the floor.

Then, a hand gripped his shoulder tightly and jerked him back against something solid and hard. Immediately, he knew what it was and was going to let out a shout to warn Topaz when something ice-cold slithered across his throat.

A knife. Law's mind raced and his heart began to slam against his ribcage as a drop of hot blood rolled down his cold skin.

He whimpered.

"Law? Are you alright?" Topaz asked.

"Say yes," a voice hissed against the shell of his ear.

A shiver of fear went down Law's spine and he whispered, "Y-yes." His voice was weak and pitifully small.

"It's alright, Trafalgar. It's just a power outage. I'm getting a flashlight. Just hang on," Topaz called.

An arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him back hard. Something wet and slimy, a sex-slither, crawled across his throat. A hand gripped his face and turned it roughly. "Sure, slave, just hang on. I won't kill you until after I've had her…" a voice hissed against his ear.

Law whimpered.

"Hang in there, Law-kun."

Topaz struck a match and he glimpsed her jade-green eyes in the flare of light. Then, the match hissed out.

Lightning flared and Law saw his shadow race across the hardwood floor.

"I think I'll have her ass, first. Then, maybe I'll make you have her, too. Finally, I'll tear her body apart and I'll start with that leg," the voice snarled and drew a long slow lick at the shell of Law's ear.

A groan crawled from his mouth, pushing through his teeth.

"Law-kun?" Topaz called. Her voice sounded so sweet and innocent, wonderful.

"Yes, Miss Topaz," Law's mind returned to the image of her smile and he decided that he could never let anything bad happen to her. Ever.

"Just one more minute, Law-kun. Just hang on."

She cared for him. Maybe… someday she would love him… but first…

This Bellamy would have to… go!

…

Topaz struck another match and lit a flickering candle. Then, she turned around with a glowing gleaming smile on her pretty face.

"Law-kun, see? It's alright," she said. Then, her face went chalk-pale and she gasped, "No!" Her hands started shaking so violently that the candle flame flickered.

Law felt the blade pressing tighter across his throat and more hot swells of blood ran down his chest.

"Hello, Topaz," Bellamy hissed. Law felt the man's vocal chords vibrating against his shoulder. "Did you miss me? I missed you."

"N-no," Topaz whispered. She had enough mindset among her panic to set the candle down on the counter and then staggered backwards into the fridge. There was a sheen of sweat on her brow and her fingers were digging into her braced leg.

Law bit his lip and gripped Bellamy's arm where it was tight around his waist. He gave an experimental tug and the grip loosened. All of Bellamy's attention was on Topaz, thankfully. The sex-slither was making a slow torturous trail down Law's chest, sending tremors of terror down his spine.

Topaz's leg buckled beneath her and she slowly slid to the floor. Her injured leg spread out in front of her but she managed to draw the other against her chest. Her jade eyes clouded with dark fear and some strands of hair stuck to her parted lips. A few crystal tears slid down her cheeks.

"Oh God," she whispered and her hands went to her face. "L-Law…? N-no…"

Bellamy made a puzzled sound in his throat and that was as far as he got before Law made his move.

Law slammed his elbow under Bellamy's ribcage, jamming the breath from his lungs. Startled, the man released him and stumbled back.

The sex-slither began to stretch and grow and coil around Law's middle. He felt it begin to squeeze like a boa, constricting the air from his chest. He dug his fingernail into it and wrenched it off of him. Then, he threw it to the ground and crushed it under his bare foot. Gears and wire and sharp bits of metal speared through its slimy flesh and into the tender bottom of Law's foot. It let out an unearthly scream of broken grinding gears as the destroyed machine tried to continue operating.

Then, Law lunged for Topaz and she reached out for him. He managed to grab her hand before Bellamy slammed into him from the side. Law's head cracked against the floor and for a moment his vision swam. His eyes came back into focus as a foot was coming down to stomp on his face.

Topaz was screaming.

Law quickly rolled and Bellamy's boot slammed down where his head had been only seconds earlier. Scrambling, Law got to his feet and Bellamy's fist plowed into his gut. White-hot pain speared through his entire body, rocking the length of his spine and making him double over in agony. Then, Bellamy grabbed the back of his head and smashed Law in the face with his knee. Black threatened the edge of his vision and he once again slumped to the floor.

This time, darkness took him for a moment.

…

Topaz was watching Law being beaten by Bellamy with pure, undiluted terror. Her heart hammered against her ribs and her stomach flopped with nausea. Tears ran down her face in a steady stream and she couldn't draw a deep enough breath to sustain her trembling body. She saw Law go down and, this time, he showed no signs of getting up. Bellamy crossed the space between them and brought his foot back to kick Law in the stomach or ribs again. Surely once he started he wouldn't stop until Law's ribs were broken.

Topaz launched to her feet, but her crippled leg wouldn't support her. She fell into Bellamy rather than pouncing on him, but the effect was the same. He stumbled beneath her onslaught, he tripped over Law's sprawled form, and they both slammed into the wall.

A scream tore from Topaz's lips and Bellamy grunted.

She dug her fingers through his hair and yanked. He reached behind his body and grabbed her limp crippled leg, hooking his fingers through her brace. Then, he hauled her off of him. Her head slammed into the floor next to Law's hand and then Bellamy hung her upside-down by her leg.

"That was very brave of you. This worthless thing must be important to you, Topaz," Bellamy snarled close to her face. Then, he cut his eyes to Law's unconscious body. "I was going to hurt you in front of him, but I think tormenting the slave in front of you would be better."

"N-no," Topaz gasped. She was close to Bellamy's thigh. She gripped it, pulled herself closer, and sunk her teeth into his flesh. He howled and released her leg. Her neck wrenched unpleasantly and a hot rush of blood filled her mouth. Forced to release him, Topaz sprawled across the kitchen floor. Her head landed on Law's chest and he let out a small grunt of pain. Then, his eyes fluttered open.

"Trafalgar?!"

Bellamy brought his foot down on Topaz's stomach and she cried out in agony. Immediately, Law's eyes shot open and Topaz felt his arm going around her shoulders. Bellamy's foot lifted and Law rolled them both out of the path of his foot. He must have anticipated this because he managed to land another hard blow on Law's lower back.

Pain speared through his and he grunted.

Topaz whimpered and cried out his name in concern quietly.

Bellamy grabbed Topaz's ankle and dragged them both backwards. Topaz dug her nails into the hardwood floor, but succeeded in little more than ripping out her fingernails. Law grabbed the corner of the counter with one hand and Topaz's small body with his free arm. Bellamy was unable to drag them any farther. He went for another vicious kick, but Law managed to get his shin up to prevent the blow from landing on a more vulnerable part of his body. Then, he got off a clean kick just under Bellamy's kneecap.

The man went down howling in anguish, rolling on the floor, gripping his knee.

"Let's go!" Law shouted and leaped to his feet. He dragged Topaz up after him by her hand. She stumbled into his back and he quickly scooped her up in his arms. He bolted past Bellamy and barreled through the door into the storm. They were inches away from safety, from the protection of a wall and howling wind between them and Bellamy, but there was a sound.

It was so loud!

Topaz felt it slam into her like a shockwave, coming through Law's body into her. Heat splattered her face and Law's body lurched forward. For a moment, it seemed that he would fall, but something drove him onward still.

Another loud sound slammed through them. He pitched and staggered as if struck. Law grunted, whimpered, and his breath wheezed in his chest, rattled in his lungs. Crimson blossomed on the front of his shirt.

It was then that it hit her, full-force.

Gunfire.

Gunfire.

Law had been shot!

X X X

Questions, comments, concerns?