35


Zeff's house was a small one-story near the edge of town, and it caused Sanji pause as he ventured in. He expected a homey setting like that of Baratie's – not a yard full of chickens and ducks, a living room that had only a couch and lawn chair in front of a full bodied TV from the eighties with rabbit ears. The curtains had ducks on them, the braided rope rug had dancing chickens, and it smelled like spices and chicken throughout the entire house. He didn't even see a visible router to assure him of any wifi. The kitchen was clean and sparkly, with duck curtains and matching rugs, rags, and dishes all in the shade of red. There was a rotary phone visible on the end of one counter, and phone books stacked neatly against that wall. The narrow hall nearby creaked with just their entrance into the house, showing off a single bathroom at the end and a bedroom that looked packed with boxes and suits encased in plastic from a rolling hanger.

Sanji thought he walked into some sort of hell. He looked at Zeff as the older man shuffled by him, grumbling about missing an episode of 'Frasier'. "Are you a time traveler?" he asked incredulously. "You can't find your way back to the nineties?"

"Shut up and take a squat on the couch, there."

Sanji shivered because that couch looked as if it had survived the seventies, clinging together with mismatched fabric patches and a sunken frame. When he delicately sat where it seemed safest, the couch groaned, sinking close to the floor, and he froze because any movement might cause its demise.

"What are you doing out this late?" Zeff asked him, sinking into his chair in front of the tv – after he turned it on by hand and a blurry display of his show returned back into view.

"Is that thing even capable of cable?" Sanji asked skeptically.

"I'm obviously not at home all the time, brat!"

"I've never been to a museum where a person actually lived in it," Sanji breathed, unable to fathom the duck curtains that seemed straight out of a country home, or even a baby's room.

Zeff rolled his eyes, then grumpily settled back against the worn cushion of his seat. "When are you expected back home?"

Sanji frowned, fiddling with his fingers before saying, "I was hoping I could spend the night."

Zeff looked at him sharply. "What?"

"Look," Sanji said hastily, "some stuff came up. I just need dad to chill out for a bit before he freaks out again. He's…I don't know, been on edge, or something, we keep butting heads."

"Then it's his responsibility as an adult to conduct himself as an adult, not act like some punk where his kid feels like he can't go home. Go to your mom's."

"She lives twelve hours away! I can't just pop over for a visit without organizing money for a plane ticket, or whatever! Besides, dad doesn't want me 'bothering' her because she's not well off like he is," Sanji added. "He just needs some time to calm down and realize that I'm not his mini-puppet, anymore. I want to live my own life to do my own shit, and – "

"At sixteen, you're suddenly an adult?" Zeff asked.

"No, I'm just saying – "

"Because you live in his house with his rules, you can't be changing them to fit your likes and dislikes. Parents are tough for a reason."

"Mine doesn't have to be an ass about stuff – "

"I know how you get, but you can't just decide to live life the way you want it if you're living under his roof!"

"I can't meet his expectations anymore! I can't – I don't want to! See, the thing with dad is, if I don't fall into his group, then I'm not 'good enough', and all my life I tried hard to be 'good enough', but it wasn't good enough for him! None of it was! Then when I realized what I wanted and who I can truly be, he suddenly has a huge problem with it! I can't live that way, anymore!"

"Everybody feels that way after awhile, but it's not up to you to – " Zeff scowled as his phone rang, Sanji amazed at the ringer that sounded as if it were on the verge of dying at any minute. The older man looked at the chicken clock just above the television set and looked puzzled. It took him a few moments to push up and away from his chair as Sanji frowned after him.

He sat uncomfortably as he continued to take in the living room with book heavy cases that held recipe books from all over the world, some photo albums, stacks of magazines that towered dangerously over their heads. He wondered if Zeff was a hoarder. The doilies under the duck-styled lamps were faded and yellowed from some century back, and when he sniffed the air, he thought he detected mold, but he wasn't sure. He had to wonder if mold had a smell.

He heard Zeff snapping at whoever it was on the phone, and tuned in. Once he realized the older man's defensive tone, he understood that his father had somehow tracked him down to here. Panic raced through him – what if Judge sent the police over, what if they caused trouble with Zeff that interfered with his restaurant business? What if Judge had tried Law's already?

He rose from the couch, hearing it protest and groan. Worry crossed his expression as he heard Zeff demand an explanation to a threat he'd just heard, hearing that authoritive voice grow deeper and angier as the conversation continued. Distressed by the trouble being caused because of him, Sanji turned and left the house. He pulled off his sandals to make a quicker getaway from the place – if he wasn't there, if Zeff couldn't say where he was, then it would be like he wasn't there in the first place. The neighborhood was quiet and more clustered together than he was used to seeing – it seemed like everyone lacked fences or the authority of the HOA to keep the area nice and neat. The air was cool, and he wouldn't freeze to death if he chose to stay out all night. But he couldn't fathom doing that in the first place. All his life he'd lived in a house with all the amenities of modern convenience, so just thinking about the things Law did to avoid going home seemed alien and fictional.

He didn't know where to go – he didn't have a cellphone or money, and everyone his family could think of he'd have any closeness to were already contacted. His father would make it difficult for anybody with his position,and with a sigh of reluctance, he headed for the nearest convenience store. He couldn't imagine sleeping in a park tonight, or even knew what to do to avoid another skirmish with his father; just imagined that it could get worse with some verbal confrontation over running away after Judge tossed his coffee at him for the request to go to his mother's.

He used the store's phone to call home, catching Judge – the man told him his brothers would be there shortly. Sanji waited outside after hanging up, and he leaned up against the wall, feeling bad for involving others into his mess. What if this was all his fault to begin with? Like Zeff said, maybe it wasn't his place to live his own life when living under Judge's roof. He could only imagine how hard Judge would make Sola's life if Sanji made it home to her, and if she wasn't as well off as they were, then she would have an especially hard time with him. She would even send him back, Sanji imagined, just to get rid of Judge's grief. After all, she had moved away just to get away from him.

He exhaled shakily. He felt trapped and confined and had no way of reaching out. He regretted letting Law take those pictures – what if Law used them with good intentions, but it backfired on him? Judge could destroy him based on Law's past, and the older teen was just getting his footing back on the ground after having such a hard time –

Sanji wiped his eyes and struggled to reset his expression. If his brothers saw him in this state, he would be torn to shreds for this sign of weakness. He felt resigned to returning home, anxiety racing through him at what trouble he'd caused his father, tonight. He was scared – he had mounting reasons why, and he rubbed his chest where hot coffee had hit, unconsciously feeling for damage. He was sure Judge wouldn't do any more than that after he'd lost control the first time, but now he had reason to doubt even himself.

A vehicle pulled up in front of him, and he didn't look up at first because it wasn't the Buick – but once he heard the car door open and close, he looked up to seeing a tall man with a white hat pulled over grey hair looking at him skeptically. Because of his facial hair, Sanji wondered if this guy and Zeff traded fashion tips. The tall man stood before him, wearing crumbs of some sort on his braided goatee, his maroon button-down shirt with a faint cluster of something white on his chest. He had sleep lines on his wrinkled cheek, like he'd been napping.

"You Sanji?" he asked gruffly.

"Yeah, why?" Sanji asked suspiciously.

"Your father called. Said you needed a ride home," he said.

Sanji wasn't sure who this man was – but his father did have a lot of friends. Reluctantly, he nodded.

The man gestured at the truck – a souped up Chevy with tinted windows, Sanji noted – and he reluctantly followed through with the man's gesture. He climbed into the seat and pulled his seatbelt on with a heavy sigh as the man returned to the driver's side. Sanji had time to look over the standard stereo system, a kid's faded school picture attached to the driver's side visor.

"No password?" he was asked suspiciously. "You just hop right into any one's car when prompted?"

"I don't know all of dad's friends," Sanji muttered. "I don't care."

For a few moments, the man just studied him with a frown. Country played quietly from the speakers, and Sanji noticed the dusting of white animal fur on the seats. He looked around to see if the animal was with them and was surprised to seeing a goat looking at him from the back seat, sitting like a dog would with an air of expectation around him. He gave a startled jerk.

"You have a goat?" he asked incredulously, reaching back to pet it, the animal looking at him with what seemed like a disapproving frown. "Just sitting in the car? Does he shit in here? Can you walk him like a dog?"

"He's shy, and would rather not be touched. Your father is very concerned, and would like you brought home. You caused some trouble tonight," the man added gruffly, pulling forward towards the exit.

Scowling out the window, Sanji said nothing. But his arms were crossed tightly over his chest and he felt irritated with this person telling him things he already knew. As for his father 'being concerned', it was probably just another tale Judge weaved to have some sympathy and cooperation from his friends to have Sanji returned home.

Nothing more was said as they hit the freeway, Sanji building up his confidence and strength as he told himself to be strong. Maybe he wasn't made with the same stuff Law was, but he could use some of the older teen's strength the next time something like this happened. He would have a better plan – maybe hide money at his house, maybe seek out a place he could stay far from his father's reach until he could get home on his own. He had a feeling Judge would throw a fit after being exposed like this –

Once he realized the exit was missed, he looked at the man with a frown.

"You missed it," he stated flatly. 'If you continue going this way, you're just going to have to go fifteen minutes around the other direction because of road construction and stupid cul de sacs."

"You're going home, right?"

"Duh!"

"Home isn't this way, brat. Your dad gave us specific directions where to go."

Puzzled, Sanji wasn't sure what the man was talking about. His home wasn't this way – was Judge sending him to someone else he trusted? Someone that was like him, and understood that Sanji was a problem? What if he was being sent to juvie, or, as Law suggested a while back, a 'gay camp'?

Sputtering, he said nervously, "But home isn't this way…where are we going? Where did he tell you to send me? I think you should let me out, just let me out here, I can get there from here."

The goat uttered a sharp bark, standing on the seat with his head lowered to look out the window.

"I received a call from your father earlier," the man said, digging out a bag from his side console, rattling it as he opened it. The goat was back at attention, leaning his head over the seat to investigate. "Several calls, in fact. Smoker had what he needed to drag her Honor Tsuru out of bed to sign an emergency TPO on your behalf and cut custody from Judge's order. You're going to your mom's."

Stunned, Sanji sat there for several long minutes, processing this information. Smoker's name was familiar, but he couldn't think of why he'd be involved – he felt betrayed, scared, angry, shocked; Law had given him away. Was it really that easy? A few pictures? Was that enough to pull him out of his father's grasp and physically transfer him from one place to the other without all the noise of a court, of police involvement, of even his own input? He looked at the man with his mouth open, unable to say a word as his heart thundered noisily.

"I'm on my way that way, anyway," the man said casually. "Fishing vacation. Should be nice this time of year. I wasn't even going to answer my cellphone, but Smoker approached me just as we were leaving. This is no trouble."

Sanji couldn't get over his feelings of betrayal – he felt that Law stabbed him in the back for this. He didn't even have a chance to say 'goodbye' – he didn't have a chance to grab anything from home, he had only these clothes - ! He felt uprooted and helpless, sitting in a vehicle with a man he didn't even know, being force fed information that didn't even make sense. His head thundered with all his thoughts and emotions, and he sat with a numb sense of physical sensation that left his shoulders slumped and his hands uselessly clamped together.

He swallowed, stuttering, "Dad made these calls? This is how he gets rid of me?"

After crunching on some snacks for a few moments, the man said with a mouthful, "Blood doesn't always determine a father. Could be someone else that steps up when another man steps down."

"I haven't made that much of an impact on anyone's life," Sanji said quietly, feeling his eyes burn with an embarrassing fill of heat. "There's no one else I knew that I could consider another 'father'."

"Doesn't take much, I suppose. Some kids just come into an old man's life and leave just as quickly," the man sighed, looking at the picture on the visor. "But they leave imprints that never go away, no matter how short or long the visit."

Sanji looked at the picture on the visor, feeling his nose start to run. He used his t-shirt hem to wipe it. In a way, he felt some relief at the lack of confrontation he'd have to face once he returned home, but in another, he felt like a large piece of him had been ripped away suddenly. This was the only life he knew – he didn't have a chance to say anything to those he'd been close to. He felt suddenly angry and resentful because Law lied to him, and because he didn't know if he'd get to see the other teen again. In the flurry of all this upsetting action, he couldn't even remember Law's phone number. He could look it up, he could track him down via his parents – but would he even get a chance to? Would Law stay permanently with his parents? Now that Sanji was gone, there was no one to encourage the older teen to stay.

"It's okay to be shocked," the man told him. "Take all the time you need."

Sanji had all the words in the world on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't release them. That heavy knot in the middle of his throat just wouldn't go away.

: :

Six hours later, in the early morning hours where the sun wasn't even ready to rise over the rolling hills, they pulled into a truck stop. Sanji was still stiff and quiet, his limbs tense with incredible unease and anxiety, so when he saw Sola looking over from a maroon sedan from the parking lot with a hopeful look to her face, it felt like he was shocked into awakening. He climbed out of the truck with a haste, Sola quickly waking Reiju next to her before leaving her car. She hurried to him with her arms wide, and Sanji was shocked at how much he'd missed his mother's physical presence. It felt like it had been years – maybe it had been – since he'd felt her touch, and he was taller than her; she was smaller, skinnier than the last time he'd seen her, but she still smelled the same and the strength in her grasp was immeasurable as she clung to him tightly. Reiju hurried over, dressed in sleep clothes and she hugged him from behind with a happy greeting.

Uncomfortably, the man coughed as he held his goat on a leash, the goat nibbling at trash over the asphalt as trucks rumbled in the corridor nearby, their drivers taking advantage of the night to rest. The few gas pumps were empty, and the place looked deserted – but the cashier inside was yawning as he watched something on his phone and truckers could be heard at the diesel pumps in the back.

Sola released Sanji so she could face him, taking the manila envelope from him that Sanji hadn't seen earlier. "Thank you so much, Sengokou!" she said heavily, clutching it tightly. "I deeply appreciate this!"

"It's no problem, Sola," Sengokou said with an easy smile at her. "I was happy to help. It's good to see you again."

"Same here, but the circumstances could be a lot different! This is all that I'll need?" she asked, rifling through the envelope as Sanji caught wind of their conversation, Reiju releasing him just enough for him to turn and watch. She rubbed his arms as the cold touched them, attempting to warm him. The climate was different from the one he was used to – the air was sharper here, fresh, with a hint of rain in the distance.

"The signed order is all intact, and the originals are in the new file. He won't be able to contact any of you, and if he does, you just note the time and content and we'll do the rest," Sengokou said, his goat tugging on the leash. "Tsuru signed the order, but she's transferring it to Akainu – and he has a thing against Judge in the first place, so I can say with confidence that Judge won't be able to have any say from this point on. Not with this new file."

"That son of a bitch," Sola muttered, the paper wrinkling in her grasp as her fingers clenched them tightly.

"I apologize, but it took an action to cause a reaction in the system," Sengokou murmured. "Unfortunately, that's how the law works. Your son was very smart with his documentation; there's no way Judge could lie his way out of what happened."

Reiju hugged Sanji tightly suddenly, Sanji feeling numb as he listened. He could feel his sister's heart racing, her limbs shaking as if holding onto him tightly in the event that he would be taken away.

Sola turned to look at him, her large eyes blinking rapidly; but she nodded. She reached out to ruffle his hair before turning to Sengokou again. "Let me at least fill your tank!"

"Don't worry about it, it's mileage earned," he said, waving her off as the goat pulled at him once more, aiming for a small dog park near the dumpster. "Just have a safe travel home, get that boy situated. He's going to need a few to understand what's happening."

"I thank you so much!" Sola said, watching him walk off with a casual wave over his shoulder. "Thank you!"

She turned to Sanji again, reaching out with examine him fitfully. "Are you hurt anywhere else, baby? He's not going to do this again, I assure you! Those guys are tough! They won't let your father anywhere near you after what he did! Oh, god, Sanji, why didn't you tell me this was happening? We could've taken you away so much sooner!"

"I…I…." Sanji couldn't find the words to speak just yet, still in a daze. He thought of home, of school, of Law…he was ready to move out of there, but he just didn't have a chance to say anything! He shook his head, words tumbling over and over with painful weight. Sola hugged him tightly, Reiju giving her space.

"Let's go home, now," she said. "And don't you worry about anything – there is nothing I can't provide! You are not a burden, you are a gift! I hate that this happened this way, Sanji, this wasn't the way I wanted it to go."

"I don't even know what to say," Sanji stammered, finally noticing the cold.

"You're too skinny!" Sola then cried, hastily ripping off her jacket. She thrust her hands into her jeans pockets and pushed the items at Reiju, waving at her to get moving. "Buy all the food, drinks! Buy everything! Sanji, look at you! Has he even been feeding you?"

As Reiju hurried off to the store, Sanji shook his head. Sengokou and his goat returned to the truck, and with Sola waving, the man left the area in a quiet rumble of his truck. Sanji felt uncomfortable as he now stood alone with her – this was his mother. He expected to be reunited with her, but not like this. He wasn't prepared. He wasn't himself. He was someone who had been ripped out of his home so suddenly – and he couldn't help but think of Law at that moment, someone who had been transferred from home to home…

The shirt he wore was the only thing he had of Law, now. He felt overwhelmed. He felt angry, he wanted to curse and hit the other teen for doing this to him – for throwing his world off balance and ruining everything - !

"I'm fed," he managed to say. "Just…I…I'm – mostly operating on…on - mom…"

Sola understood what he was feeling. She could hear the lack of confidence in him, read all his emotions. Her eyes filled with helpless and frustrated tears, and she grabbed handfuls of the ridiculously large shirt that covered her son's skinny frame and did a little push pull, rocking him nearly off his feet.

"We will fix this!" she promised fiercely. "I will fix this! Your father is no longer allowed in your life from now on, I will make sure of it! It should've never come to this! I know it's so overwhelming right now, and it's okay – but you're safe now, you hear? You're safe with us! And don't even trouble yourself with thinking that you're any trouble on us, because you are not! Anything negative that your father might've said must leave you, now! I know he's said some pretty nasty things, but don't you worry, anymore! You're safe, okay? That's what's most important. He can't harm you again! You hear?"

She had a faint accent, now, Sanji realized. Did she always have that different lilt in her tone? Had he even noticed? Weekly Face Time calls were so much different from the person standing in front of him, because it seemed the real thing was too real. She looked just like him – the same eyes, the hair, the emotional manner with which she conducted herself.

He couldn't say anything, but he nodded. He didn't feel confident yet – he couldn't after growing up as he did, after the events of the divorce and everything after. He was positive that Judge would use his influence to interfere yet again – get his way – and he'd be returned home before he could even get to know his mother and sister.

"Okay," he said hollowly, Sola clasping his face between her hands to examine his face before reaching out to hug him tightly again. Reiju appeared with a brown bag full of things from the store, and it was at that moment the number came to him. He pulled away from his mother. "Can I use your cellphone? I need to call someone…"

"This late at night?" she asked, opening her car to find it nestled in the middle console.

He nodded again, and dialed the number that came to him as soon as he could type.

Law answered on the third ring, and for a moment, Sanji couldn't speak. He turned away from Sola's curious head-tilt, taking a few steps away from her before he hissed, "How could you do this to me?"

"Are you safe?" Law asked calmly in return. "This is your mother's number?"

Sanji felt his face crumble, and he pressed his palm against his forehead in an effort to stave off his angry words and actions, but he wasn't one to fully control himself. "You motherfucker! You betrayed my trust! I told you I wasn't ready to do this! I wasn't ready to – I didn't want to do this! You stabbed me in the fucking back! After everything I did for you, you did this to me? What the fuck is your fucking problem?"

Law was quiet for a few moments as Sanji sought to gain control over his harsh breathing, his leaking eyes, and the shirt he wore wasn't doing what it was supposed to in wiping everything properly. He felt like he was breathing too hard too fast, and he gulped in air as he waited for an answer.

"I'm glad you're safe, Sanji," Law said quietly. "Even if it's not what you wanted, at least you're safe."

"Don't tell me that!" Sanji screamed at him, his voice ringing out over the emptiness of the parking lot. Reaching out to the hills that were still buried within the nighttime shadows. "Don't tell me that stuff, you're a fucking liar! I told you I wasn't ready for this! You've made things so much worse! I told you why!"

"It'll hurt for a little while, but once you start settling in, you'll realize how much easier it is getting up the next day for – "

"I don't want to talk to you, don't even talk to me, I fucking hate you right now! You ruined everything!"

Sanji hung up abruptly, tears dripping over his cheeks, struggling to get his breath. He regretted that phone call, he regretted the words he'd released. He didn't mean any of them – but he felt betrayed. He felt like his entire world just crumbled and disappeared underneath his feet, and he had no control over himself or anything. It should have been a relief – he would no longer be living under Judge's rules, his roof, go through daily upsets with his brothers; but at the same time, he didn't have a chance to say goodbye or prepare himself for this. He wasn't ready; he was unprepared; he knew it could only get worse.

Just hearing Law's voice set off something deep inside of him – the older teen was now miles away from him, out of his reach – how could this guy do this to him after everything Sanji had done for him? Deep inside of himself he knew Law was right, but he was without anything – just the clothes he wore, putting his mother into a perilous situation, leaving without any warning at all.

He was so frustrated and overwhelmed that everything hurt – it felt like one minute he had been happy and confident and the next smashed into smithereens from the inside. He felt his mother's hands on his shoulders, coming around him gently, and he realized he was sobbing breathlessly because he felt like he'd just lost everything in the world. Sola comforted him quietly, soothing him with her hands and voice, saying things that Sanji couldn't process right now.

She hugged him tightly to somehow keep him held together – it broke her heart to see her usually overanxious and demanding son so suddenly fragile and vulnerable, and whoever it was he was yelling at – she prayed that they'd be understanding.


HS: He did – more will come on that, soon! He's definitely going to need that cellphone, now! And now that Sanji's gone from the area, it's the aftermath that happens D: So it'll be a sort of clusterfuck as everyone starts to learn more about Sanji's disappearance; his brothers' reactions, Law's stance, and the ASL trio's involvement. I'm emotionally ready to finish this fic D: And as always, thank you for pointing out the errors and such! I appreciate it and urge you to continue lol Sometimes when I'm writing emotional things I get all wacky and don't seen any of my mistakes, so keep it up! :D

Rainbow D. Jay: Thank you for all your comments and for reading the fic! It is quite an emotional rollercoaster! D: It will continue to be so until the very end – which is what I'm writing so frantically for. So keep those tissues handy!

Naghi-Tan: He absolutely can be. Judge in training – but what is his true personality? I bet in canon he's the biggest baby XD I should write him like that, but he's more fun to write conniving and evil. Yep, Law tries to help as best as he can – he knows what to expect and knows his connections – even if his connections think that he hates them – but as a teenager, there's truly nothing he can do but support Sanji as best as possible, and use what was given to him for Sanji's best interests. And he has – but they're still just kids, they can't make the impossible possible! D:

Penumbra: Their future looks sad and overwhelming, right now. T.T As teenagers, there's not much they can do for each other but call in adult interference. Just as Law did in this chapter, but Sanji's not grateful right now – his entire world was just slammed to a stop and replaced with something he wasn't fully ready for, and those teenage hormones just make it even worse. D: This was a difficult chapter to write because of it.