YESSSSS! I kept true to my word, for once! XD It's the end of the weekend and i have finished the new chapter! La la la~ (happily singing to myself)

Okay, so i was feeling increasingly guilty for not being able to respond to all the lovely review in time, so i took the time to make a list of all the ppl who took time to write a comment and make my day! So this chapter is dedicated to the following readers especially :

SexyBVirgo , ScarletteNeko , LauraLuvKakashi , Gemini Sakura , gixxxhe , SamuraiTater , Vak , Jester310 , ChildLikeProblems , Treegona , Tsukineko-san , AceIsTheOnly , DeidaraUlquiorra , Kamonohashi-Chan , strawhat1227 , kikyokyoyahibari , azab , Puttefujs , Guest.124 , KlawxXx , ASLShanks, RestlessSoul15 , Portgas D. Farra , meine3 , Kaizokuhim , Silverwoulf , Gingerninja-forever , Nekozm-chan , Slide , writer-xanthangummy , Slide35 , K. Styles , .Chick , DestinyBlitz , And all the Guests who i don't know the individual names of.

Okay, phew! done! XD If by any chance u DID review and i missed ur name, i'm very very sorry. I checked the list twice though so i'm sure that's not the case. (I hope) I also reread some of the reviews while i was looking for u ppl's names and oh, i have to admit i cried a little! X3 U guys are so kind and lovely, u make me want to be a better person! XD

Enough of my sob story though, let's get down to the chapter! XD Hope you like and please please continue to review or if u are new, please leave a review. It only takes a second and it makes a writer feel like all their effort was worth something! ENJOY! XD

22

Kid felt Law's nails dig into his flesh as the smaller hand gripped and clung to his. He didn't have to look at the other and see his dread, though he was pretty sure Law would have on a look of boredom, as was his character. The only thing betraying his perfect façade was the slight tremors running through the tattooed fingers. He could feel them racing along his own skin, like small static waves, transmitting some of the negative emotions along.

Whatever amusement or lift of spirit he previously felt at Smoker's encounter with Doctorine was gone. Vanished into thin air. The door swung open oh so slowly. It seemed to move in slow motion and Kid resisted the urge to kick it. The anticipation was worse than anything his mind could conjure. In truth, the whole thing took two to three seconds at most but that's not how the two saw it.

Finally, after something akin eternity, the wooden barrier was no longer blocking their path and they could see inside the room which would hold the verdict of their sentence. Would Kid be taken away? Or would he be, through some heavenly miracle, pardoned? The man sitting in the hospital plastic chair by the side of the bed would decide it all.

Philip Todd was a good looking man. He was in his early fifties but his good looks hadn't yet abandoned him. His dark hazel hair, darker than Allen's, had noticeable amounts of grey running through it and it was combed back neatly, to reveal a high forehead and a sharp nose. In fact his whole face was sharp. Sharp cheekbones, eyes and chin. Based on first impressions one would expect the man to be very severe and maybe even cruel.

'Ah, please come in. You must be Eustass Kid?' The voice was so different from what Kid expected, it took him a moment to realize that yes, it had been the man who had spoken. His voice was very kind and warm, no hint of severity or anger at all. It was shockingly unexpected to say the least. Realizing the man was still waiting for an answer, Kid nodded his head hastily, still at a loss of words.

'And you are Trafalgar Law?' Law was just as surprised but unlike Kid he didn't show it. He was capable of holding his mask form slipping off in the direst situations. Practice makes perfect, and he had plenty of practice thanks to Allen.

'Yes.'

'Excellent. I do wish we could have met under better circumstances but I couldn't postpone this. I have to leave in a few hours I'm afraid, and I couldn't do that before meeting you two.'

Kid continued to stare mutely at Philip Todd. It gave him a chance to better see the man, especially since he stood up from his seat. He was tall. Taller than Kid, and he himself was no small man. Lean and thin. Philip wore a suit, Kid was willing to bet it cost more than half his house, with vertical white stripes running down the grey material. It made the man seem even taller and if he hadn't spoken, very intimidating. His eyes were the most piercing brown, almost golden. The scent of rich cologne drifted to where he was still planted at the entrance. He noted it wasn't overused. Just enough to make the man seem even more appealing. He had a clean shaved face with thin, sharp lips stretched in a smile. A welcoming smile which only unnerved the two further. Where was the anger? The blame? Wasn't he the father of the guy stretched on the bed looking like a mummy?!

Speaking of which, 'I don't think I have to introduce you to my son, Allen.' Kid automatically brought his eyes to the man in question and he narrowed them immediately. Even seeing the pathetic, pitiful broken body he still felt cold anger lighting him up. He almost wanted to go there and kick the guy again a few times.

'W-What?...Why-why are they here?!...' Allen was shaking and he looked terrified. The moment Kid fixed his eyes on him, he thought the rich brat would faint. It was a damn satisfying reaction and he wasn't ashamed to say that he was proud of himself. It was worth going to hell if he managed to make Allen taste some of his own medicine.

'They are here Allen, because I asked them to come.' Philip's smooth voice answered while continuing to keep his eyes on Kid. The golden orbs betrayed the man's intelligence and Kid had no clue what was going through his mind. They seemed to calculate and weight his options. They weren't entirely warm. Something acute was there as well reminding Kid he still had to hear his sentence. Getting away scotch free wasn't going to happen.

'But he's-…' Allen's voice caught in his throat when Kid fixed him with another glare. His eyes were daring the other to finish that sentence.

'I know exactly who he is.' Philip voice dropped some of its warmth and the whole room seemed to freeze. Kid understood that this was a man who could be a great friend and a terrifying enemy. Someone who could control an entire room only with his eyes, or the sound of his voice. It wasn't surprising someone like that succeeded in life.

'Mister Kid, I understand you are the one responsible for the current state my son. Is this true?' Kid felt like he was standing before a judge. He considered saying no, but he dismissed the idea instantly. The billionaire clearly knew the answer already and he wasn't about to lie. Todd deserved every bruise, cut and broken bone. If he had the chance, he knew he would do the exact same thing again.

'Yeah. I'm the guy who put the- him in the hospital.' Kid was about to say 'the bitch' but caught himself in the last moment.

'I see.'

'W-what?! That's it!? Aren't you going to do anything about this?! He's a maniac and a mad-man! He just admitted to doing this to me!' Allen was shaking furiously in his mummified state. His elevated broken leg and his broken arms prevented him from having much movement, however his rage was unmistakable. Nobody paid him any attention.

'I plan on doing something Allen.' Kid gulped a bubble of air. The tension in Law's fingers reminded him the genius was still there. He had been so silent, Kid had forgotten his presence entirely. He fought the need to step back as Philip Todd stepped forwards. He felt trapped, and he hated it. He was a defiant, wild creature by nature. Being caged drove him crazy.

'I would like to ask you something before that though. Why did you beat up my son?' Philip was approximately two steps away from Kid and Law. He halted his advance while he waited for the reply. From the corners of his eyes, Kid could see the smug look on Todd's face change to one of incredulity.

'Why the fuck does that matter?! Send him to jail already! It's-'

'Allen. Be quiet.' Allen's lips sealed like a springed trap. His father's voice wasn't raised but it commanded such force it would have been near impossible to defy his orders.

'Maybe you should ask your son that. He deserved it.' Kid's teeth were clenched. Being in the same room as Todd was maddening. It was like locking a crazed bull in a room fully painted red.

'I have no doubt about that. But I'd like an answer form you none the less.'

'Fine. He abused and hurt someone important to me. He used his money to bully-…' Law's hand clenched hard enough to physically stop Kid. He could feel the nails piercing his skin and understood Law's silent prayer. He didn't want to be named. '-someone.'

'I feared as much.' Philip's eyes left Kid's and settled on Law who was starting to struggle with his mask. It took everything out of him to stay calm while in the same room as his abuser. Even the way he was, Todd still ignited some sort of primal, self-preserving fear inside Law. He was eternally grateful for Kid's presence. He was the pillar of strength that kept him anchored to the surface of the there and then. He couldn't severe the contact he had with Kid even if he wanted to, since once that would happen, he would drift away like a balloon full of hydrogen with its string cut. Up, up and away.

'Are you by any chance that someone?' Law didn't respond to the question, but Philip saw the answer plain as day written all over his face. His sharp eyes saddened so suddenly, Law was afraid the older man would start crying. He couldn't bring himself to associate Philip with his son, Allen. They were like complete opposites. It was unreal how kind senior Todd's eyes were in comparison to the cold, stern green eyes he had been faced with too many times in the past.

'So are you going to send me to jail or not? I don't regret putting him in the hospital and I'm not going to apologise, if that's what you're after. If I see him again I'll put him right back here too. That I can promise.' Kid knew he was treading dangerous waters but he couldn't bring himself to care. So what if this man was one of the world's richest people? Ultimately, his fate was sealed. He just wanted to hear when he was going to be put away so he could, at least, put that out of his mind and start dreading the moment when he would have to say goodbye to Trafalgar.

'No, Mister Kid. I'm not going to send you to jail.'

Wait, what? Did he hear that right? Wait, those questions were in his head weren't they?

'Wait, what? Did I hear you right?'

'Yes, you did. In fact, the reason why I called you here was to thank you and to be the one who apologises to you. I know my son and I know how he thinks. I can only imagine what he did to drive you to such extremities. Honestly, I was hoping for something like this to happen. I was hoping for him to be taught a lesson the hard way that his actions have consequences. However I didn't know he would continue to abuse my name even when I cut him off. I am terribly sorry for that and for all the trouble he had caused you. If there's any way or anything I can do or give, please don't hesitate to ask.'

The two were literally dumbfounded. Or rather, the three were dumbfounded. Allen looked just as bamboozled as Kid and Law. Philip waited patiently for the silence to be broken, knowing full well he had behaved contradictory to all expectations. The notion of NOT going to jail hadn't even crosses the three's minds. Not really. True, Kid and Law had hoped but it was a mare absurdity conjured by their mind. Like when Law was a child and he hoped that he would one day meet Santa.

The time trickled by without as much as a murmur. Kid kept expecting for the alarm to go off and he would wake up in his bed still having to face Law and Todd and Todd's father. Things never worked out like this. Not in real life at least. His mind was so far gone, he suddenly thought of the ridiculous notion that they were all fictional characters in someone else's story. And then that ridiculous notion made him angry at whatever mother-fucker came up with the plot that was his life. His rational side had its hands full with understanding, or at least trying to make a tiny bit of sense of what it had just been told by Philip. That gave free reign to his not so retinol side to continue with the absurd wonderment.

The sound of someone's growling stomach was the alarm clock they were all waiting for. Kid, Philip, even Todd, turned their heads to Law, whose cheeks were quickly colouring. What perfect timing for his body to remind him that, hey! He was freaking starving!

'Sorry…' Law muttered and turned away feeling unbelievably embarrassed. Kid felt like laughing and hugging Law while spinning around with the other man in his arms. Holy crap, he was a free man! The full meaning of it hit him, at last, and his face split into a wide grin. He nearly acted on his impulse to take Law into his arms, forgetting all about the other two in the room, had Allen not made his presence known again.

'You can't be serious?! You're- You're thanking him?! He nearly killed me! What sort of sick joke is this?!' Leave it up to Allen to spoil any good mood. Well, Kid couldn't care less about that pathetic waste of space. He could cry and wail all day long until his throat would go horse and his tear ducts would dry, and Kid would only smile with more glee.

'It is no joke. I am sorry you had to learn this way the importance of responsibility but you have proved to me time and time again that nice methods don't work with you. I have tried Allen to teach you but every time you ignored my advice and now you brought this on yourself. Just because you have power it doesn't mean you have to use it, and certainly not to oppress others. Learn from this experience.'

Todd's mouth fell open as he was being scolded. He couldn't understand why he was being given out to. Why was he, someone far superior, put below the inferior commoners? It made no sense to someone as self-centred and selfish as him.

'As for you gentlemen. May I at least treat you to lunch? It's the least I can do, and I won't take no for an answer.' Philip was smiling again and Kid found himself returning the gesture. He was stating to seriously like this old man.

'That won't be necessary.' Law's voice drifted through though he refused to look the other man in the eyes. Traces of his blush were still visible on his face and neck. He wanted to leave before this amazing piece of luck changed. He didn't want to wait for Mister Philip Todd to change his mind. And he didn't want to have another stomach-related embarrassing episode repeat.

'Nonsense. You look like you both could do with some good food. In fact I know just the perfect place.' He was past the two before they had a chance to refuse again and out the door, leaving them to follow. They were more than happy to leave the petrified Allen Leon Todd in his tightly wrapped garments of white bandages. Philip was giving instructions to Tashigi while Smoker pretended not to listen.

And that is how Eustass Kid and Trafalgar Law came to be sitting at one of the tables at the G-8 Base, a restaurant designed with a military navy appearance but renowned for its fantastic cooking, courtesy of a very cheery Tashigi and a very grumpy Smoker, waiting for their waiter.

THANK YOU for the read! Yep, that DID just happen! Kid is free! YAY! and Todd is the bad guy even in the eyes of his father! Gosh, i hate that character so much, i didn't want to give him an inch. Hmph!

Well, there's still a bit to go, just to settle the waters. And yes, i will end it with a hot slice of smut. (pinky swear) X3

Please leave a review if u can! It will make me happy and ill try my best to show that through a reply.

Auf Wiedersehen! XD