20


Doflamingo finished the last of his beer, looking across the table to Law. Rosinante was staring sightlessly at the row of boxes off to their left, stubbornly holding his jaw as a cigarette burned in front of him. Law was wiping off onions from a McDonald's cheeseburger to give to Rosinante, a baked potato awaiting the blond's attention nearby. Doflamingo had been pretty quiet, lately, wearing a cross expression whenever he came home, so Law was just waiting for him to unleash whatever mood he was carrying with him. He set the cheeseburger down next to the baked potato, scooping up some content to attempt to feed Rosinante, but the man turned his head to the side.

"Rosi…are you not hungry?" Doflamingo chided his younger brother. When he didn't answer, Doflamingo looked to Law. "You're going to miss this, I bet."

Law looked at him to determine what sort of comment that was, and he couldn't tell. So he shrugged.

"What do mommy and daddy have planned for you?"

"I don't know."

"Do you even talk to them?" Doflamingo asked, getting up to rummage for another beer. Their refrigerator was stocked from a recent paycheck, so the sight of it caused him pause for admiration.

"No."

"Smoker thinks this is fine?"

"I guess."

"It won't last," Doflamingo decided, returning to the table. "You'll get up and go once you realize that it's not the same."

Law picked at his fries, but didn't eat them. He was starving, but his tension was so high that it felt difficult to follow through. He swiped it through ketchup, then decorated the others with that single stripe.

"Family is important, Law," Doflamingo added. "You'll do well to at least try."

Law studied him, feeling his jaw tense. "That's weird, coming from you."

"I do what I can for mine."

"After all this time? I didn't want to go back."

"I'm not worried you'll stay there. You'll be back. You won't be able to leave Rosi on his own, or rely on someone else to take over where you left off. Your room will remain."

There was a small feeling of relief in Law that he felt hearing that, but he remained guarded. Doflamingo had already made up his mind, and having this backup plan felt 'okay'. He cleared his throat. "I would like to find a job."

"I can find one through my friends. Weekends are fine. Off the record, though."

That sounded fishy, and Law wasn't sure about that. But if it meant he had a place to stay, and he didn't have to leave Rosinante, he would have to just bear it. He nodded. He fiddled with the same fry, looking from the corner of his eye to see Rosinante looking down at his meal.

"Rosi, Law is leaving us," Doflamingo told him, opening up his beer. "His parents decided they wanted him back."

"Who said?" Rosinante asked crankily. "Finders, keepers."

"That's what I'd been saying this entire time. But this state, it has stupid rules, and this is only for show. Law already knows what he wants, and he said he'd be back."

"What about your school?" Rosinante asked Law with concern. "Will you take your homework with you?"

"I'll have it," Law muttered in response, looking at Doflamingo suspiciously.

"Even if they promise you things, Law, think about this; they promised you and your sister the moon and stars at one time, but what happened to those things? They decided to take it back when the moment wasn't fitting for them," Doflamingo said. "This isn't what we'd paid for, they said. We'd wanted something else, something that wasn't supposed to break. It didn't go as plan, therefore, it's ineffective. Ineffective things are useless things, easy to give away – another's trash is another's treasure. Keep that in mind when they start talking about the house they have, the school they picked out for you, the dinner conversations they'd planned to have with you after everyone is settled at the dinner table. How many times will you have to repeat yourself, and how many times will they ask you to speak up? Oh, and don't forget, they'll want you to look the part, too. If you fail these expectations of theirs, there's your room, here."

Because Doflamingo was repeating aloud every one of his securities, Law said nothing. Rosinante looked at him.

"It's not your fault," he whispered, as if they were the only two in the room.

"I already know what will happen," Law muttered.

"I'm glad you're not expecting anything differently," Doflamingo said, plucking out a couple of Big Macs from the bag. "I'd hate for you to feel that sort of pain after all this time. But you're a smart kid, you know where you stand with people. Most of your generation doesn't. Very misguided with unrealistic ideas. Sickeningly hopeful for things they don't even attempt to earn, or think they're deserving of it without putting any work into it."

"What are they like, by the way?" Doflamingo then asked, taking two large bites of one hamburger.

Law thought about his parents' after both meetings. "Hopeful. Apologetic."

"Don't fall for their act. If they truly loved you, you would've never been here in the first place."

"I understand that."

"Parents," Doflamingo muttered, with a tone of disgust. "They think they know what's best for their children, and have unrealistic expectations, themselves. The decisions they make can alter a human being without really trying."

"Ours were hopeful – " Rosinante cut in before Doflamingo interrupted with, "Ours were idiots from the start! That's what I'm talking about! They thought they knew better, but their decisions ended up with both of us in the gutter! Our lives ended up in my hands, and look where we are, now! If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be in this situation!"

"Don't yell at him," Law cut in. "Let him talk."

"I just don't like how he remembers certain things," Doflamingo growled, finishing off his hamburger. "He tends to romanticize them unfairly. His imagination is too great."

"Let him. It's all he has."

"In that sense, is that how you see things?"

"No – "

"Then don't talk about things you don't know personally of."

Law quieted, but he reached underneath the table to pat Rosinante's leg with some comforting action, seeing how upset the man looked. He studied him, then frowned at Doflamingo.

Doflamingo drank the rest of his beer. "Don't look at me that way. You don't know the shit we've been through just to wind up here. I can't afford to coddle my brother's rose colored memories when I remember everything."

"That's cruel."

"What's cwual is pretending to forget!" Doflamingo snapped at him, slamming the empty bottle down onto the table and causing both of them to jump. "I can't forget!"

"It's not his fault – "

"Yeah, real convenient of him to forget, thanks to some extras embedded into his proteins."

"It's not his fault - !"

"You know whose fault it is? It's his! Our father's fault! If it wasn't for his fucked up side of the family, Rosi wouldn't be in this state! He would be fine! But it's all his for having such a weak seed, and it's our mother's fault for coddling it! If they were true, loving parents, they would've gotten rid of him so he wouldn't have to suffer this cruel misery," Doflamingo muttered, rising up from his chair, taking his other burger with him.

Law frowned after him, then noticed the frustrated tears building up in Rosinante's eyes. Without thinking, Law stood up, grabbed the empty beer bottle and threw it at the back of Doflamingo's head. The sound of it hitting him was immeasurably loud, and he stumbled on his way to the living room.

Slowly, Doflamingo turned to look back at him. "Are you serious?"

"It's not his fault," Law repeated firmly. "Don't talk of him like that."

Doflamingo returned to the table, setting down his hamburger, vein pulsing at his temple. Rosinante understood that the tension was rising considerably, and he reached out and grabbed Law's arm, pulling at him.

"Attacking me from behind isn't a fair fight. You want to face your opponent straight on if you're not going to follow up with a finishing blow," Doflamingo stated.

Law reached for his drink to throw at him, Rosinante leaning far over to grab him, stopping him from doing so.

"Both of you, stop!" he ordered, rising up from his chair to do so. "Are you so frustrated that you would attack a child, Doffy?"

"In a couple more weeks, he won't be," Doflamingo muttered. After a few moments, he grabbed his hamburger and left once more.

At the slam of his bedroom door, Rosinante sat back down, knocking over his drink. He stared down at his food with a heavy expression, and Law moved to clean up, adrenaline making his movements shaky. But he threw away the empty beer bottles, retrieving the one he'd hit Doflamingo with. He sat back down and straightened up Rosinante's food, but the man just slapped it all off the table, scattering pieces of cheeseburger every which way.

Straightening up in his chair, Law listened to his stomach growl, but he'd lost his appetite. Rosinante looked at him.

"Remember that," he told him sternly.

"I don't care," Law said in response.

"I wish you would," Rosinante said softly.

: :

Saturday afternoon, Smoker set the bag Lorenzo had given to Law atop of his desk. Law frowned at it from the chair opposite him.

"Still a no?" Smoker asked, looking inside. "It's not dangerous. Will today be any different?"

Law folded his arms over his chest.

"They're going to start thinking you're not interested," Smoker said sarcastically. "C'mon, kid, it won't hurt. Even if it's just to cuss them out. Or can you only do that to small blond punks with a verbal vomit problem?"

Law scowled at the wall.

Smoker took a seat in his desk chair, leaning backward to fold his arms behind his head. "I was thinking – if it would help, maybe invite your friend one of these meetings?"

"Hell no."

"It might make things easier for you."

"No, it wouldn't."

"Just a suggestion. They're willing to pack up and move to this location if you'd give them a chance."

"I don't care."

"Let's learn a different expression – try something more like, 'Sure, that sounds great.'"

"I don't know any foreign languages."

Smoker lifted an eyebrow. "You're smart mouthed, today. You were crankier than usual this morning, is something up?"

Law shrugged a shoulder, reaching out to pluck at his worn jeans. He was wearing a thin black t-shirt with a bear paw print on the pocket, and his jeans had a slight hole in the left knee. So he picked at the thread coming unraveled there. "I don't want to do this. I'm tired."

At the sound of his stomach growling noisily, much to Law's embarrassment, Smoker perked up. "And hungry, from the sounds of it! You didn't eat?"

Before Law could answer, Smoker said quickly, "Look, let's do something a little different. If this building makes you uncomfortable, let's consider a meeting outside of here. A restaurant. Any suggestions? I'm sure they'd be up to it, too."

"No."

"They're trying really hard, Law, they're not going to give up as easily as you think they would – "

"It's only for a couple more weeks."

"That's how long you're going to make this last? A couple more weeks? I'm sure they're aware of their time limit. But we're equally as stubborn." Smoker left his chair. He walked up to the calendar with the weekly specials on it, scanning all of them. "Any idea on a good place to eat? Tashigi always writes in her suggestions, here, pick one. Or they can. Cracker Barrel, Mcdonald's, Olive Garden, Chik-fil-A, Taco Bell, Baratie's – "

Law remained stubbornly silent. After much consideration, Smoker tapped on a day with a restaurant and a special that Tashigi had thought he'd be interested in. "We'll go here. It sounds casual. Let me go notify those stubborn jerks who want a part of your life, and we'll drive out that way, meet them there."

Half hour later, Smoker was leading the way as they followed the host to a table that had been reserved for them. Law was so angry that he wore it on his face, but the smells of the place made his stomach growl louder. The table they were led to was set near the window, and he glared out of it as soon as they were seated. He crossed his arms over his chest and said nothing as Smoker looked at the menu, pointing out various dishes that he thought Law might like.

A few minutes later, their server ambled up to their table, looking large in a stark white chef coat and a blue bandanna at his thick neck, graying blond hair tucked into a twill white chef hat. Since most of their servers wore this uniform, it was hard to tell if he were actually a server or a cook. Law found himself doing a double take, noticing the braided mustache. Despite his bad mood, he felt a tiny surge of hope, looking around the place once more.

The man looked at them with disdain, lip curled. "Why does my place draw in brats with attitude problems?"

"What would you recommend for one that thinks bread will make him fat?" Smoker asked, choosing a soft drink when he really wanted some liquor.

"I don't know what his kind likes. I got a kid that might have a few suggestions. He's new. I'm not firing him for anything he says or does, so don't even complain when he fucks up your order," the man said, walking off with a strong stride despite his single leg.

Smoker set the menu down and looked at Law. "Look, at least show these guys some attention. Grunt for yes, growl for no. Give them something. It doesn't have to be whole paragraphs, but those vocal cords sound okay, to me. And, if you want to see my track awards, I'll personally show them to you if you get the notion to try and take a walk on your own – "

Impatiently, Law snapped, "I don't need to say anything to them! I'm just going to fucking eat!"

"As long as you eat," Smoker grunted.

"Like my day didn't suck enough," Sanji complained, dragging his feet towards them, carrying a tray with ice filled cups and water, Smoker looking at him with surprise. He was wearing a white short sleeve shirt with a half apron, black slacks over Converses, with a nametag across the left breast that read, "Shitty Eggplant" in pretty cursive writing and flowery stickers. Smoker wondered if that was a joke. Sanji caught sight of him looking at it as he set the tray down, and he patted it with one hand. "My boss thinks it's funny. Plus, nobody can complain about me if they don't know my name, or can't say it with a straight face."

Law watched Sanji for any signs of yesterday, but the boy did not look at Law any differently. Law still felt horrible about what he did, but he felt hope in that Sanji wouldn't walk away. Not after what he'd told him.

Please…he thought, unable to finish it.

"I'm not sure what to say about that," Smoker said to Sanji, sitting up straight in his chair as Sanji poured water into their cups and passed them out. "This is good! Real good."

"Not really," Sanji muttered, pulling out his order pad from his apron and throwing it on the table. "What do you want?"

"Great service."

"I'm not supposed to be doing this, but because someone's face looks like he couldn't shit for awhile, Zeff made me," Sanji complained. He noticed the extra settings at the table. He poured more water and set them out. "You expecting more people?"

"Yep."

"Fabulous. To start, the soup doesn't taste like socks, today. They actually added more ingredients to the cans they got at Walmart to individualize it. Want it?"

"No. What's the best menu item for kids your age?"

"I don't know, I don't eat that stuff. Law, you eat meat, or do you just stick to day old nachos?" Sanji asked crankily. Law glared at him, arms tightening over his chest. "Oh, we're in one of those moods, aren't we? Don't worry, Zeff won't let me spit in anybody's food without making me eat it, first."

"That is…comforting," Smoker muttered.

"Chicken it is," Sanji mumbled, getting nothing from Law. He looked at Smoker. "What do you want?"

"I'll wait until the rest of our party gets here. But let's start off with an appetizer."

"These things that look like uncircumcised dicks are actually good. It has bacon in it. I'll bring it out. I didn't think the state had extra money to feed their employees out in such style."

Smoker gave him a withering look. Sanji wandered off with his tray and pitcher of water to do that, Smoker frowning at Law. "Don't let this be a bad idea."

"You wanted to do this, I didn't," Law reminded him on a mumble. He was starting to tense up again, finding it difficult to relax, knowing his parents were on their way here. He caught himself pressing his tongue against his teeth, and struggled to relax his jaw.

"Here they are," Smoker said, waving once Lorenzo and Lainy appeared around the corner, being shown the way by the host. Law glared off at the window once more, swallowing tightly as he felt pressure building up in his mouth, again. It wasn't as bad as it was the first time, but it was noticeable, and he struggled with the option of drinking the ice water set in front of him, or ignoring it to not give effort to the meeting.

"Sorry we're late," Lorenzo said, pulling out a chair for Lainy, and siting after she did. He looked at his son with a cheerful smile. "Hi, Law!"

"Hi, son," Lainy said, pulling up closer to the table and looking around. "This must be a new place."

"Be prepared, our server's new. And, incidentally, he's a friend of Law's from school," Smoker said.

"He's not my friend," Law said crankily.

"They're friends," Smoker assured the parents, who started to wear fretful expressions upon hearing Law deny this. From their expressions, Smoker figured that they were struggling to understand whether Law was cranky with the new setting, or if his denial was causing him any stress. "In fact, we were just talking earlier, and if it's possible, Law was wondering if you guys were interested in moving closer into the district so that he could retain his friendships and stay in the school he'd established himself in."

"We are completely prepared to move anywhere he's requested," Lorenzo said quickly, looking at Law with an eager expression. "It's not a problem."

In frustration, Law said nothing, lips set tight as he found himself wanting to deny Smoker's request, but also not wanting to speak any further than he had. Stress made his limbs lock up, jaw tensed. His mouth felt dry, and he kept looking at the cup of water, but every part of him was so damn rigid that the effort seemed troublesome.

Sanji returned to the table, setting down a plateful of bacon-wrapped cornbread with melted cheese visible from within. Smoker had to admit that they looked exactly as Sanji had described. The teen swiped up his order pad once he noticed the seated couple. He didn't make the connection right away, more focused on Law than his task.

"What you guys want to drink? Don't order the soft drinks, because those guys don't know how to refill the machine, so it'll taste like flavored carbonation foam when you get it," he said, Lorenzo and Lainy looking puzzled at his manner of presentation; clearly, they were not comfortable with this type of near rude service. "Get the lemonade or iced tea, instead. In fact, I'll get the peach for you, and the blackberry lemonade for you. Yeah, that sounds right. You guys figure out what you want to eat, yet?"

Law snorted because he'd been right with his assessment. Sanji looked at him suspiciously as the pair picked up the menus with stressful expressions in not having a choice.

"What?"

"Is this your first job?" Smoker asked Sanji, wearing a critical expression.

"No, I worked for fourteen years as a slave at home. This is my first outside job, though."

"You should work on your people skills."

"I have none. I'm a Vinsmoke."

Law bit the inside of his cheek as he looked at Smoker, who scowled at Sanji.

"Law, I put in the baked chicken and veggie with rice order for you," Sanji said, seeing that Lorenzo and Lainy were still deciding. He leaned onto the table with his left hand, other on his hip. "Extra mushrooms on the side – I picked them myself on the way to work because daddy wouldn't let me use the Rolls-Royce."

"Har, har," Smoker muttered.

"They're rumored to be magic mushrooms. The ones Mario eats, so you can grow big and tall. And you, you should have the fish," Sanji told Smoker. "It doesn't taste like shit, but it'll remind you of your last bad decision."

Law covered his mouth to hide the twitch there as Smoker frowned at Sanji. Sanji shrugged. "The old man refuses to fire me. Complain all you want."

Lorenzo and Lainy gave Sanji their orders, and Sanji wrote it down, concentrating on the task. He gave up with a, "Fuck it, I'll remember it."

With a huge sigh, he wandered off, Lainy looking at Smoker with a puzzled expression, Lorenzo wondering if he should be concerned. Law tried not to show his amusement; how was it that Sanji made these things so much easier? He hated himself for what he did, yesterday.

"He is…very familiar with you," she stated uncomfortably. "Or…are they all like that, here?"

"You are aware of who Judge Vinsmoke is, right? That's one of his kids. The youngest, I think."

Law didn't correct him while Lorenzo looked thoughtful. He shifted his glasses as he said, "I wasn't aware he had four kids. I'm familiar with three of them within the department. Sports injuries."

"He's active vocally. Which is good for Law, because he refuses to let Law get away with grunts and shrugs," Smoker said, looking at the teen. "Right?"

"He's so…crass," Lainy said with concern. She looked to Law. "You two get along well?"

Law just nodded, fiddling with the tablecloth. His tongue had stopped pressing against his teeth, feeling looser after that exchange with Sanji. It was almost as if most of him had unlocked ever so slightly, allowing him freer movement. But he kept his teeth pressed together just to alleviate the sensation of pressure he felt in his ability to talk loosely.

"Maybe too well. Law probably just lets him walk all over him," Smoker commented.

"No, I don't," Law denied low with discomfort.

"I'm…sure you two get along very well," Lainy said with indecisive action. She could not read her son at all; she knew Law was uncomfortable, but she'd seen the way he'd reacted to Sanji. It just confounded her that he would be that way with a kid who clearly lacked proper manners. She wasn't going to let it bother her for very long, though.

She cleared her throat and looked at her son hopefully. "How was your week, Law?"

He shrugged in response, slouching in his chair a little. When he didn't offer anything more than that, Lainy curled her lips inward, her expression falling. Smoker said, "His grades have improved. He's really a smart kid. Which is why I feel that keeping him at his current school would be a good thing, for him. Usually, he tends to put in a half ass effort. I'm not going to make this easy for you to hear, but he doesn't apply himself to his education – he tends to make his own hours, which causes stress on his attendance grading. But this one was more convenient for him, and it gives him the security needed to feel more comfortable."

"We can do it," Lorenzo said hurriedly, pulling the cloth napkin to his lap to wring underneath the table. "We can move, Law. If it would help."

"Peach tea for you, and blackberry lemonade for you, and a shitty Dr Pepper for you, to assist with old people problems," Sanji interrupted, placing the full mugs in front of each person. Despite only being able to use one arm, he maneuvered the tray easily onto the table and unloaded them one at a time. Lorenzo looked at the cast with apprehension.

"I'm not old!" Smoker insisted.

"There are a rumored twenty three prunes in each cup of Dr Pepper. I assure you, you'll be fine."

Smoker glared at him as Sanji distributed the straws he had in his apron. Sanji said to Law, "Want me to pick your drink, too?"

Law thought about it for a moment before muttering, "Tea."

"Hot or cold?"

"Black."

"You guys didn't try these things, yet," Sanji then said, pointing at the platter. "Despite its appearance, it's really good. Or, are you guys straight - ?"

"Tea, please," Law insisted, kicking him in the shin with the tip of his shoe, and causing him to cringe, catching himself. He waddled off, Zeff yelling at him to straighten up and look like a man, and not an invalid, prompting Sanji to yell back at him for calling the kettle 'black'. Lainy looked troubled.

Law tried not to show any expression, but, for one, he thought it was funny that Sanji fit right in with the restaurant's ambiance, and, another, he was so utterly relieved that Sanji wasn't treating him any differently after yesterday. Smoker frowned over at him.

Lorenzo cleared his throat. He looked across the table at Law. "Is this something you'd like us to do? Move to another location so that you may be closer to this school?"

Law shrugged.

"C'mon, kid, we talked about this," Smoker said impatiently, frowning at his drink.

Law swallowed tightly. He didn't think too much of the idea after last night's confrontation with Doflamingo, but he sure as hell didn't feel good with his decision, either. So he really couldn't say. None of this was anything he could share with those at the table. His thoughts felt jumbled, words tumbling over each other.

Lorenzo examined his drink, took a cautious sip of it. His expression told Law that he approved of the drink. Not a moment after that, men shouting fiercely at each other from the kitchen told them all that someone did not approve of someone else's definition of 'fucking well done'. The ensuring shouting match caused a roar from the other side of the building to shut them up. Lorenzo and Lainy looked distraught while Smoker tried not to laugh.

After a minute of uncomfortable silence amongst the four of them, with the restaurant noises causing occasional distraction, Lorenzo then said, "If it would make matters easier, Law, even with your birthday coming up, we'd still like to be close. Lainy and I were talking the other night, and even…even if you chose not to come home with us…if you feel comfortable being where you are right now, and they're…that family, if they're still accommodating…we'd still like to be…in talks. We understand that this is a lot of pressure, for you. All of this is being thrown at you so aggressively, and…after all these years, you still hesitate, and…it's okay. If you still need more time…it's okay…"

Lainy swallowed tightly, watching Law's expression. Smoker frowned. But he looked at Law as well. Law wasn't sure how to take it. The incident with Doflamingo foretold of something he could expect; that was different from the uncertainty he felt taking the chance with his parents. The former was comfortable; the latter, not.

In one ear, he heard Rosinante and Sanji insisting that he take this chance; the other told him to remain guarded.

His tongue started to press up against the backs of his teeth, but he made an effort to keep it in place. He thought about his words, sounding them out carefully in his head, feeling pressure to be exact. But there was something about the ambiance of the restaurant that allowed him to relax ever so slightly, because he could still hear cooks yelling at each other, and other diners talking to each other in comfortable tones, and no one was paying attention to them. Despite the stressful offer given to him, he felt okay to speak up.

Smoker made to talk when Law answered Lorenzo quietly, "I don't know what I want."

"That's okay," Lainy said quickly, latching on it. "You're thinking about it, and it's…it's okay to think! Please, do! But…just know…despite…despite all that….all the unfortunate actions our…actions had taken, please…we are absolutely here for you."

This was the moment Sanji's voice hit Law suddenly, for him to demand dialogue on his conditions into returning home; but Law wasn't even sure what he wanted from them. He had to look up to make sure the boy wasn't in sight, but the only person he saw working there was the host, leading in more customers to a table nearby.

"We…I…" Lorenzo began, looking terribly remorseful, "my actions that night were unforgiveable. All of it! Son, our grief and loss over Lamie made us into such…"

"Terrible persons!" Lainy finished when he couldn't. "We…will never forgive ourselves for it, all of it, but…we want to fix it. Want to…fix…what we can – it's understandable if you cannot, I mean…so much has happened, and you've…we've gone into such terrible directions, and…! And it's understandable if you can't forgive us, but, please…please let us at least try and make it up for a future…for a future that…if you chose, you don't have to participate in, but…just open our home up…to you if, when, you need us!"

Hearing his sister's name made Law terribly uncomfortable. All his words and anger crashed together, his throat tightening up. "Both…you – f-forget that …her death aff-hurt me, too? What the fuck?"

Both of them looked startled that he spoke directly to them so fiercely, but Lorenzo said hastily, "No, never, it's not that - !"

"You - you make it all - you! Why was your grief…more than mine? I lost my sister, I watched her waste away, and after she died, I might as well have, too!" Law snapped at him, shifting in his chair with agitation as he registered the difficulty of the words spoken. Lainy brought her napkin to her mouth, eyes filling with tears.

Lorenzo exhaled heavily as Smoker sipped at his drink.

At that moment, Sanji came by and poured already steeped tea into a cup. He caught onto the tension at the table, and finally looked at everyone closely. Once he realized what was happening, he promptly overfilled the cup. He quickly wiped up the spill with the edge of his apron, Zeff yelling at him from behind the cash register. He looked at Law, who had closed up again, using his hand to hide his deep frown, glaring at the table. He set the pot down and walked away, heading to the nearby beverage station to watch from a safe distance. Zeff yelled at him again, causing diners to cringe. Frustrated, he headed to the back.

"I'm sorry," Lorenzo apologized quietly. His hands curled into tight fists atop of the table. "Your anger is…absolutely reasonable. You have every right to be angry at us."

"We were both very unmanageable with what happened to…to Lamie, and we unfairly…." Lainy took a deep, shuddering breath, "we unfairly took it out on you, and we're so…so….deeply, we're so sorry!"

"You have – you – we'd understand if you can't forgive us!"

Law's anger, as quick as it had erupted, was drawn back; it wasn't as if it were gone completely, still festering at the edge of his mind, but he'd given enough of himself to the pair in front of him. It had been difficult getting the words out exactly, and he was quite aware that he tended to stutter to get them out when he felt so pressured, so the will to speak left him. He chose to look out the window instead, feeling the heaviness inside of him continue to roll and build with the anxiety caused by the meeting.

The uncomfortable silence lingered there, and Lorenzo managed to unfurl his hand to reach for his wife's. In such a public area, she was forced to compose herself, but she used the napkin to wipe her eyes before placing it in her lap.

Smoker observed their reactions and Law's, then looked at his drink. The restaurant was loud enough to keep others' attentions off them, but allowed them space to feel comfortable talking of these highly sensitive things without reserve. It was good that Law showed his anger as he did, giving Smoker first indication of just how much the kid held inside of him. He was satisfied with the outburst, because it gave Law's parents a foothold. A very difficult one to use, but it was definitely a first step. Two weeks would not begin a high speed relationship between these divided family members, but the door was open to start something new.

He reached over and patted Law's shoulder, the teen jerking himself out of his reach. Not bothered by this behavior, Smoker reached out and took an appetizer for himself. He was irritated by how good was. He wanted something to complain about when that kid came back.

After eating a few more, Zeff and another server brought their plates. Despite himself, Law was hungry, and when he looked at his, he was compelled to eat. The others pulled on their plates, and made the effort to comment on the presentation, the fragrant smells wafting upward.

Law took his first bite of his chicken, and was moved by the taste that seemed to saturate his taste buds. He chewed slowly just to examine the consistency of it, the flavor that made him cut most of the breast up into pieces.

"Good?" Zeff asked him gruffly, refilling his tea cup with a fresh pour. "Or will you expire from food poisoning? Please prove me right."

His mouth full, Law muttered, "It's good."

Zeff looked at him crossly. "What about the rest of you?"

Because he stood there and waited for their reactions, the others were forced to hurry and take a bite. All of them were agreeable to what they found, and made appropriate nods and comments. Smoker decided he was going to come again, because he enjoyed the atmosphere of the place.

Nearly finished with his food minutes later, Law looked over what was left. He hated to admit it, but he felt he recognized who made the dish. It was a feeling based off the food he'd had that one night, but he didn't want to fully embrace it because he could be wrong. He observed the others eating, Lorenzo and Lainy quietly attending to their plates while Smoker picked at his teeth, having decimated his fish.

Sanji came by minutes after that, wearing a cautious expression. He glanced at Law's parents before looking directly at him. He was stemming with the need to press, but he resisted. Sanji started loading up his tray with their empty plates. Lorenzo looked at his arm with concern.

"You want dessert? One of those guys made something that looks like lemon cake, or something, comparable to that place up the street. But better. The guy that made it claims he stole it off from a guy in prison, copying the recipe from taste alone, and I can admit, it's pretty good."

Law's parents looked bothered by this information. They both made furtive looks at the workers there. Smoker looked interested, but Sanji frowned at him as he hefted the tray up over one shoulder. "But not you. You look a little spread out in the middle. I'd recommend a soy latte."

"You little shit," Smoker muttered bitterly as Sanji then walked off.

Law struggled not to show his reaction, but his lips tightened, and he ended up concentrating on the table. "You deserve it," he told him quietly.

"These two are very good friends," Smoker told Lainy and Lorenzo. "Maybe I can have him sit with us for awhile."

Law looked horrified.

"I think it'd be a great idea!"

"Er, if it's okay, we'd like to respect Law's wishes on this matter," Lainy said quickly, seeing how Law's expression spoke for him, fidgeting with her crumbled napkin. Her eyes were welling up again, and it had been difficult seeing him struggle to express himself, but she was grateful to see it. It had told them were they stood.

"Too late," Smoker said, indicating Sanji's approach. He dished out the delicate wedges to everyone, and sat the latte down in front of Smoker, who looked at him with a cross expression. "Sit, kid. You look like you've been on your feet awhile."

"I can't. I have to wash dishes – "

"We don't need you back there!" one of the servers shouted at him from across the restaurant, startling a few diners. Sanji turned and gave him a glare, the Trafalgars looking traumatized.

"Damn, they got sharp ears," Smoker muttered, aware of the distance. He was quite sure he hadn't raised his voice once. He cleared his throat as he kicked the remaining chair out for Sanji to take, but the boy remained standing, picking at his fingers as he looked at Law uneasily. "Introduce yourself to Law's parents."

"Uh…I'm Sanji. I…have a class with Law. At school," Sanji said nervously. "I just started working here. Actually, it's great, it's not all that bad, just a few hours here and there and I'm actually glad to get out of the house. I have three brothers who are all fucking assholes – "

"Language."

"But if you know my last name, that's all that needs to be said, and it's nice to get out of the house, so I don't mind it here, and even if the service sucks, at least the food is good, because you all cleared your plates, so…" Sanji struggled to say something, but ended up saying, "I'm really smart but Law is so much more smarter than me, and I made him do my – well, correct my essays and shit, and – well, not forced him – okay, I take that back, but eventually, I made him be my friend because I wanted to use him for his brain - ! Not - ! Use him, use him, or make him do – well…ugh…"

Smoker frowned at him. "You don't work well under pressure, do you?"

"Bite me," Sanji said wearily.

"So, uh, what happened?" Lorenzo asked, gesturing at his arm.

Sanji tried to hide that arm behind him. "Oh, as I mentioned, I have brothers…we fight all the time, so it's expected. Siblings."

"Normally, it's not suggested for, uh, maintaining an active lifestyle under certain conditions – "

"I wouldn't worry about that sort of thing. If that old man tells me to jump, I'll decide whether or not I want to. I handle tables just fine. So," Sanji started off slow, taking a breath as he glanced at Law again, "are you done, here?"

"Er…" Lorenzo looked at Lainy, who looked startled in mid-bite of her lemon cake.

"Just keep eating. I need help with the trash," he said, gesturing at Law, who frowned at him. Smoker gestured at him to take the invitation, Law looking at his parents, then at Sanji again. But he did get up, and as they walked off, Lorenzo looked at Smoker with some uncertainty. Lainy wasn't sure if she should continue eating, but she didn't want to abandon it, either.

"Look, trust me, I liked that he opened up, like that," Smoker said slowly. "That's a good step for him."

"We expected him to be angry," Lorenzo said, looking down at his dessert. "Quite honestly, we were…I was relieved to hear it. As angry as I am at myself, if he were…more apt to dismiss everything as 'nothing'…I'd be…wary. But it is clear where we stand with him."

"Every home I've fit that kid into, he's had trouble with, which is the reason why we've extended his file," Smoker said, shifting in his seat to look down at the latte with annoyance. "This is the first he's voluntarily stayed the longest, and the first he's shown signs of digging his feet into. I think it's good that you've given him the offer of moving at his choice. He is attached to this certain family for the reasons he's made clear, and removing him from that situation might cause harm in unification efforts. Plus, as bratty as that kid is, he's been a good influence on Law, as well. We're on a good path to recovery. A messy and difficult one, but we've made good progress, so far."

"His birthday is coming up so quickly," Lainy murmured. "Any wrong step might push him away."

"He can be very skittish," Smoker agreed. "But he's had to learn the hard way to trust his own instinct. That's not to say that his instincts are great – he's still a kid. Got that? He's still a kid, and he is still in need of guidance and understanding. No matter how he comes off, he does need an extreme amount of patience because of his past decisions. But he's a good kid. In the end of it, he is, and you must trust that whatever decision he makes, he still apt to be agreeable to a form of compromise. He just needs some time and convincing."

"We can do this," Lorenzo said heavily, exhaling lightly, looking at his wife, who agreed with a hard nod. "We can do whatever it takes to get him back. No matter what."

Outside, Sanji kicked the trash bag ahead of him on the way to the dumpster, giving Law an upbeat arm pump. "You did it!"

Law shrugged. He couldn't quite discuss the situation with Sanji freely, just yet. He just felt like he could breathe, but at the same time, he still felt tendrils of anxiety curling over him, needing to think about it later. But he welcomed this reprieve.

"If I had known it was them, I would've tried for a better presentation of myself," Sanji then said fretfully, smoothing at his hair, plucking at his workshirt.

Law snorted with amusement, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets.

"Oh, shut up. I'm not half as bad as that old man. Have you seen his mustache? What century does he come from?" Sanji snickered, picking up the trash bag and tossing it towards the dumpster with trouble. But he didn't seem to mind his own effort, trying a couple more times while he spoke. "I can't believe people still come here! The service sucks! And the fights in the kitchen are - ! Like, diners actually called the police three times this week, and I just started here, but the food is great and that's why people keep coming back! I still think the old man pays people to give good Yelp reviews, because it's insane how busy this place gets…"

At his third attempt, Law took the bag from him and easily deposited it into the dumpster, much to Sanji's annoyance. Then Law looked at him, reaching up to fiddle with his earrings. "Are you…still mad at me?"

"I'll be mad at you later. Right now, I'm just glad that you did this. You gave them a chance! And that's all that matters. It's a step!" Sanji decided, wearing a determined expression. "No matter what, it's a step. And above it all, they don't look like the type to trick you. They honestly look like they're trying."

"In the end, I haven't decided what I want."

"It's not going to be an easy thing. But I think it's important that they hear what you have to say, so you really need to express yourself along that route. Don't go along with what other people suggest and get pissed in the end because you were pressured into doing something you weren't ready for," Sanji said, wiping his hands on his apron.

Law noticed that the sounds of the street made its presence known, and he glanced up the alley, watching cars glide by. Someone's dog barked in the distance. "Uh…the food…it was good."

The way Sanji's face lit up made Law nervous. Sanji looked absolutely delighted, but then struggled to hold back, and at that moment, Law knew the exact feeling of why he'd do so. And it made him feel sad, even as he felt surprised by the sensation of warmth he felt seeing his reaction.

"Oh, er, I followed a recipe of that old man's, but I added in my own twist to it. I thought you were more of a garlic guy and not the lemon spice shit, and added in a little extra sea salt to the vegetables - ! You'd eat here again, right?"

Law hesitated to answer that because he wasn't sure what he was going to do. He was also aware that there was a double meaning to it, and he was afraid to disappoint Sanji after seeing that earlier repression. He said instead, "The old guy seems cool."

"Don't tell him anything, but he makes me want to do better than him," Sanji then huffed, glaring at the building. "Always insisting he's right about the crap he makes, then challenges me to make better stuff, and tries to talk down on what I contribute, so coming here really isn't that much of a pain after all."

Law chewed on his lip for a bit. He felt nervous, and he didn't like the feeling it gave him. It was an entirely different anxiety than he had before. He said with a slight stutter, "They said they'd…be willing to move. Here. So…but…not, like, leave."

Sanji looked up at him, waiting for clarification as Law exhaled heavily. There was a part of him that was grateful for the utterly impressive amount of patience the impatient teen had for him. He repeated himself more clearly. "They said they'd be willing to move here, and I won't…have to leave Rosinante."

"Isn't that what you wanted? That sounds great!"

"…I don't know what I want."

"You'll know soon!" Sanji decided, reaching out to awkwardly hit him with an elbow. "Because if you didn't like the idea, you would say 'fuck off'!"

Law tightened his lips, but only to suppress the smile that threatened to erupt as Sanji mimicked him. He was relieved that Sanji wasn't mad at him. He felt like things would be okay between them, and he realized he really needed that.

"I'd come here again," he mumbled, looking at his shoes.

"Come back to school with a different attitude," Sanji told him, leading the way back to the door.

Law followed after him, struggling to articulate the uprising of feeling inside of him. This combination of anxiety and uncertainty and absolute bewilderment why this kid kept being so pushy with him when he felt he gave nothing back.

"Why do you keep doing this?"

Sanji paused on a step up, left hand on the door. He frowned at Law. "We're friends."

"But…I'm not even contributing. I'm…" Law took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry for yesterday."

Sanji waved that away, looking awkward. "Don't worry about it. Maybe what I'm doing for you, someone will do for me. Not that I'm doing this for…that, just…I would hope someone would be as hard for me, too. I mean, not in a gay way – but - ! Like! You know what I mean," Sanji said, flustered with his usage of words, turning red. He inhaled shortly to add, "I don't know, if I can do something like this for someone else, I guess…it makes me feel like, I can be different. I don't know, I can't explain it."

Law struggled with the words that were there, finding them heavy on his tongue, but only because they were unfamiliar with his own usage. Sanji made to open the door, and Law reached out and held onto his apron to stop him. He felt his face redden as he strove to say, "I…I ap-appreciate these things. That…you…do. These - even when I…mess it up. I…am…grateful."

Sanji exhaled lightly. He reddened with a pleased expression, feeling happy that he'd done something right. He wasn't sure how to express this, reaching down to remove Law's hand from his apron but holding onto it tightly with a clench of his. "You are important. In – in the friend way, of course, not to give the wrong idea, or – like, make things, like gay, but just – I'm happy to hear that. After everything, like, all my bad stuff – so, it was worth it."

"It's not done, yet," Law said, referring to the overall situation, but he looked at the way Sanji still clutched his hand in his. Rather than feeling like it should be uncomfortable, it felt right. Maybe he was just feeling the high of having this meeting over with, or that his future looked a little more certain, but he just felt…relieved. "Things are still…undecided."

"It'll be okay," Sanji reassured him. "The first step was just the toughest, and you got through it."

Maybe Sanji's optimism was rubbing off on him, but Law believed him. He ended up releasing the smile that had been struggling to show earlier, looking a little embarrassed doing so.

Sanji then threw his arms around his shoulders, knocking his head with his cast upon awkward action. "Manly hug! Not a gay hug, but a manly one!"

Law sputtered, but he was much too aware of the way Sanji smelled – like the kitchen and his shitty cologne – and he was embarrassed by his own reaction. He wasn't sure if he should hug him back or keep his arms where they were; he felt awkward, but he wanted to return the gesture. Before he could decide on anything, Sanji released him to open the door.

"You're a smelly shithead," Sanji told him cheerfully, immediately assaulted by a cook that yelled at him for taking so long in the alleyway with his boyfriend. He screamed back that Law wasn't his boyfriend, and Law walked back to the table, redfaced with the moment, and was embarrassed with the yells that followed after him as the cooks teased Sanji relentlessly over his own redfaced guilt.

Smoker looked at him with relief when he returned to the table, sitting back down with a noticeably lighter expression. Lorenzo and Lainy took immediate notice of it, hope dawning on their features after sitting so tensely while he was gone. They glanced at each other, clutching each other's hands under the table and then releasing quickly. Smoker knew that they refrained from expressing attachment to show Law that they were not a team united against him, but to show that they were receptive to him.

"Oh, thank god you weren't testing my college glory," Smoker told Law once he was seated, taking a drink of his cold tea. "We're done, it's all paid for. You ready to go?"

After seeing his nod, Smoker looked at the couple across from them. "We'll be in touch. You guys have a good drive home."

Licking her lips nervously, Lainy said to Law, "You have a good week, Law. We look forward to seeing you again, okay? Being able to hear from you made me feel…good. N-not the…but…just to hear your thoughts."

"This was good," Lorenzo added awkwardly. "Thank you."

Law didn't know what to say in response, but he nodded. He followed Smoker out the door, and both parents looked at each other, visibly struggling to compose themselves. A moment later, Zeff walked up to the table, holding a plate with warm, wet towels and a gruff expression of understanding. Lainy took one immediately to press it against her face, struggling very hard to keep herself composed in such a public setting.

Lorenzo reached over to hold her, telling Zeff awkwardly, "Thank you. All of it."

"Just keep it up," Zeff returned brusquely.


A/N: I couldn't sleep. e _ e So I wrote this. What an uplifting chapter after all the shit and angst, right?

RR: They're definitely getting there! Each event changes thoughts and feelings, and while Law thinks he knows what he wants, he's definitely unsure of how to get there. But after this chapter, he's pretty sure what he wants ; ) He just has to learn how to express himself to do so. He's already making progress! Ah, so proud of him!

Snowflake97: Sleep? Who can do that properly? e _ e This chapter definitely fixes what happened last, and it's pretty apparent that Law is very appreciative of Sanji's efforts. It can only go uphill from here! …or will it? Hope you liked this chapter!

Guest #1: :D Progress!

Guest #2: Sanji just isn't aware of it, just yet, but someone does care. He just has to express himself differently to do so, and this chapter helps!

DedicatedFan: AH! That's absolutely wonderful! Definitely made my day hearing that – I have a few relatives that have impediments that they've had to work through with speech therapy, and I admit, I fumble a lot with my own words in normal day to day interaction with others (which is probably why I tend to mumble a lot), but hearing this is just - ! :D I don't think it's a secret that I adore the Vinsmokes; I love them just as much as I love Doffy, and the more canon chapters come out with them, the better! The Strawhats are definitely around, but they take backstage to these two; Luffy will not forget what Sabo had suggested he'd do, and that's coming up, soon! Ichiji has a brother complex; he just doesn't admit it out loud.

Sarge1130: Law is definitely getting bolder, and he's gaining more confidence; and why? All because Sanji just pushes him, and Sanji doesn't realize it of himself, but his selfless and caring attitude towards someone that definitely pushes him makes this happen. So, even as they hurt and fight each other, they're definitely growing closer. Rosinante is struggling, but he definitely appreciates his caretaker – as evidenced, here – but there's only so much he could do. What little he does, though, definitely gives Law will to fight. And you're right – even in the clouds, the sun will peek through! This chapter is uplifting for both, because both of them needed that small sign of assurance that the other could provide, and Law's mind is definite towards Sanji. He was able to say that, and that's all Sanji needed. Good for both of them!