Birthday & Slight Admission
Neo closed her book with a thump and slumped down in her pillows. The sub was quiet. Far too quiet as she had come use to the loud noises of the crew. During the first few hours that she had been locked up in this place, several of the crew had come to see how she was doing. While they were all glad she was okay she couldn't help but notice there was an extra lining of excitement to their joy. "What are they up to?"
"Who?"
Neo glanced to the door to find Kailen walking in. "The crew. They're up to something. I just don't know what. Have you noticed them doing something, anything, strange outside of the sub?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary." Kailen said down on the bed.
Neo hummed. Crossing her arms she drummed her fingers on her elbow.
"So how are you feeling now?" Kailen asked.
"Just the same as you asked me an hour ago," Neo said.
"Sorry." Kailen smiled. "I'm just worried something like this happened. I even went over to the jewelry store."
"Why would you do that?" Neo asked.
"To see if whatever drained your strength would drain me," Kailen said. "Nothing happened though. Hopefully it was just a strange episode that will never happen again."
"I hope so," Neo said. "I'm so bored sitting around here doing nothing while everyone else is out on the island. Anything of interest happening out there?"
"Nope. Just another normal island," Kailen said.
"I don't suppose you found out any information about Shanks?"
Kailen shook his head.
Neo sighed, slumping more into her pillows.
"We'll find him." Kailen pat her leg.
"Not quick enough," Neo grumbled.
"I don't think you're in that big of a hurry to find him," Kailen said.
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"You'll miss the crew." A pause then he added, "And the captain."
"What?!" Neo choked. Heat rushed to her cheeks.
"I thought so." Kailen chuckled.
"You thought what?!" Neo demanded.
"That you are either in the process of developing feelings for him or you already have feelings for him," Kailen said.
"How did you…?" The heat rushed over her face.
"Little sister, I've known you your entire life." Kailen grinned. "It would have been impossible for me to noticed you are acting differently. And I know it had something to do with the conversation you had with the captain a few weeks ago."
Neo lowered her eyes to her legs. She picked at her pant leg. The kiss flashed through her mind. Her heart skittered. Her stomach flipped.
"Well, this does complicate things," Kailen said.
"No, it doesn't," Neo said. "We're still going to find Godfather. And we're still going to go back to Luminous."
"You won't be happy with that," Kailen said.
"Does that matter? This isn't about me. It's about our people. I have no choice but to go back to Luminous to free them." Neo glanced over at the porthole. The sky was painted in a beautiful hue of oranges and reds. Nighttime was coming. That meant the crew, or some of them, would be finding some women to spend the night with. And that meant she wouldn't be seeing them again until the following day, or a couple days later.
"You know they'll probably want to come with us," Kailen said.
"They won't. They're pirates. They're not going to follow us home. Once we're off their sub they'll continue on. Most likely to the New World," Neo said. "Then we'll be nothing but a memory for them."
"Now that I know you don't believe," Kailen said. "The crew means too much to you. And they have come to care for us as well. I don't see them letting us go so easily, especially you."
"Don't say that," Neo whispered. "They don't even know that I'm a roy-"
A knock on the door cut her off. They both looked up just as Law walked into the room.
"Something wrong, Captain?" Kailen asked.
"No. I was just coming to check on Neo again," Law said.
"You going to let me out of here?" Neo asked. "It's been hours. The sun's going down."
"Let me check your vitals again," Law said.
Neo's jaw slacked in surprise. She wasn't expecting that.
"But you're staying with me while off the sub." Law smirked.
"I should have know it was too good to be true," Neo grumbled.
"Sit up straight," Law ordered.
With a low growl, she obeyed. Sitting quietly, she waited for Law to check her pulse, her heart, her lungs, and her eyes.
"Everything seems normal," Law said.
Neo nodded, not feeling like bring up the fact she knew that already. "So can I go back outside now? Or can we go back outside now?"
"I don't see any reason not to," Law said.
"Yes!" Neo jumped off the bed.
"But if you feel any signs of being tired you better tell me," Law said.
"Okay, okay." Neo jogged in place. "Let's go!"
"You going to put your shoes back on?" Law dropped his eyes to her feet.
"Um." Neo followed his gaze. "No. I don't feel like wearing them right now."
"Then you better not step on any glass," Law said.
"I won't." She smirked. "Then it wouldn't matter since I have you to take care of me."
"Don't push you luck. Going barefooted and stepping on glass would be your fault. I won't take care of you." Law turned and headed out the door.
"Yeah, right." Neo followed.
Kailen sighed with a shake of his head and followed them.
Once on the main floor, she ran passed Law and out onto the deck. The air had cooled greatly since this afternoon. It felt great on her skin. "It feels so good out here."
"Come on," Law called. "We're going to be late."
"Late for what?" Neo watched as Law disappeared down the ladder. She glanced over at Kailen. He was smiling. He gave her a shrug before climbing down the ladder. "Something is definitely up."
For a moment she wondered if she should turn and go back inside of the sub. But she was really tired of being cooped up inside. So she climbed down the ladder. Kailen and Law were still waiting for her. When she had joined them, they headed into the town. A lot of the people had already gone home. Though there were still several people out and about. Her shoulders slumped when the captain led them to a tavern. "You can't be serious. You know we don't drink."
"Good. You're not here to drink anyway." Law, using the end of his sword, pushed her towards the door. "Inside. Now."
Neo glared at him. With a snarl she headed inside. "Surprise!" She jumped when the crew shouted at her. "Happy Birthday, Neo!"
Frozen in confusion, Neo looked at the crew gathered together in a corner of the tavern. A hand painted banner was nailed to the wall, a cake, and presents were piled on a table. She glance around the room, noticing some weren't too happy with the noise, before bring her eyes back to the crew. "What's going on?"
"Little sister, I have never known you once to forget your own birthday," Kailen said.
"It's my birthday?" Realization lit in her head. "Oh! It is! How…how could I have forgotten that?!"
Kailen pressed a kiss to her temple. "My baby sister is all grown up. Happy Birthday."
"You knew about this, didn't you?" Neo looked at her brother then over to the captain. "You both knew."
"We did," Kailen said pushing her to the corner of the room. "The crew wanted to do this for you."
"Were you surprised, Neo?" Bepo asked.
"Yes. I wasn't expecting it at all. I mean, I knew you guys were acting differently today," Neo said.
"Apparently it's hard for this crew to keep a secret," Shachi said. "I thought for sure you would have noticed what we were up to."
"We were going to have it outside, but we heard they're expecting rain," Penguin said. He hugged Neo. "Happy Birthday, girl."
"Thanks." Neo hugged him then passed out hugs to the rest of the crew. She sat down when Penguin pulled out a chair for her. One of the crew grabbed a present and handed it to her.
…
Law stayed back and watched. When the crew had asked him about doing this he really wanted to say no. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. And he wasn't sure while. At least, it wasn't until one of his subordinates mentioned that Neo has been having such a hard time that they wanted to do something nice for her. So he agreed. He played his part by keeping her inside the sub while the crew set this all up. Though he knew the chances of her finding out about this was slim, he still did his part. He even bought her a gift. But he wasn't sure when he would give it to her.
"You know, I can't believe you actually went through with this. It's not your thing. We all know that. So why did you agree?" Conner stepped closer to Law. He crossed his arms. "Don't tell me your starting to have feelings for her."
Law frowned. "Don't be ridiculous. I'm a doctor. I'm only doing what I should do with a patient."
"Captain." Conner tapped his finger on his arm. "It's obvious that something is going on between you two. And I know I'm not the only one who's seeing it."
Law glanced at his subordinate.
"We're not sure what happened between you two but whatever it was changed your relationship," Conner said.
Law thought about that time on the deck. Her kiss remained fresh in his mind. Despite that had he really been that loose with his emotions that his crew had started taking notice? He could usually school his emotions better than that. "The only thing that we have and ever will have in common is the murder of our parents. I assure you there is nothing going on between Miss Neo and myself."
Conner exhaled. "If you say so."
Movement caught Law's eyes. Turning away from the crew he scanned the room, gripping his sword. No one looked to be ready to attack. So he relaxed. Then his eyes landed on a tall curvy bodied, curly blonde haired woman sitting at the bar. She was watching him, studying him. Her eyes then drifted to Neo. A frown pulled across her lips before she smiled, her eyes turning back to him. He turned away before he could meet her eyes.
Neo was currently opening Penguin's present. Her eyes lit up upon seeing what was underneath the wrapping. "Penguin! You bought be that book I really wanted!"
"Yeah-Oof." Penguin bent backwards when she threw herself into his arms.
"You're the best! You all are!" Neo said before giving them all hugs again.
Law found it no surprise that she was so excited. Almost everyone in the crew had bought her a book. It was easy for them all to tell she wanted to sit down and read the books; she was practically drooling over them. But she didn't. She kept her attention on the party.
"Why don't you cut the cake now?" Bepo handed her the knife.
"Sure. It looks great," Neo said. She took the knife and pushed the blade through the cake. Placing it on a plate she cut more off until everyone had a plate. Well, almost everyone. Law twitched when she looked at him. "Stop standing over there like a gloomy gus and join us." She held up a plate of cake. "You know you want to."
Law scowled. There was a part of him that didn't want to go over there. But he did. His body refused to listen to his mind. Sitting down he took the plate from her. "Thanks."
Neo smiled, sending an unfamiliar flutter through his heart.
Law let his hat drop over his eyes. His mind danced around his own present. He had left it back on the sub. It was something he picked up on a whim. Something he just didn't do. Still, he had bought it and he was going to give it to her.
…
Neo hummed as she chewed on her last bite of cake. The cake was so moist. The icing was just right. She could taste both the cake and the ice equally. Sitting her fork down she licked the remaining icing off her lips. "That was so good! I absolutely loved it!"
"I'm glad. I was worried the cake would come out too dry," Penguin said.
"Well, it didn't," Neo said. "You really are a great cook."
"Thanks." Penguin flushed. "But I'm no where near as good as you are."
"You flatter me." Neo smiled. She stood up.
"Where you going?" Archer asked.
"Excuse me. But I need to use the ladies room." Neo stepped away from them, unaware of a blonde woman that was keeping an eye on her. After taking care of business, she stepped out of the stall to find a blonde haired woman checking her makeup in the mirror. Something about the woman made her pause. Then it hit her. She had seen this woman in the tavern with them. The woman was sitting by the bar when they stepped inside. Shoving it aside, she stepped up to the sink and turned the water on.
"You seem to be having fun with those pirates," the woman said.
"Uh, yeah." Neo nodded.
"They're quite the attractive crew."
Neo glanced at the woman. She was running red lipstick over her lips.
The woman pressed her lips together and put away her lipstick. She then turned to Neo. "I couldn't help but notice that you were the only female among them. I also noticed that you plus two of the men weren't wearing those suits. Are you married to one of them?"
"No," Neo said. "I'm not. We're, my brother and I, are just traveling with them." She paused. "I take it you know who they are?"
"I do." She nodded. "They're the Heart Pirates. Their captain is Trafalgar Law, the Surgeon of Death."
Neo turned the water off, drying her hands on her jeans. She tried to leave but the woman stepped in her way. "Excuse me. They'll be waiting for me."
"There's no need to rush back to them." She smiled and held out her hand. "You must be tired of spending so much time with guys. My name is Lena."
Neo hesitated but found herself taking the woman's hand. "Neo."
"Neo? That's a name I've never heard before," Lena said.
"Yeah." Neo shrugged. "I'm one of a kind."
"Well, I live on this island," Lena said. "So if you want to spend some time with me and my girl friends we'd be more than glad to have you. We going on a shopping trip tomorrow."
"That's nice. But I'm afraid I can't," Neo said.
"Why? Are you leaving tomorrow?" Lena asked.
"No. We're staying here a few days," Neo said.
"Wonderful!" Lena clapped her hands together. "To be honest, I just love pirates."
"Really?" Neo eyed the woman's black dress, her curves, and her long nails. She had a hard time believing this woman cared about pirates. But then what did she know about humans? They could have some odd hobbies. "I never would have guessed."
"It's true. And to be honest, I really like Captain Law." Lena's cheeks tinted pink.
Or maybe it was just her blush. Neo couldn't recall if the woman was wearing any or not. "You like the captain?"
"Oh dear." Lena pressed her fingers to her lips. "Should I have not said that? Are you and him-"
"No!" Neo shook her head. "Oh no! Absolutely not! I have no interest in him at all!"
"So you have absolutely no involvement with the captain?" Lena asked. "None what so ever?"
"Absolutely none," Neo said. "I assure you that my brother and I are only temporarily sailing with him and his crew. The captain and I really aren't even friends."
"That's good. I thought I might have been treading in waters I shouldn't have entered." Lena smiled. "So you wouldn't mind if I spend some time with him while you're here?"
Neo thought about that for a moment. She found no reason for this woman to not spend time with the captain. And when the kiss came back to mind she stomped it back down, telling herself it was a kiss done on impulse nothing more. "The captain can do whatever he wants. He's an adult."
"Wonderful!" Lena clapped her hands again. "I would love to get to meet him tonight! Would you introduce me?"
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Neo said. "They're celebrating my birthday right now."
"Oh, don't worry about that." Lena linked her arm around Neo's.
Neo tried to pull away from her, but the woman pulled her out of the bathroom. The crew's laughter was cut short when they noticed the stranger with their friend.
"Neo?" Penguin stood up. "Who's your friend?"
"Her name is Lena," Neo said. "She's claimed she's a fan of pirates."
"And this sweet little girl was nice enough to invite me over to say hi." Lena's eyes fell upon Law. "It's a pleasure to meet you. As Neo already said, my name is Lena."
"Hey! I'm Shachi."
"Penguin."
"Bepo."
"I'm Archer."
Neo sighed as the pirates continued to name themselves. Finally they all said their names, but for Law. She glanced over at the captain. His eyes were on Lena, inspecting her with more interest than she wanted to see. Her heart twitched. She looked away and sat down. Mentally she reminded herself what she told Lena in the bathroom. The captain could do what he wanted.
"So that would make you Law," Lena said. "The captain of the Heart Pirates."
Neo watched as Lena pulled over a chair and sat down as close to Law as she could.
"Yes," Law said.
"You know, Law." Lena reached out and traced the brim of his hat. "I just love spots. They look really good on you."
"You don't say." Law smirked.
"Absolutely." Lena fluttered her eyelashes.
Neo flittered a glance at Law and Lena before dropping her eyes to her books. With nothing else to do she picked one up and started flipping through it while trying to ignore the looks the crew was giving her. She tried to ignore the two flirting with each other. It wasn't working. No matter how hard she tried to ignore them her eyes wanted to glance over. Lena had moved her chair closer to the captain's. The woman's finger had fell from his hat to his chest, she circled the smiley over his chest. Heat flared in her chest. Her eyes zeroed in on Lena's finger. A crystal formed, hovering above her lap. Her eyes dropped to it. She could easily get rid of Lena. She could easily scare her away from the captain. Her hand grasped her crystal. There was no way she was going to fight a woman over a man she was never going to see again.
"Neo?" Penguin said.
Her crystal vanished. She looked up at Penguin. He and Kailen were staring at her. The rest of the crew was talking among themselves, some eyeing Lena with curiosity.
"You okay?" Penguin asked.
"I'm fine. Just tired." Neo pressed her fingers to her forehead. "I think I'm going to go back to the sub."
"You feel like blacking out again?"
Neo drew her eyes towards the captain. His eyes were scanning her for signs of…well, she wasn't sure. She shook her head. "No. It's not that. I'm just tired. I guess that thing that happened before took more out of me than I thought it did." She stood up. "I'm going to go back to the sub now. I think I'll take a shower then go to bed."
"I'll walk you back." Law stood up.
Lena frowned.
"That's not necessary," Neo said. "I'm quite capable of walking back to the sub myself."
"You're not going alone," Law said. "I don't want you passing out without someone with you."
"Then Penguin can come with me. Kailen will come too." Neo knitted her eyebrows. "And I'm not going to pass out."
Law opened his mouth to reply but Lena butted in. "Let her go with them instead. You don't have to go. This is why you're the captain. You can send some underlings to take care of her."
"Underlings?" Conner frowned.
"I get the feeling she's only interested in the captain," Archer said.
"I think we all saw that," Conner said.
Neo held her head high and looked directly in the captain's face. "I do not need you to follow me. It's not necessary. Stay and have some fun." She turned to the crew. "Thank you again for the party. I'm really grateful you did this for me."
"Sure thing."
"Anytime, Neo."
"Sorry you're not feeling all that well."
"Hope you're not getting sick."
"Thank you for your concern. I'm not getting sick," Neo said. "I just need to sleep. Kailen? Penguin?"
The two exchanged looks before helping her gather up her presents. She led them out of the tavern. Walking through the quiet town, Neo could feel the tension and the concerned looks passing between Penguin and Kailen. "You don't have to worry. I really am just tired."
"Uh, yeah," Penguin said.
"Sure," Kailen added.
They didn't believe her. She knew that.
Entering the sub she found it cooler than she had ever before. And it was like an abandon graveyard without the crew. It made her shiver.
"Would you like the books in our room or the rec. room?" Kailen asked.
"Our room will be fine," Neo said heading down the stairs. "We're running out of book space in the rec. room."
Reaching their room, Neo gathered up a pair of pajamas then headed for the door. "I'm going to shower then go to bed."
"Sure thing," Kailen said.
"I think I'm going to stay in the sub too," Penguin said.
"You two don't have to stay." Neo disappeared out of the room before they could reply. Her steps were heavy as she made her way to the captain's quarters. Reaching the door she paused. A heavy sigh passed over her lips before she forced herself inside of the room. Her body paused again when his scent swirled around her nose before heading into the bathroom. Her eyes fell to the bathtub. She really wanted a bath but didn't think she could handle it right now. Her brain was already forming an image of the captain inside of the tub. Only, this time, he wasn't alone. The woman from the tavern was with him. She shook the image from her head, undress, and crawled into the shower. It was one of the shortest showers she had ever taken. She was in and out within ten minutes.
Wringing the water out of her hair with her towel, she stepped back into her shared room. Kailen wasn't there. She was glad. She wasn't in a good enough mood to talk to him or anyone. She just put up her stuff, brushed out her hair, and then laid down on her bed. Lena flirting with the captain flashed through her mind. Her lungs seized up. Her heart took a painful beat. Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes. Neo pulled her blanket up to her chin and fell into a restless sleep.
…
Law watched as Neo left the tavern before he turned his eyes back to Lena. The woman was still talking but he had been paying attention to what she was saying.
"Anyway," Lena was saying, "I didn't buy the dress. It didn't suit me at all. Not like this one does. What do you think? Isn't it a nice dress?"
Law glanced at her dress. It was skin tight, and very revealing. It was a dress Neo would never wear. Come to think of it he had never seen Neo in a dress. He wondered what she would look like in one.
For several minutes Law semi listened to what Lena was saying, which was mostly about herself and her taste in clothing. Even the crew had grown tired of her talking and disappeared. He tried to pay attention to her but now that Neo wasn't around all he could think about the absent woman, about how her hair had looser waves than Lena's. How Neo's smile was always bright and friendly and natural while Lena's was covered in red lipstick that far too bright for her light complexion. How Lena's eyes were filled with lust and desire as Neo was filled with innocence and wonder. Then when Lena laughed he found himself missing the bells that came with Neo's laugh. He watched Lena pick up her drink, which he didn't remember her ordering, and gulp it down. Her moves were nowhere near as graceful as Neo's were. Neo was graceful as a ballerina while Lena came off as a bumbling lumberjack.
"You know. It's getting a bit crowded in here." Lena smiled. "Why don't we get out of here? We could go back to my place. I live alone."
He reached his limit with her when she rubbed her hand over his thigh, moving closer to a place she shouldn't be venturing. An hour had barely gone by since Neo had left. He needed to go check on her, for professional reasons of course. She could be sick or about to pass out after all. He stood up.
"Where are you going?" Lena asked.
Law didn't answer. Nor did he even look at her. He just continued on towards the bathroom. Normally, he would have just walked out the front door. But he didn't want Lena to know he was leaving. He knew a woman like her would follow him. So once he stepped into the bathroom, he formed a Room and left the building. Strolling on towards the harbor he wondered what he was going to say to Neo. He doubted she was actually going to go to bed. The sun had barely been set for a couple hours. Besides the jealousy in her eyes when Lena flirted with him was obvious. Neo had only left because of that. He didn't make it any better by showing vague interest in Lena. Lena wasn't his type anyway. Her desperation was suffocating. He knew exactly where she wanted this night to go from the beginning, back to her place. He didn't want that.
Reaching the sub, he climbed up and started his search for Neo. Much to his surprise she wasn't in the rec. room reading like he thought she would he. Nor was she in the kitchen. But Kailen and Penguin were. They were in a hushed conversation. He only managed to pick out a few words like "she'll be okay", "she really does, doesn't she?", and "she needs to admit it, at least to herself" before they notice him standing there.
"Captain," Penguin said. "I thought you were still at the tavern."
"I was getting a headache," Law said. It wasn't a lie. He had a big one named Lena. "Where is she?"
"In our room," Kailen said.
Law nodded and left the room. The door was shut. He knocked. When no answer came he opened the door and stepped inside. Much to his surprise Neo was indeed sleeping. He walked over to the bed. With the light from the hall he was able to see her clearly. Something glistened on her cheeks. He squatted down for a closer look. Brushing his fingertips over her skin he found they were tears. His heart sunk. She had been crying. He jumped when she groaned in her sleep and rolled onto her side, facing him.
She tightened her cover around herself and whispered his name. "Law."
Law's heart sped up at the sound of his name on her lips. Reaching out he brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek. She sighed and nuzzled against him. He stayed there for a few minutes before finally leaving the room. Heavy footsteps took him to his room. Sinking down onto his bed, he propped up his sword and dropped his hat on his nightstand before running a hand over his face. Sighing, he leaned forward, pressing his elbows to his knees. A few seconds passed before he held up his palm. Without a word Neo's necklace appeared in his hand. He stared at it, his thumb racing over the smooth surface. Heart racing he wished he was still downstairs with her. "How could I have fallen for such a woman?"
…
"Neo, wake up."
Groaning, Neo pulled her blanket up over her head in an attempt to block out the sun and her brother. Her body and mind craved more sleep. Her restless sleep last night gave her nothing but weird dreams of floating lost in the ocean and an achy body.
"Come on, sleepy head." Kailen patted her on the shoulder. "You've already slept through breakfast."
"What?" Neo peaked out from her blanket. Her brother was dressed and shaved for the day. He looked revoltingly cheerful. She was far too miserable to deal with cheery people.
"You heard me." Kailen squatted down by her bed. "You're not sick, are you? It's rare for you to sleep in. Your eyes are a bit red too."
"No, I'm not sick," Neo said pulling the blanket back over her head, wishing it could hide her from the pain in her chest. "Now go away."
"I said time to get up." Kailen jerked the blanket off her.
"Kai!" Neo whined. "I don't want to get up! I'm tired!"
"You don't have a choice," Kailen said. "You're not staying inside all day because you're jealous another woman flirted with the captain."
Neo sat up with a glare. "I'm not jealous! The captain can flirt with whomever he wishes! It has nothing to do with me!"
"Keep telling yourself that and someday you might believe it." Kailen stood up.
"I'm not in love with him, Kailen," Neo said.
"I didn't say anything of the sort. Now get up." Kailen walked towards the door. "I expect to see you in the galley in fifteen minutes. If you're not there I'll come drag you out of bed myself."
Neo, glaring at his back, watched him go before forcing herself out of bed. After a change of clothes, she headed upstairs. She paused, staring at the stairs the led up to the next set of stairs that would lead her to the captain's quarters. While she didn't want to go to his room her bladder had other ideas. With no other choice, she went there, her stomach doing flips as she went. She had no idea what he might say to her after last night. Much to her joy the captain wasn't in his room. She got in and got out within a few minutes then went to the galley. "I'm here."
"Good," Kailen said. He walked over from the counter and place a plate of fruit on the table.
"I'm assuming everyone's already gone." Neo sat down.
"They left shortly after breakfast." Kailen poured her some tea.
"Thanks." Neo took at drink before picking up an apple slice. She chewed on it before saying, "I'm not going anywhere near the captain."
"I'm not going to force you to right now. But you're not going to be able to avoid him forever." Kailen sat across from her.
"I wouldn't bet on that," Neo mumbled.
"I'd figure we'd spend some time together today."
Neo lifted her eyes to him.
"I've noticed that I've been spending a lot of time with the captain lately."
"Shocker. You two were in your own little world I didn't even think you noticed anyone else was around."
"Sorry. I guess I did kind of latch on to him." Kailen dropped his eyes to the table. "I miss work more than I thought I would."
"I'm sorry," Neo said.
"Don't be." Kailen shook his head. "Pushing that all aside. I'm going to take you out into the forest today."
"Really?" Neo's heart leaped. It's been a while since they had fun in a forest.
"I already have permission from the captain," Kailen said. "The only order we have to follow is to meet up with him later. He's still a bit concerned about that little episode you had."
Neo scoffed. "Sounds more like he just wants to use it to control me more."
"It's not like that at all. I'm still concerned too. We're still on this island. It would happen again," Kailen said.
"Not likely," Neo said.
"Maybe," Kailen said. "Let's hope not. Now eat up so we can get on with our day."
Neo nodded, focusing her attention on her meal. Once done she quickly washed the dishes then followed her brother out of the sub. Reaching the end of the dock, they veered to their left, leaving the noise of the harbor and town far behind.
Stepping under the canopy of the trees the warm sun was promptly cut off. She breathed in the smells of the forest. The tree bark, flowers, bushes, and sap from the world around them smelled incredible. Two birds dove down, their wings brushing across her shoulders before they perched on her. "Now this is more like it."
"I though this would renew you," Kailen said.
"Big brother always knows what I need." Neo wrapped her arms around his, pulling him farther into the forest. For an entire hour they walked through the woods. Several animals followed along with them like a small furry parade. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She plopped down in the middle of the lush grass. The animals gathered around her. She squealed with delight from their attention. "You are all so cute! I want to take you with us!"
"The captain would love that." Kailen sat down with a chuckle.
"Oh," Neo drawled. "He said no pets allowed. But he never said I couldn't bring animals onto the sub."
"Don't you dare," Kailen said with a smile. "You two are finally getting along. I want nothing to upset that."
Neo put on her most innocent look she had. "But animals love me. It's not my fault if they follow me into the sub."
"Stop that!" Kailen tossed a handful of grass at her.
Neo laughed. Picking up a fox, she held it up over her head while shoving her shoes off with her feet. "He's being mean. He would actually like you all joining us on the sub while we're here. He really would."
Kailen shook his head. A minute later he said, "You know, you'd feel a lot better if you'd just admit how you're feeling."
"Feeling?" Neo shifted, unable to look at her brother. Why did he have to know her so well? Why did she think she could possibly hide this from him? She should have known better.
"You know what I'm talking about," Kailen said. "It was painfully obvious that you were jealous last night when Lena was flirting with the captain."
Neo gulped. Her lungs and heart tightened, making it hard to breath. She tried to forget what happened between Lena and the captain but the image refused to leave. "I'm not jealous. I'm not. He can do was he wants. I don't care."
"Neo." Kailen sighed. "You know you can't stop your feelings for him through denial. It really would do you good to admit it. Even telling him would help you. I'm not saying you have to tell him. I'm just saying that admitting it will make some of the pain will go away."
Neo sighed. She knew he was right.
"Just say it," Kailen said.
Neo sat up, her hand stroke over the fox's fur. She closed her eyes as her brother's hand found her back. To the rhythm of his rubs, she said, "I'm…I think I'm in love with the captain. I am in love with him. It's not just a crush or physical attraction." Tears leaked over her eyelids. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. It just happened."
The fox placed his small paws on her chest and licked her chin. She leaned into her brother's arms. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"I know. You don't have to apologize," Kailen said, stroking her hair.
"But why? Why did this happen?" Neo looked up at him. "Why him? Of all people on this planet, why him?"
"I'm afraid I can't answer that. It's just something that happens." Kailen wiped her tears away. "But you feel better now, right?"
Neo nodded. Her chest had become lighter. It was easier to breath now that she had admitted her feelings for the captain. "A little."
"You'd feel even better if you told him," Kailen said.
Neo snorted. "Not going to happen."
Kailen shrugged and said no more on the topic.
Neo continued to play with the animals. For hours she spent stroking them, letting them chase her around the forest, she even climb up a tree to see some newborn chipmunks before the sun started to set. Kailen stayed close by as always.
The bright colors of the sunset poked through the leaves, casting the forest in shadows and colorful spotlights.
"Well, we should be heading back." Kailen stood up and stretched out his back.
"Aw." Neo pouted. "Can't we stay a while longer?"
"We've spend most of the day here," Kailen said. "And I told the captain we'd check in with him when it got dark."
"Fine." Neo released the bunny she was holding and forced herself to pull her shoes back on. She let him pull her back to her feet. "This was great. Thank you for doing this."
"Anytime." Kailen kissed her temple then lead her back to the town.
Their peaceful walk back to the town was interrupted by a shrilling, "Neo!"
Both Neo and Kailen flinched. Looking around the saw Lena walking towards them.
"Just great," Neo grumbled.
"At least be nice," Kailen said. "We won't have to put up with her for long."
Neo huffed.
"I've been looking for you all day." Lena gave them a smile. One that Neo couldn't help but notice was forced.
"Oh?" Neo cocked an eyebrow. "What for?"
"I was hoping we could talk more." Lena looked around. "Is Law with you?"
"The captain? No, he's not," Neo said.
"Oh." Lena frowned. "I assuming you're going to meet up with him, right?"
Neo glanced at Kailen. That's exactly what they were doing. But she didn't want to tell the woman that.
"Right now we're having some brother and sister time," Kailen said. "Sorry we can't help you."
"Oh, so you haven't see Law either. I've run into some of your crewmates. They said they hadn't seen him either," Lena said. "I haven't seen him since he ran off on me last night."
Neo perched up. Her heart flipped. The captain had actually left Lena? He didn't spend the night with her at all. "He did?"
Lena frowned. Her eyes narrowed in on Neo. "Yes. He left not long after you did. Did he come see you last night?"
"No." Neo shook her head. "I haven't seen him since last night either. He wasn't on the sub when I got up. Kailen and I have been out in the forest all day."
"I see." Lena looked around the town.
"Sorry we can't help. If you'll excuse us." Kailen took Neo's arm and lead her away.
"Think the captain is hiding from her?" Neo asked, unable to glance back over her shoulder. Lena was no longer insight.
"I really wouldn't know. I'm not sure what type of women he's interested in," Kailen said. He gave her a teasing smile. "Except maybe you."
Neo rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he's so interested in me. That's why he was flirting so openly with Lena last night. So where are we meeting up with the captain?"
"At a restaurant," Kailen said. "It's at the other end of the town. Very nice little place." He glanced at her. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Neo nodded. "Today was a good day. I'm not going to let her ruin it."
"Good." Kailen smiled. A few minutes later he pulled her in front of a small building. "Here it is."
"Something smells good." Neo sniffed the air full of a tangy scent. "What is that smell?"
"It's called barbeque sauce," Kailen said.
"Barbeque sauce?" Neo asked.
"It's a different way that humans cook meat," Kailen said. "I thought you might like to try the sauce. You can use it on vegetables too."
Neo hummed. "Well, if it smells this good it must taste just as good. Let's go!"
They entered into the building. Neo looked around. Several round tables were spread out in the room with checkered table clothes. Most tables were already filled. And in the far corner of the room was the captain with a few crewmates. They walked over to them and sat down.
"Did you enjoy your day out?" Penguin asked.
"Sure did." Neo sat down beside him. Her eyes went to the captain sitting across from her. The man was watching her, inspecting her. She turned her attention back to Penguin. "It helped to…get some things straightened out in my head."
"Ah." Penguin nodded in understanding. "Glad to hear it. I took the liberty to order you some tea."
"Thanks." Neo took a drink of it. Sweetness washed over her tongue. She hummed in delight. "It's good. Though a bit more sugar than I put in."
"Is everyone here now?" a waitress asked. "Would you like to order now or would you like a few more minutes?"
"Are you two ready?" Law asked.
"I'll have the salad," Kailen said.
"Me too," Neo added.
The waitress looked confused. "Is that all you would like?"
"Yes," they said.
"Oh! And a side of that yummy smelling barbecue sauce for dipping!" Neo said.
"Okay." The waitress wrote the order down then took the pirates orders before rushing off to the kitchen.
"Apparently not many come here for salads only," Shachi said.
"You think?" Neo looked around the room. Everyone was eating some form of meat, but some had salad bowls too.
"I don't care as long as I get my fish," Bepo said, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air. "Smells so good."
"Well, I might try a little of the meat, but I didn't want a whole plate," Neo said.
"That's fine. You can taste ours if you want to," Penguin said.
"You're so sweet." Neo smiled.
"There you are!" Everyone flinched as Lena's voice. She sauntered up to them, putting extra sway in her hips. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she pulled a chair over and sat down by Law.
Neo bit her cheek when Lena placed her hand on the captain's shoulder. She did her best to ignore the woman and the captain. But Lena's incessant talking was hard to ignore.
"I was looking all over for you. I was hoping we could get together again. I had so much fun with you all last night but you ran off far too early." Lena ran her finger down his chest suggestively. "I was hoping we could get more acquainted before we had to part ways. You know, this island is holding a party this weekend. There's a lot of food and dancing. How about we go together?"
"I don't dance," Law said.
Lena giggled. "I'm sure that's not true at all. Anyway, it's celebrating the founding of our little island. You all will love it. And we also-"
"Geez." Penguin leaned closer to Neo. "This woman is so dense. At least we'll be gone before this party happens. She'd probably try and drag the captain all the way there if we stayed."
"I think you might be right," Neo said.
"I can't believe how rude she's being," Archer said.
"I can," Conner said before turning his attention onto Lena. "Look, lady, we're trying to eat here. So get lost."
"Oh, great. I'm starving!" Lena waved to a waitress. "Excuse me! I'd like to order some food!"
"You've got to be kidding," Shachi said.
"Look, lady, we don't want you here," Conner said. "Get lost."
Lena ignored him and gave her order to the waitress.
Conner stood up, rattling the dishes when he slammed his hands on the table. "Don't ignore me!"
"Conner," Neo said, pulling his attention to her. "Just leave her be."
"Are you kidding?" Conner asked. "She's being extremely rude. No one wants her here anyway."
"She might be rude but we do not have to be." Neo looked at Lena. "Lena, if it's all right with the captain you can eat with us tonight. But you are being very rude in inviting yourself."
"Excuse me?" Lena narrowed her eyebrows.
"I will not repeat myself," Neo said.
Lena scoffed. She turned to Law, looking for him to be on her side. But all Law did was smile at Neo. "Don't tell me you're letting her make the decision here. You're the captain, not her."
Law shrugged in response. "Can't say that I disagree with her. You'd think after I left you alone last night you'd get the hint that I'm not interested in a woman who throws herself at a man with such desperation."
Lena's jaw fell open. Her eyes darted back and forth between Law and Neo. "Oh, I get it now." Her lips curled into a sneer. She looked right at Neo. "You lied to me."
"Excuse me?" Neo frowned.
"You might not have feelings for the captain but it's obvious that you're sleeping with him." Lena chuckled. "I do wonder though. How many others on this crew are you sleeping with?"
Neo gritted her teeth.
"How dare you?!" Penguin jumped to his feet, the legs of his chair scrapped across the floor. "Don't you talk about Neo like that! She's doesn't do anything of the sort! We all have the upmost respect for her!"
"I'm sure you do." Lena shook her head. "I'm sure you all respect ever inch of her body. Is she pregnant yet?"
"That's it! We've had enough of you!" Conner roared. The rest of the crew stood up.
"Enough," Neo said in her royal tone.
"But, Neo…" Bepo looked at her. "She's being…"
"I know exactly what she's being. And we're not going to lower ourselves to her level." Neo stood up. "Kai, will you bring my meal to the sub when you finish eating?"
"Of course." Kailen nodded.
"So you're running away," Lena said.
Ignoring Lena's jab Neo headed for the door.
"Hey! I'm not done talking to you!" Lena jumped up and followed her.
Neo hustled out the door. Unfortunately, she didn't get much farther before Lena grabbed her arm. "Let go."
"No," Lena said, her nails dug into Neo's skin. "We're finishing this."
"I have no interest in fighting over a guy," Neo said. "I'm far too mature to do that. If the captain likes you, then fine. If he doesn't like you, then fine."
Lena's face flushed with anger. "You arrogant little witch."
"Arrogant?" Neo blinked. Her eyes lifted over Lena's shoulder. The captain and the rest of the crew had followed them outside.
"Don't tell me you all came out here to fight her battle," Lena said.
"Neo doesn't need us to fight her battles." Law cocked his head with a smirk. "We only came out to watch the show."
"There's not going to be a show," Neo said. "I'm not fighting her at all." She tried to walk away but Lena tightened her hold. "Let go."
"No," Lena said.
"I don't believe this." Neo rubbed her forehead. "Believe me. You don't want to fight me."
"You don't have a choice." Lena finally released Neo and held her fists up. "It might not look like it but I do know how to fight. Both my brothers are boxers. They taught me well."
Neo sighed. She looked to the crew. Every single one of them was smirking. Of course they had to find this amusing. She shook her head. "Fine. Let's just get this over with."
"Very well." Neo summoned a crystal to her hand. She waited for the right moment. When Lena threw a punch at her, Neo snapped out a vine. It wrapped around Lena's fist, halting her attack.
"What the…?" Lena pulled on her arm. "Let go!"
"Why? You're the one who started this," Neo said. "You're the one who wanted to fight me."
"B-but you weren't suppose to…h-how are you…w-what's going on?!" Lena demanded through her uncertain stutters.
"You picked a fight with the wrong person," Neo said. "Now, as I said before, I have no interest in fighting you. And I'm not going to. What you are going to do is turn around and leave us alone now. Do you understand me?"
Lena nodded.
"Good. Now I don't care where you go. This is your home after all, but do not come near this crew or me again." Neo released Lena.
Lena rubbed her wrist before turning and running off.
The crew cheered and laughed while gathering around Neo.
"That was amazing!"
"Did you see the look on her face?!"
"Neo, you're the best!"
"Yeah. Honestly, I was expecting a real fight," Shachi said.
"Like I said, I have no interest in fighting over a guy. It's the captain's choice who he chooses to like." Neo glanced at Law. He was staring at her with an unreadable expression. She flushed and looked away. "Besides, I really didn't feel like fighting."
"You should come back and eat now that the interloper is gone," Penguin said.
"No." Neo glanced at the crowd that had gathered around them. "I really don't feel like being a spectacle anymore. I'm going to go back to the sub."
"Just come back inside," Law said. "We've already ordered the food."
"Is that an order?" Neo asked.
Law didn't answer. He just turned and walked back inside.
"Stay with us, Neo," Bepo said. "Please?"
The crew agreed.
"Okay." Neo nodded and followed them back inside.
…
Neo stared out at the star filled sky. Having come back to the sub after finishing their dinner, she took a shower then headed out for the top deck. Normally she would have gone to the main deck, but they were still docked at the harbor. She didn't feel like dealing with Lena on the off chance she wandered this way. Though she was sure the woman went home and was currently hiding there. Still, she didn't want to chance it. The cool sea air teased her still damp hair. It sent a shiver over her body, but she didn't want to go inside. The crew was still talking about her confrontation with Lena. She wished they would just let it go.
"You're going to get a cold out here with wet hair," Law said.
Neo jumped. She glared over her shoulder at him. "Still sneaking up on me I see."
Law smirked and walked over to her. He held out his hand, which was holding a bag. "Here."
"What's this?" Neo asked.
"Just take it." He thrust it into her hands. "It's for you."
Neo opened the bag. Her eyes widened when she found the dolphin statue she had been admiring in the jewelry shop. "You bought me a gift?"
"It's just a thank you for helping Bepo." Law crossed his arms over the railing, his eyes lifting to the stars. "And for your birthday."
Neo ran her fingers over the smooth surface of the dolphin. She wasn't expecting him to give her anything, for her birthday or otherwise. "Uh, thank you. It's really nice. I love it."
Law shrugged.
Neo sat the bag carefully down on the deck and retook her place. She stared up at the stars before she found her eyes drifting over to the man beside her. Kailen's words from that afternoon rolled around in her head. Her pulse thumped under her skin. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps she should just tell the captain how she felt and get it over with. Sure there would be no way they could actually have a relationship, but at least he would know how she felt about him. Or she could at least talk to him about the kiss she gave him. They still hadn't spoken about that. "Look, um, can we talk about…"
"About what?" Law gave her a sideways glance.
"About what happened between us on the deck a few weeks ago," Neo said. "When I kissed you…"
"What about it?" Law asked.
"I, uh…" Neo glanced down at the water. The stars sparkled brightly, making the ocean look as if it was a blanket covered in sparkling jewels. Her heart raced. Heat started creeping up her neck to her cheeks. "It's about…me kissing you. I'm…I'm sorry. It just happened. I wasn't planning on doing it. It just happened because you were…I'm I was…" She bit her lip. This wasn't as easy as Kailen made it sound. There had to be a better, or easier way, to just come out and say what she needed to. She thought back to Luminous, to her friends. How would they go about admitting to a guy they like him? She shook her head. It wouldn't help. Her friends were far too different than she was. Their ways wouldn't help her at all.
"Neo," Law called.
With a deep breath, she forced herself to look at him. The second she locked eyes with him, he leaned in and kissed her. Neo's mind shorted out. All she felt was his warm, slightly capped, lips covering hers. All she could see was his eyes staring back into hers. Then he pulled away and disappeared back inside of the sub.
…
Author's Notes: I have so many doubts about this chapter. All I knew I wanted was Neo to not be the damsel. Hope it's okay.