Constant

Characters: Bepo, Penguin, Shachi, Law. Rating: K+. Warnings: none

Bepo didn't really remember Zepo anymore. He remembered his name, remembered that he was his brother, but the little things were fading with time. How he looked – that flop of fur over his forehead (had it been brown? Or black? No, maybe white?), his eye colour (black, like Bepo's? Or blue? Brown, perhaps?) – and his mannerisms. He didn't remember his favourite food, or colour. He couldn't recall any habits, bad or otherwise, nor the sound of his voice.

But there were other little things, things that felt familiar. The way Penguin would scratch behind his ears for him when he wasn't feeling so good, or how he'd watch over them all as they lounged around on deck in a brief respite from being trapped underwater – even if he wasn't obvious about it, he always found high points like the next deck up or even just the railing to perch while he supposedly did some task or other. It would have been convincing if Bepo didn't get that prickly feeling at the base of his spine when he was being watched.

Penguin felt like Bepo thought Zepo had. Maybe he was still hunting for his brother and had just found a kindred spirit in the way Penguin was always there for Shachi (and Law and Bepo, after not all that long even if he took longer to openly admit it). It was entirely possible he was… what was that word Law used once? Superimpose. Maybe he was superimposing Zepo on Penguin, projecting imaginary feelings onto the oldest human because he was homesick. He didn't dare ask, too comforted by the familiarity to risk breaking it.

Besides, if Shachi could be Penguin's little brother (and Bepo saw the way Law slowly, slowly, fell into place in their little 'family' too), then surely, Bepo thought, it wouldn't be too much bother if he joined as well. Penguin never rejected him, anyway, letting him curl up on his lap as a cub, then later mimicking the gesture when Bepo out-grew him.

No-one ever said it out loud, but Penguin was always there, the solid support in the background whenever they needed it. In some ways, Bepo thought he was the one that kept them together (although Shachi thought that Law's charisma had much the same effect, while Law had once mumbled that Bepo's mellow nature stopped friction and Penguin seemed to believe that Shachi's ability to find anything funny was the breath of fresh air they all needed).

There was only one time Bepo had feared the Heart Pirates wouldn't survive, and that was the day they lost Penguin.

While generally good at keeping themselves hidden, something did come up from time to time that made Law despair that they were hopeless at subtlety (Bepo wished he didn't panic so easily whenever something didn't go exactly to plan). Most of the time it wasn't even their fault, barring one memorable occasion where Shachi had been caught investigating Doflamingo; they'd just been in the wrong place at the wrong time and caught up in something unrelated to them.

This time was no different. The fire hadn't had anything to do with them – they hadn't lit it, and they hadn't been the target. It had simply blazed across the market they were perusing, catching half the stalls alight in an instant and throwing up a divide that couldn't be crossed. They'd been on the port side, the Polar Tang at their backs and a really good idea.

Except Penguin hadn't. A short way behind them, caught up in some conversation with an elderly woman who was showing him a little sewing kit, he'd been trapped the other side of the inferno, unable to get through.

"Penguin!" It was Shachi who screamed, but Law's skin matched Bepo's own fur as he froze in place.

"Stop!" Penguin shouted back as Shachi tried to brave the flames, flinching back from the heat for a moment before lunging forwards again. "You idiot, stop!" He was up against the flames himself, stumbling backwards every other second as the flames roared higher, but still being the strong one even as he was driven further and further away.

Bepo was like Law, frozen in place in horror as the flames seemingly licked at Penguin (was he actually close enough to be burnt, or was the fire playing tricks on their mind, distorting his figure and morphing his face into winces?). Behind them there was the background sound of screams, the other visitors to the market in hysteria and pushing each other over in their panic to escape.

"Get back to the Tang!" Penguin was shouting, difficult to hear over the pandemonium. Shachi got a hand into the flames and cried out but kept going until Law snapped out of his shock and pulled him back, out of the fire.

"Penguin!" Shachi screamed again, and Bepo obeyed Law's silent command to help restrain him. His paws were shaking.

"-the Tang!" Bepo heard again, the flames forcing both parties back until they couldn't see Penguin anymore, just a sheet of roaring, untameable fire. "-o!"

Even with the fire in their faces, none of the three wanted to move. Realistically, they were in just as much danger as Penguin was, but Penguin was alone. They didn't know how he was faring – were there more streaks of flame elsewhere?

"We need to move," Law eventually croaked, the smoke starting to fill their lungs. Shachi fell limp and boneless in their grip and Bepo wondered if he'd breathed in too much smoke already.

"Penguin…" he rasped as Law started to pull him back, away from the raging fire and towards the Tang. Bepo helped, despite his paws' inability to remain still and the cloying feeling in his gut that he was failing Penguin.

"He'll find us," he tried to say firmly, but it quivered as much as his paws did. Neither human replied, stumbling along in silence until they collapsed onto the deck of the Tang. There they stayed, the three of them numbly staring at the fire even as the other ships in the port hastily left, fleeing the flames.

Most of the island had been engulfed, faint explosions as the fire found something particularly flammable to swallow. But there was no sign of Penguin. Beside him he heard crying, the first time Bepo had ever known one of his nakama to cry. The other side of Shachi, Law was once again silent and immobile. The fire was getting closer and closer, a ship at the other end of the dock the first boat casualty as flames licked at it greedily, its crew forced overboard into the water. If they stayed where they were the same fate would soon befall the Tang, but still none of them moved.

They couldn't. Leaving meant abandoning Penguin, and Law might be the captain but without Penguin they weren't a crew anymore, just a trio of scared children.

"What the hell are you lot doing?" a voice demanded from below. Shachi was the first to run to the side of the deck, staring down at the water in silent shock. "I told you to go!" Bepo dragged himself to join Shachi and there was Penguin, treading water in the docks below.

Shachi found his voice again, hanging over the side with his arm outstretched as he called Penguin's name again.

"What's that for?" Penguin shouted up. "Get out of the dock!"

"But-" Shachi protested. He was still crying behind his shades – Bepo could smell the salty tang of tears.

"Bepo!" The mink turned around to see his captain once again on his feet, skin no longer ashen. "Get us moving!" Bepo didn't want to leave Penguin in the water, but the flames were getting too close, starting to lick at the Tang. He ran to the control room, setting the engines going and quickly putting the ship into forward throttle, hoping they hadn't hesitated too long and that the flames wouldn't be too close to the engines.

At no immediate explosion, Bepo scrambled back to the deck, knowing that he should be watching their course but needing to see Penguin back with them again.

He returned in time to see Shachi helping the older teen over the railings, a trailing rope thrown over the side of the Tang. Penguin didn't seem too hurt, patches of redder skin and singed clothes the only signs he'd escaped what had become a raging inferno. Shachi clutched him in a vice-like grip, an oof escaping Penguin before he embraced him in return, a fond look on his face.

Never one to initiate anything, Law was hanging back awkwardly, watching like a hawk and regarding the small burns with a frown on his face. Shachi still attached to him like a limpet, Penguin turned to face him and held out his arms with a reassuring smile. For several moments, Law didn't move, but Penguin's arms never faltered and the youngest human caved, stepping forwards into reach so Penguin could hold him reassuringly.

Bepo couldn't resist any longer and surged forwards himself, trapping Penguin in his arms (subsequently Shachi and Law, too) and nuzzling his cheek affectionately. Then there was that hand, gently scratching behind his ear again, and Bepo couldn't help but smile.

Everything was right again.

I was asked for a time when they had to leave Penguin behind and how they'd react.

Thanks for reading!
Tsari