A/N: SO. I'M ALIVE. Two things for you to check out— One: the contest prize! It's called 'Forgot to Hide the Bodies', and it's Acelu romance and about organised crime. Two: a poll! On my profile! Go now! In fact, you can hit it up on your way to the contest prize~ A win-win!

"So, Robin," Ace smiled pleasantly over a cup of tea, "tell me about yourself."

The incessant knocking on the door got louder suddenly. Ace reached over to the stereo and turned up the volume.

"Well, I enjoy a good cup of coffee," she said vaguely, smiling in amusement.

"OI!" Shanks yelled from outside. "THIS IS NO WAY TO TREAT A GUEST!"

"YOU'RE NO GUEST OF MINE!" Ace yelled back.

"BUT I WANT TO SEE LUFFY!"

"WHAT MAKES YOU SO SURE LUFFY EVEN LIVES HERE?"

There was a short silence from the direction of the door. "…YOU'RE A TERRIBLE LIAR."

"What kind of courses do you offer?" Ace asked Robin calmly. "I've heard you teach history?"

"Yes, history is my specialty," said Robin. "I teach math as well, though."

"ANCHOR HATES MATH!" yelled Shanks.

"YOU'RE NOT A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION." Ace shook his head. "Also, everyone hates math."

Robin chuckled, stirring her coffee. That amused smile never seemed to leave her face. "Yes, it does seem to be quite the common sentiment."

Ace nodded absently, once again turning up the stereo volume as it blasted Bohemian Rhapsody. "So, how about we work out a schedule?"

Ignoring Shanks once again, they talked logistics for another half hour. Outside, Shanks shouted something about the Japanese word 'Nakama' and cussed a little (read: a lot), and Queen sang something that Ace thought sounded like 'Pomplemousse, pomplemousse, do you do the fun tango?' but probably actually wasn't.

"Hm," Robin said after a minute of deliberation, reviewing both Luffy's schedule and her own. "I'm afraid the only way I can fit him in is if I double book him with another one of my pupils."

"I'm sure that'll be fine," said Ace. "He's very friendly."

"YEAH," Shanks contributed during a break between songs. "ANCHOR'S ALWAYS BEEN–" His voice was washed away as Don't Stop Me Now started playing.

"These are my rates," Robin said, handing Ace a small paper.

He looked it over. "Seems fair," he said, even knowing it would dent the budget for a while.

After the final details were hammered out, they stood in front of the door with a new question in mind. After all, Robin did have to leave eventually.

"Ah, I think we might have to use the same strategy that got you in to get you out," said Ace.

Robin gave her signature amused smile back at him. "Wait until he takes a bathroom break?"

"Wait until he takes a bathroom break."

Luffy licked pensively at his soft-serve ice cream cone, glancing at the darkening sky. "Ne, Law? Why can't we go home?"

"Because your brother says so." Law sighed and sipped at the strangely colourful drink he'd bought, which was surprisingly not as bad as he'd expected.

A breeze blew by, making them both shiver. They sat at one of the outdoor tables by a local ice cream parlour, killing time until Ace updated Law by text message that they could return.

"What flavour is that?" Luffy asked, looking at Law's drink.

"I can't really tell," said Law. He took another sip. "Raspberry. Some other fruit."

Luffy took the cup from him and tasted for himself. "Raspberry, apple and watermelon. Nice."

"Oh."

They sat in silence for another minute. Law checked his texts as Luffy ate some more of his chocolate cone. Still nothing from Ace.

Law was taking another raspberry-apple-watermelon mouthful when a passerby noticed them and did a double take.

"Trafalgar?" they asked. "…Brat?"

"Hi, Kidd!" Luffy greeted.

Law only nodded acknowledgement at his co-worker.

"What are you doing here?"

"What does it look like we're doing?" Law said, gesturing to their treats. "And don't tell me. You're going to the liquor store across the street."

"That's none of your business." Kidd scowled back. His eyes landed on Luffy, who was once again sipping from Law's glass. "Uh, how old's that kid, anyway?"

"Fifteen," Law answered, keeping an eye on Luffy. "Why?"

"Nothing, nothing." Kidd coughed into his fist and muttered, "Cradle robber."

"Did you say something?"

"Nah."

Law shrugged, but Luffy was giving Kidd an odd look. He decided to ignore it, because most of the things the kid did were, by nature, odd. "So…" Kidd started awkwardly, "have you two… known each other long?"

"Long enough," Law said in a resigned tone, making Luffy laugh.

"Right," said Kidd. He looked between the two of them, shifted on his feet, and cleared his throat. "I mean, uh, I know it's none of my business and all, but you are seriously making me worried here. You two don't…" He paused and considered his phrasing with a wince. "…You don't get freaky, do you?"

Law snorted. "It's hard not to, with this brat."

Kidd's jaw dropped. "E-eh?!"

"Oh, yeah!" Luffy said with a grin. "The three of us get weird all the time!"

"Th-the three of you?"

"Uh huh!" He nodded. "Me, Law, and my big brother!"

"For the record, it's usually him and his brother who get weird together," said Law. He didn't notice Kidd's face pale dramatically. "I abstain."

"Liar," Luffy snickered.

"Hey," Law said sternly, holding up a declarative finger, "just remember it's your fault there's lice in the colander."

"Never mind! I don't want to know!" Kidd swallowed, taking a step back. "I— I gotta go, anyways."

"Oh," Law said, mildly surprised. "Well, see you at work?"

"Y-yeah." Then he was gone.

Law took another sip of his drink. He was settling back in his chair when he noticed Luffy, who looked a bit peeved about something.

"What is it?"

"There is not lice in the colander," said Luffy.

"I would just bet there is." Law wrinkled his nose. "When your idiot brother put the thing on his head, he should have known—"

"Ace doesn't have lice!" Luffy shouted. "I'd know if he did."

"If you say so," Law said, leaning back again. Luffy did not seem entirely placated, but he did not say anything more, either.

Puru puru puru puru. Puru puru puru puru. Puru pu- Click.

"Ace. I hate your ring tone."

"Yeah, well. What are you gonna do." There was some odd racket in the background.

"What was that noise?"

"Oh, that? I'm just… listening to some music!" The racket gained volume suddenly. Law could now make out the words 'And another one gone, and another one gone, and another one bites the dust!'

"Queen? I didn't know you were a fan."

"It's better than the alternative."

"LUFFY-KUUUUUUUUN!" someone yelled in the distance. Even as faint as it was to Law, it achieved a pretty impressive volume. "PAPA SHANKSIE IS HERE FOR YOOOUUU!"

"What the hell was that?"

"Absolutely nothing."

"Right… Well, whatever, I don't know why you called, but I gotta talk to you about something. And I really need you to be honest with me, okay? I'll understand; I'm a doctor. This is important."

"…You're freaking me out, dude. What is it?"

"DON'T YOU REMEMBER PAPA SHANKSIE?" the distant voice wailed. "I USED TO TAKE YOU TO THE PARK AND—" it cut off as the music took another sharp turn louder.

Law ignored this. "Is there lice in the colander?"

"I— What? No. No there isn't. Why do you even— You know what? Forget it. I called because—"

"REMEMBER THE BLIND ALPACA?" the voice asked nostalgically. "THAT WAS A GOOD DAY."

"—Because I need to ask you a favour. Do you mind finding somewhere for you and Luffy to stay tonight? I don't think coming back here's such a good idea right now."

"Uh, okay." Law looked up as Luffy walked out of the ice cream parlour touting an untouched strawberry cone. "Do you want to talk to him?"

There was a crash on the other end of the line, and Ace cursed liberally. "…Sorry. Talk to who?"

"Luffy."

The younger looked to him at the sound of his name. Law pointed at the phone and mouthed 'Ace,' at which Luffy nodded enthusiastically and edged closer.

"I DON'T THINK BENN EVER RECOVERED—"

"Actually…"

"What? But I thought you always wanted to talk to Luffy."

The edges of Luffy's mouth turned down and his brow furrowed, but he remained quiet.

"Well, it's just that… I don't think…"

"You don't what?"

"—AND LUCKY HAS NEVER LOOKED AT LAMB THE SAME WAY AGAIN—"

"It's just not a good idea, is all."

"Talking to Luffy is a bad idea?"

"Uh—"

Ace may have finished his thought, but at that second Luffy plucked the phone from out of Law's fingers and brought it to his own ear.

"Hi, Nii-chan!" he chirped, ignoring Freddy Mercury's vocals as they continued to most likely deafen their neighbours. "What's wrong?"

"L- You!" Ace yelped, a distinct note of panic in his tone. When he spoke again, it was at a whisper; "Lu, you have to get off the phone."

"But why?"

"Lu—"

"No! I'm staying until you tell me what's going on!"

A second later, Luffy was staring in disbelief at Law's phone, which beeped at him dully and unsympathetically. By his feet, the sidewalk was freshly stained in pale pink ice cream.

"…He hung up," said Luffy. He neither blinked nor looked away from the phone. "He… He hung up on me!"

Law stepped around the fallen cone and gently took the phone from Luffy's limp grip. It was just back in his pocket when Luffy let loose a howl of frustration.

"That is it!" he yelled. "When we get home—"

"We're not going home," Law said quickly. Luffy turned shocked eyes towards him. "Ace asked us to find somewhere else for the night."

Luffy's knees began to buckle. Law jumped forward just in time; the boy slumped into his chest with a groan. "I just…" he muttered, burrowing into Law's black coat. "I'm just so sick of… of…"

"It's alright," said Law. "Don't blame your brother for this, he's — he's not himself."

"He hasn't been himself for a while," Luffy said grimly, muffled by Law's chest. He wrapped his arms around the older, leaning in, trusting the other with his weight.

At that moment, Kidd emerged from the liquor store across the street, bag in hand, and caught sight of the two. Law met his eyes over Luffy's head. They held gazes for a moment, and when eye contact ended between them, Kidd looked the other way.

"Um. There, there, fella," Nami said unsurely, patting Luffy on the shoulder. "Uh, d'you want me to wake Law up? 'Cause—"

"It's alright," Luffy said. He wrapped the blue blanket tighter around his shoulders and smiled softly. "He deserves some rest after today."

"A day with you makes anyone jaded." She rolled her eyes in sympathy. "Still, he can probably cheer you better than I could."

"I don't need cheering up," Luffy protested, though not with force.

"Don't give me that," she said, smiling, "you've got a right puss on you."

He curled only deeper into his blanket as a response.

"I'm sure my sis could cheer you up," Nami suggested, giving Luffy a light poke on the nose. "If you just mentioned to her you like Sailor Moon, she'd—"

"KINDRED SPIRIT!" a blue-haired girl shouted, running into the room.

"Nojiko, don't—" It was too late.

"I thought I'd never meet anyone in this town who liked Sailor Moon," Nojiko said reverently, grabbing Luffy's hands from where they held the edge of the blanket and grasping them in her own. "Oh, it's so refreshing to find a young man who appreciates the classics!"

"Nojiko, he—"

"It's actually been months since I've seen an episode, can you believe that? We—"

"—doesn't want—"

"—should get out one of my old DVDs, though of course—"

"—to watch—"

"—I hope you don't mind subtitles!"

"Not at all," Luffy said cheerfully. "I actually speak Japanese, so I don't really need them in the first place."

"Well never mind then," Nami muttered to herself. "…Not that you're listening to me anyway."

"You do? Huh," Nojiko said, suddenly pensive. "How'd you watch it your first time around? Or did you not know Japanese yet?"

Luffy grimaced. "I watched the dub the first time, actually."

Nojiko winced.

"Oh yeah." Nami snorted. "The way she talks I forget there was a dub. It was by 4Kids, wasn't it?"

The two fans gave her a look of utmost disgust.

"4Kids didn't dub Sailor Moon," Nojiko said, like one would explain math to a toddler.

"Not that they could have done a worse job with it than DiC," Luffy added darkly, but Nojiko turned on him.

"That's where you're wrong," she said. "Remember, it's 4Kids."

He paused. "You make a good point."

"Honestly," Nojiko tutted, "You'd think he'd never seen their dub of—"

"You know," Nami interrupted, "I think that's about as far as we should take this right now. Everyone already knows the punch line, anyway."

They shrugged, but said nothing more of it.

Instead, Luffy nudged Nojiko and asked, "Hey… Do you have the S series?"

Her face brightened and she ran to fetch it.

Puru puru puru puru. Puru puru puru puru. Puru pu- Click.

"Who is this, and how the hell have you changed my ring tone to this shitty puru-puru shit?"

"Ah, hello? It's Ace."

"Luffy's brother? This better be an emergency."

"I'd say so. My mix tape is already on its second loop."

Is this the real life? Freddy Mercury crooned in the background. Is it just fantasy?

"…What the hell?"

"But that's accessory to the real problem. You see—"

"COME ON… IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE PAPA SHANKSIE HAS BEEN ABLE TO HUG HIS ANCHOR~"

"Heh. That."

"…"

"Sanji? Hello?"

"…"

"Are you still there? Damnit, I need your help!"

"…"

"Sanji?"

"I HAVE LOTS OF HUGS FOR YOU, LUFFY-KUN!"

"I'll be right over."

"LOTS, I SAY! HELLO? IS ANYONE LISTENING TO ME? …ANYONE?"

"Thanks. It means a lot."

"ANYONE AT ALL?"

"Think nothing of it. It shall be my pleasure."

"BECAUSE I HAVE A GODDAMN LOT TO SAY ABOUT HOW YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING AFTER ANCHOR SINCE I'VE BEEN GONE—"

"Yes… Entirely my pleasure."

A/N: Kidd's… honest mistake is purely for entertainment purposes. I'm not hinting at anything that may happen in this story. This is not a shipping story. The above gag is not foreshadowing.

I felt like Luffy needed to bond with Law a bit more, since he already had so much screen time with Ace, but in the wake of 729, this feels a bit bittersweet. Oh well; at least I didn't keep you waiting another month!

Last but not least: Does anyone have anything they want to see in possible future Special Extras (Like the one in chapter three)? The only thing to note when giving ideas is that they are always, in relation to the current chapter, past events.