34
That night, the three of them were just digging into their lasagna dish when the phone rang. Lorenzo answered, being closest to the phone while Lainy dished out gooey squares of pasta, cheese and meat, Law already scraping up his vegetables as he eyed the pieces with a greedy look. Moments later Lorenzo held the phone out with a puzzled expression, saying, "Law. It's Sanji."
Remembering what Sanji had planned to demand of his father, Law shot up from his chair, hurriedly chewing and swallowing what he had in his mouth as Lainy gave him a puzzled look. Lorenzo returned to his seat with a concerned frown as Law answered, keeping his voice low for a bit of privacy. When he hung up he stood there for a few moments, then looked at his parents. Both of them waited for him to say something, seeing him struggle to put his thoughts into words, growing visibly tense.
Lainy lowered her spatula with a bewildered expression. "What's wrong?"
"Is he okay?" Lorenzo asked Law, seeing the teen swallow again, wiping his face.
"Can we go get him?" Law asked nervously. "Please. It's an emergency."
"What is going on?" Lainy asked.
"Sounded very troubled," Lorenzo said, hesitating for a moment before rising.
"Is he okay?" Lainy repeated, hand going to her hair anxiously. She looked at the clock, then waited for Law to answer.
"He said to meet at the park – I know where that's at." Fiddling with his fingers, Law then picked up the phone. Lainy and Lorenzo looked at each other before Lainy nodded at him, Lorenzo rising to get the keys. Hearing Law talk low, Lainy couldn't make out what he was saying but he spoke with some confidence that was absent from his usual presence. When he was done he left the kitchen, Panda following after him. He returned with a book in hand, giving it to Lainy.
"Please give this to Smoker if he shows up before us," Law said, Lainy taking it with puzzled action, recognizing it as one of the gifts she'd given to him. But before she could ask anything, both he and Lorenzo were leaving.
She was uncertain of what to think, but it had to be something troublesome – she thought back to the night at Baratie's, wondering if Sanji had been fighting with his brothers, again. Maybe he just needed a place to calm and relax himself – maybe he was in trouble for venturing out when he wasn't supposed to. Whichever the reason, for Law to call Smoker – it gave her cause for concern. She set the book aside and looked at their dinner, still steaming hot.
Anxiously, she wondered how to handle the situation as it arrived. They were still on rocky new grounds with Law – what would happen if Sanji were in a similar situation with his father? Judge Vinsmoke's reputation was a hideous one – respected and feared. She saw his law office on display on billboards around town, and some of their wealthier clients spoke of him with negative and positive notes, depending on their court situation. But he couldn't possibly want to damage his reputation with the wrong sort of action with his own off-spring…
Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock at the door and she set aside her water to answer. Smoker stood there awkwardly, smelling of cigarettes as he greeted her. Lainy hastily retrieved the book while he wandered in, Panda barking at him noisily and Polar hissing from the couch nearby. Lainy hushed them while the man looked nervously at the animals.
"Here's the book he wanted you to have," she said, giving an uncertain frown as Smoker took it. He nodded, flipping through the pages until something caught his eye. She couldn't see what it was because he closed it up and held it to one side, but his expression made her curiosity skyrocket.
"How's he doing? He unpack yet?" Smoker asked.
"No," Lainy said uncomfortably. "I'm so afraid of him just taking off in the middle of the night that it's difficult to sleep very well. It's been smooth so far…he's just so quiet."
"Give it a couple of weeks," Smoker advised. "Most kids won't get comfortable until something in their minds lets them. With your guys' history, it might take him a little longer than that. I'm not saying bending any rules for him, keep them strong and sturdy and within means, but I'm not going to sugarcoat things. He has a reputation of running, and he still might. All I'm saying is keep your patience, be understanding, let him have his quirks. Like these animals, here. They needed time to settle in, eh?"
"Yes," Lainy agreed reluctantly, hearing Panda bark at Smoker from their room, where she'd sent him. Polar was watching Smoker with a fiercesome glare, waiting for him to come close; but the man kept his distance safely to a wall near the door for quick escape. "It's just…it's like living with a complete stranger."
"It's good you're feeding him," Smoker said with a glance at the dinner table. "Maybe he'll fill out a little more."
"He keeps to himself – I don't know if he's completing his homework, I don't know if he's…he stays to his room, mostly. Comes out for meals – he talks to Sanji at night on the phone."
"You going to get him one of his own?"
"Yes."
"I have a list of people that would love to have him for a part time gig if he's interested," Smoker then added helpfully.
Lainy looked at him reluctantly, and he understood. He wiggled the book. "Thanks for this. I'll be on my way. If you guys need anything, my cell is on. I'm going to grab some coffee."
"Will there…be any problem?" Lainy then asked. "I don't know what's happening, this is unexpected – his friend was just here today, and…after that night at the restaurant with his older brother, I'm a little nervous about what we might be stepping into."
"Me, too," Smoker admitted unhelpfully before he let himself out the door, Lainy looking after him with a frown. As he was closing the door, he added, "I have back up!"
Lainy returned to the table after retrieving her phone, hoping Lorenzo would at least give her a heads up. She spotted a message and saw that they'd be returning soon.
Twenty minutes later, the three of them tromped into the house, but there was nothing to indicate that there was any trouble. Sanji looked relieved that they were eating, but he was noticeably quieter than he was earlier. Panda crowded him immediately, greeting him as if they hadn't seen each other in years.
"Would you like a plate?" she offered, rising from her chair as they settled themselves at the table.
"No thanks, I'm still wearing dinner," Sanji said airily, and it was true – his shirt had some odd splatter around the chest and collar; they were PE clothes. He was wearing house sandals, and one of his exposed wrists was noticeably darker than his skin tone, but he lowered his hands to his lap as Lorenzo and Law resettled in their chairs. "Sorry for bothering you guys – I didn't know where else to go."
"Trouble?" Lainy asked.
"Just another night at the Vinsmokes," Sanji said lightly. He looked at the lasagna with interest, so Lainy served him anyway. "What do you use in this?"
Lainy told him while the other two quietly began to eat, Law watching his friend with a tense air, his fork slower to reach his mouth. Sanji took the plate and immediately began tearing the square apart, examining the contents for himself while trying out pieces individually. Panda nosed against his arm, looking for scraps and affection, sitting close to his chair.
Lorenzo told them the title of the movie that they were going to watch, to which Law said, "He's going to change, first."
With that they left the table hastily, leaving the pair to blink after them curiously. Once they were out of earshot, Lainy looked at Lorenzo for an explanation.
"He didn't say," Lorenzo whispered low. "He didn't say much of anything. But Law is clinging to him – he was alone, I don't know if we'll be visited, or…"
"Our phone number is not listed. You don't think anyone can find us if they're looking, right? I wouldn't want to encounter Judge if he happened to show up. What are we supposed to do?" Lainy whispered back anxiously.
"I…I don't know," Lorenzo said with a fumbling expression. "He just said he needed to get away for a couple of hours. He arranged for a ride home."
"With whom? He just said he had nowhere else to go."
Lorenzo was puzzled with that question, offering only a clueless shrug. Lainy looked at him with frustration, then out to the hall that led to Law's bedroom. The door was open, but she couldn't hear their voices. Polar was sitting in the doorway with her ears flicking, Panda nowhere in sight.
"He called Smoker," she then murmured, using her fork to pat at her food. "And gave him something. I'm not sure…but Smoker had also mentioned he was aware of what's happening. He said he had 'back up' – I don't know if they started a file on this child, or if we should express more concern, but it seems that they're aware of things."
"Has it gone that far?"
"If you'd seen them that night – it was normal for them," Lainy said with a shudder. "That sort of play – or whichever it was, it was violence to me. And their reputation, the way he speaks of his own family – I'm not sure how involved we should be, especially considering our position with our own son."
Lorenzo gave a troubled sigh. After a brush of fingers through his own hair, he said, "We knew this wasn't going to be easy to begin with. I guess when it rains, it pours."
Lainy frowned at her husband's lack of advice, but he was just as clueless as she was to handle the situation. They'd only expected trouble with their son's return – the ups and downs of an emotional and spiritual roller coaster, with internal battles raged only within them. She didn't expect to be drawn into another's situation with other opponents. In a way, she wanted to dismiss and push Sanji's situation away from them – lighten the load of their plate. But she knew they couldn't, not with Law's attachment to him.
"In another universe," Lorenzo then said, "if…none of this had ever happened, we'd still have to bear the weight of his friends' involvement. Whether it's good or bad – it's for him, right? If he needs support while his friend is in trouble, we must give it regardless of our thoughts or feelings. We turn him away, it's like we're turning Law away."
Lainy exhaled heavily. She reached out and gripped his hand tightly. "I was prepared for some things, but not all of them. I suppose we'll just have to do our very best. Whatever comes, we just have to endure it and pull through it, much as we've done, before, hon."
Lorenzo nodded, patting her hand before returning to his meal.
Meanwhile, Law pulled out a shirt from his trashbag that he knew was clean, and gave it to Sanji so he could change into it. Sanji eyed the bag with distrust, then looked at the closet before wiping the look from his face as Law looked at him.
"It's only coffee," he told Law as he changed quickly. He was wearing an undershirt, so Law didn't see any new bruises – just red welts that he knew well. Sanji said it carelessly but it must've been hot to leave evidence behind like that.
"What happened?" he asked quietly as Panda waited for Sanji's notice.
"I asked dad when I was moving to mom's, and he said he wasn't going to do that. I disagreed with him," Sanji grumbled, pulling the shirt around himself. It hung down to his thighs, the half sleeves covering his elbows. "Why are you so tall?"
"Just…verbally disagreed with him?"
"There might've been other stuff," Sanji added, looking around his room. He spied the presents sitting on the desk and immediately ventured over to investigate. There was a box with a cellphone – with the plastic wrapping still in place – and some giftcards. He felt annoyed that he was without his cellphone so that they could at least have some form of privacy in communication. All the things he could tag Law in, the memes, the photos, the gifs in text messages – it was a loss that he felt internally, made stronger with his own dramatics. "Wow, you made out like a bandit! I like these places!"
Law reached out and touched his shoulder. That was all it took for Sanji to crowd up against him, pushing his face against his chest to hide his expression so Law hugged him tightly, wishing he could take some of the trauma away from him. Hours earlier, things were so light and hopeful; now it seemed tense and quiet, and he knew there was nothing he could say or do but understand.
"I don't think I can do this anymore," Sanji confessed tightly, voice muffled against Law's chest. "I talk all this shit about being able to handle it, but I don't think I can. Now he thinks he can keep doing this because I want to go to mom's. He doesn't want me going, now."
Law nodded. They stood there until he pulled away. "Take these pictures, too."
"I don't know," Sanji said with uncertainty, looking his age. "I don't know if I – "
"No, they're important. I can take them, add to your collection. You're going to need them."
"But – who's going to believe me? This is dad, he has - !"
"People will believe you. Take them, keep them. They're your power."
"I don't want your parents to know, or get involved – they don't know I came here, I erased the number every time I called it."
"Ichiji called here – "
Sanji thought about it for a few moments, wondering if his older brother had found Law's new housing information at the school. If so, then he would know where Law lived once he was sent to retrieve him. He swallowed tightly, frustrated at his brother's abuse of power. "They're going to come here to get me, they're going to find me, I shouldn't've come here like this - !"
Law pushed away from him to get his backpack. He found the paper Sabo had given him as Sanji watched him. He held it out to them, Sanji looking at it with a puzzled frown.
Law said, "They want to help. Garp makes anyone uncomfortable – even Zeff would be a good choice. There are people out there that aren't afraid of your dad."
"He'll ruin them!" Sanji insisted, growing more and more panicked as he thought of his father's reach. "He's rich! They aren't! He's going to say I ran away, he's - !"
"With these pictures, it's a different story. Let me go borrow one of their phones, and we can call them."
"No," Sanji said, catching his arm with a stubborn expression. "No, they're not going to want to help me! I – we're not even friends! They - !"
"Sabo said he wants to help. Garp is a teacher, he's required by law to report anything suspicious to the authorities. If you can get to one of them, first, your dad's going to have a hard time explaining those pictures and these – let me get a phone." Law pulled out of his grasp more firmly and left the room while Sanji struggled to compose himself.
His heart raced with fear, anxiety over what would happen to him if his father caught up or if Sanji had to reveal to others – people he wasn't even close to, people he saw everyday – what was happening. No one would believe him – how could they with his personality and his actions? He was a bully himself – admittedly less since Law came along. No one would feel any empathy for him and his situation. They'd think he deserved it – and he would, considering his history.
He deserved it, he knew people would think. And who would stick their neck out for him? Especially after all the trouble he brought to Luffy, how he spoke to people, what he'd done in the past; he wasn't a likeable person.
Law returned moments later, shutting and locking the door behind him with Lainy's phone in hand. Sanji pointed at the one sitting on his desk.
"I don't want to open it," Law mumbled, unsure of whether he'd accept the gift. He still wasn't sure how long he'd stick around. It was still new, this living situation of his.
"I don't want to do this," Sanji repeated as Law furrowed his brow with concentration upon examining the phone. It was a Samsung, and Lainy had her apps in a confusing order within multiple pages; despite himself, Sanji took it from him and found the right app because teenage impulse couldn't stand that someone Law's age had no idea how to find a simple camera app on a cellphone. But once he had it in hand, he stared at it in disgust. "God, why is your mom so old? She has multiple copied apps on random pages – does she even know how a smartphone works? Smarter, not harder!"
Law snatched it back from him, fiddling with it clumsily. Sanji grasped his shirt with both hands, reluctant to remove it. He froze because blood was pounding between his ears and his jaw tensed tightly. "Law…"
Sensing his reluctance, Law looked at him. He was comfortable with this. Comfortable because he had been surrounded by it, because he lived through this. With his own experience, with other foster kids – with the friends he'd left behind. He knew what Sanji was going through. He understood.
"Right now you don't want to," he said slowly, licking his lips and tasting lasagna grease. "Because you're scared. And you should be. But it escalated, didn't it? From verbal putdowns and finally a physical confrontation. It won't stop, Sanji, until you're back under his control. You're a strong person, Sanji. Stubborn and willful – you write To-Do lists and keep record of your grades in your notebook. You don't have to turn this in, now. But you can add it to your collection for later. Because you will want it in the future, when you've had enough. And you will get to that point. Maybe when you're an adult, or when he starts putting expectations on your kids – maybe then you'll need it."
Sanji thought about it, still clasping tightly onto his shirt. After some moments he gave a nod and removed it.
After sending it to his email, Law deleted the photos from Lainy's albums. Sanji took it from him and did some intensive searching to make sure no cloud would hold onto it. After that, Law took the phone from him, Sanji watching him nervously. Law was proud of him. He kissed his forehead before asking, "Garp or Zeff?"
"Zeff," Sanji decided with some uncertainty. "I'm not ready for those other guys knowing this."
"Because you think they'll will judge you? Think you're not worthy of any help? Who do you think kept interfering when those guys were bothering us at school? Asides from that one incident, has Luffy deliberately targeted you back? No, he keeps offering you food, and took over on your pad gaffe. How does that not convince you that you matter to them?"
"You use words no one else does, and it makes you sound stupid," Sanji muttered, with no real bite to it. He wiped his eyes, and Law didn't take that comment to heart because he knew Sanji was only trying to regain his footing. "Dad's going to report me as a runaway."
"Will he? After what he did? You left on your own, right? You've done so before to get your head back on."
Sanji shrugged, wiping his nose with his shirt.
Law didn't want to tell him what he did with the photos earlier. It wasn't time, yet. He was going to send that email to Smoker to add to it.
"Then he can't bother you guys," Sanji decided. "If he doesn't know where I am, I can think about this."
"Okay. Then call Zeff," Law said.
Sanji nodded slowly then dialed the man's phone – but didn't depress the connect button just yet. He looked at the taller teen, chewing on the inside of his cheek. Law pushed the button for him. In a few moments, the older man's voice became audible and Sanji hesitated to say anything. Law prodded him to speak, and Sanji cleared his throat, turning away from him to speak.
"Old man," he started off when he paused, then looked at the phone incredulously. Law could hear Zeff snapping out something, and for a moment he was alarmed, making to pull the phone from Sanji when Sanji pressed it back up to his ear, snapping back, "Don't bawl me out for what my dad did! Can I stay with you, or not? Don't make it sound like that! I'm coming over! Come pick me up!"
He gave the address with a huff, Law looking at him with a puzzled expression. He didn't know what Zeff was saying to get that sort of response; he didn't know him personally, but Sanji seemed quite comfortable bawling him out right back. When he hung up, he looked a little relieved.
"He said he'll be here in twenty," he told Law.
"What kind of relationship do you guys have?" Law asked him incredulously.
"He was mad because 'I let dad quit me'. Told me to tell him face to face like a man then told me if I was coming over that I had to leave my snot at the door – anyway, he said he'd take me for tonight."
"Tell him."
"What's he going to do?" Sanji protested. "He's just a cook!"
"He might be, but you mentioned he came from – "
"Dad might get him deported!"
Law wasn't sure what to say so he gave up saying anything. Sanji's panic was starting to emerge again, but what was done was done. Zeff had the address, and Law somehow knew the old man would show up to get Sanji. It was scary to think that Sanji would trust someone that he'd had limited contact with – but the man didn't give Law any bad vibes. He could tell rotten people, and there wasn't any of that present with this one. Still, it left him unsettled and uneasy just to pass his friend off to someone else, but he had to tell himself it was better than Judge retrieving him.
The knock at his bedroom door caused Sanji to compose himself hastily. They stepped away from each other, but Panda gave a gentle woof from Law's bed. Both of them had forgotten the dog was there. Law opened the door, Lorenzo giving them an uncomfortable look.
"My ride's coming!" Sanji announced cheerily, rolling up his sleeves. "Is dinner still on the table?"
"It is, but…is everything…okay?"
"It's fine! I was just griping because Law's taller than me," Sanji said, leaving the room, Panda following after him eagerly. Lorenzo looked at Law, who shrugged in response.
Law wasn't sure what to say to Lorenzo, but he had to warn him. He swallowed tightly before saying, "He just needs to get away. But, um…his dad might be looking for him."
Lorenzo studied his expression. "What should be said?"
"He wasn't here."
Uncomfortable with that, Lorenzo visibly fretted.
"It's for his safety," Law added tightly.
"Okay," Lorenzo acquiesced. "Your mom was…very upset with the way he was treated. This is understandable if it's for that. I think that if something happened to which we need to know about it, both of you will have to say something. For his safety – is this something we'd have to give to the proper authorities to handle, or - ?"
"It's already figured out," Law answered, still speaking with a tight tone as he waited for Lorenzo to deny this action.
Lorenzo reached up to rub the back of his neck, looking at his son with a thoughtful expression. "In order to make this work," he said gently, "we must trust each other. Learn to trust each other. I realize things aren't going to magically fall into place with us, there's a lot of work to do, but I…I want to do things correctly. For your best interests. I understand how important Sanji is to you – he can be for us, as well, but if this is going to involve a situation where authorities need to be contacted – "
"I'm already talking to them."
"So, Smoker is aware of the situation?" Lorenzo asked. "Because if that's so, I might have to remind you that I am in a position of – "
"I know."
Lorenzo trailed off. He felt awkward and unsure, standing in front of his son, who looked at him as if he were a strange butting his head into Law's business. But he had a right to – as parent, but were the lines blurred if Law was at the age to make his own decisions? The floor was still so delicate; he could be overstepping his line, he could be too far away from it to even cross – but the younger teen was out of his reach to consider family. Sanji was still a kid himself, someone Lorenzo had no authority over but he was mandated by law to make a report himself if he felt the situation demanded it.
His morals demanded his own course of action, but it was muddled with his own decisions regarding his own son.
"It's handled," Law told him before brushing by abruptly so that Lorenzo had to move to give him room. He returned to the kitchen as Lorenzo looked after him, feeling his stomach twist with anxiety.
Forty minutes after Sanji had left with Zeff – the older man gruffly taking control over the teen as Lorenzo monitored with a puzzled air – the knock at their door startled them. Panda barked at the noise, Lorenzo patting Lainy's shoulder as he went to answer. Law was on his feet and off to the side, as tense as a coil waiting to spring. Lainy swallowed back the nervous lump in her throat as she listened for the confrontation that was surely to occur if there was a Vinsmoke at the door.
Lorenzo answered the door, seeing the surly-faced teen standing there, arms crossed over his chest.
"My brother's expected back at home," Ichiji stated.
"I'm sorry?" Lorenzo said dumbly, wondering if that was the teen's natural hair color.
"Sanji. Where is he?"
After a moment, Lorenzo looked to Law. Law shrugged in response. He turned back to Ichiji, saying, "I think you're mistaken. We haven't seen him all day. Was he supposed to be here?"
Ichiji frowned tightly at him. "This late at night, it's only natural to assume that he's spending time with his boyfriend after being upset at home. Dramatic as he is, it was assumed he'd come crying here. He's needed back upon our father's orders."
"I'm sorry, I can't help you,' Lorenzo said stiffly. "We haven't seen nor heard from him. We've been out all day, considering that it's Law's birthday."
Ichiji stared at him for several long moments, making the man uncomfortable. His eyes slid to the side, to where Lorenzo had looked – but from his angle, he couldn't see Law. Law waited for the teen to say something, do anything to demand answers, but Ichiji nodded.
"All right," he conceded.
"We hope he's okay," Lorenzo added.
"Will you be at school Monday?" Ichiji then asked, directing the question towards Law.
Law didn't answer, because he didn't feel he needed to.
"It'd be a shame if you dropped out," Ichiji then said, turning to leave. "Because where else would Sanji find any support in times of need?"
"Hey…" Lorenzo started to say when the teen left the porch, Panda barking after him. But not knowing the red-haired boy himself, Lorenzo wasn't sure how to take the comment. He watched as a blue haired boy hung out from the passenger side seat with a catty greeting that didn't sound too friendly. The Buick pulled away, and he felt a sense of unease ride up his spine.
He closed the door to look back at his family. Law had a tight look to his face, and Lainy looked troubled.
"I get the feeling he's not a nice kid," he grumbled.
"It was that one," Lainy said. "His older brother."
"Was that a threat directed towards either of you?" Lorenzo asked Law.
The teen shrugged, but he wandered to his room in silence, shutting the door behind him. Lorenzo looked to Lainy, and neither of them could finish the movie after that.
RR: Yes, and what a position the trio of L is going through already! As this chapter went, certain information was passed along. The pair haven't officially said lol but it's already in the process as things go, hm? With their situations as they're crawling along, it's hard to say – Yep, he's my bf. So it's like, unsaid… later on down the road, maybe they can admit it? :D Judge does inspire fright in those that know of his reputation – darn lawyers – but L and L have had their battles, before. It's just finding the right leverage for themselves to get there, finding their place in this situation. With Law they're still on uneven ground – this is surely something that can disrupt what footing they have.
Penumbra: Haha, you know how I roll! It's always fluffy before the bad hits! D: I'm so predictable it kills me lol Polar has certain expectations of her humans and households, and any new additions must be judged thoroughly to be sure they're worthy of her presence! And thank you for that compliment! I'm feeling all snug and warm on this cold, wintery day (it's the last day of summer and it's freaking SNOWING and im so upset T.T)
Naghi-Tan: Judge wants to after this night! The brothers were conditioned to do so – they received all the love and praise for their hard efforts, so they don't understand anything else from their father. Seeing the way Sanji had been treated the other night certainty spooked them – without too many punishments in their lives because of the trails they blaze with Judge's approval, it was definitely a reminder to remain on their father's set path. D:
Sarge1130: My, you were certainly a busy reader! Thank you for all the comments you left behind as you made your way through them! The am was definitely one of his better times, but the night progressed into some expected tension. Sanji did want to make his day special, and did his best despite his own conflict. While they were treated to who Sanji was in the restaurant, they were bulldozed with him as a person in their own home – they were still trying to recover from that, later lol As a teen, he's definitely very vocal and opinionated, and from the beginning, he struggles to be heard – this is his personality. He's going to be heard no matter what, and he's lived his life bulldozing through his brothers, so he hasn't changed yet. He's only sensitive towards one person, he still has to broaden his horizons a little more to include others, but he's young and he's venturing out from the world he'd just fought hand and tooth to leave so as an adult, who knows what sort of a person he'll be? :D Thank you so much for your thoughts! I enjoyed reading them!
