Married
Neo pulled down the sleeves of Law's black and yellow hoodie then crossed her arms over her chest when a cold shiver ran down her spine. Walking down the halls of the sub heaviness settled in her chest and her face grew warm. Pausing at the rec. room door, she peered inside of it. Her eyes went directly to a crewmate that was sprawled out on one of the couches taking a nap. She couldn't help but feel a bit envious of him. Sleeping sounded really good right now to her. She had to force herself to look away from him when the over whelming desire to flip her crewmate off the couch with her crystals penetrated her mind. She looked to the others who were in the room. Shachi, Penguin, Bepo, Tero, and Jean Bart were sitting at the table playing poker, chatting low enough that she couldn't hear what they were saying and occasionally nibbling on the snacks they had scattered around the table.
Bepo then spotted her. He smiled at her bring their whispered conversation to a sudden stop.
She raised an eyebrow at them. "What are you all doing?"
"Playing poker!" Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo squeaked while holding up their cards looking as guilty as the day is long.
"Neo, come," Law said.
Neo pulled her eyes from her not so innocent boys and looked at Law when he beckoned her. The surgeon was on the other couch reading a book. He didn't even look up when he called her. She wasn't sure where the rest of the crew was at the moment. They were being somewhat secretive these past couple of days as they whispered to each other and would stop when she came near them. With another shiver washing over her body, she entered into the room and went right over to Law. When close enough, he lifted his left arm up for her. She sat down and immediately pulled her feet upon the couch and curled up against his side. She laid her left arm over his abs while tucking her right arm between them so she could absorb his warmth.
Law, feeling the heaviness inside of her, pressed his lips to her forehead. His eyebrows narrowed when his suspicions were confirmed. "You're warm. You might be coming down with something. You're a bit flushed too."
"I'm cold," Neo whimpered softly while curling more into him, unaware of the concerned looks the crew was giving their captain and her.
"There you are!" Topaz said before anyone else could say anything more. She bounced into the room with a smile. Her enthusiasm faded when she noticed Neo's pinkish cheeks and her position against Law. "I've been trying to catch up to you. Are you feeling okay? You look a bit ill."
"She might be coming down with a cold or something," Law answered.
Topaz eyes flashed with worry.
"Did you need something, Topaz?" Neo asked, lifting her head off Law's shoulder.
"Well, I was going to ask if you would mind growing me some orange primrose flowers," Topaz replied. She took a few more steps into the room. "But if you're not feeling well…"
"It's fine. I can grow them," Neo said. She summoned an earth crystal and started growing the flowers. Sweet fragrance filled the air. "Uh, how many did you want? And what do you want them for?"
"I think fifty will be more than enough," Topaz said thoughtfully. "Actually, that might be a bit much, but I might mess up on the c-"
"Topaz! Have a cookie!" Bepo jumped up from the table and stuffed a chocolate chip cookie in the elemental's mouth.
"Hm?" Neo tilted her head. She blinked multiple times in confusion at the bear. "Bepo, why did you do that?"
"I'm sorry," Bepo said, ducking his head in a gray aura.
"Never mind him!" Penguin shouted as he and Shachi slid into Neo's view, blocking Bepo and Topaz from her. "He just wanted to share a cookie with her! You know we all love your cookies!"
"That's right!" Shachi nodded rapidly. He held up a cookie in his fingers. "And this batch of cookies seem extra delicious this time around! You really out did yourself!"
"Hm." Neo hummed softly. She carefully took her brothers and sister in with kneading eyebrows.
Bepo carefully lifted his eyes back up, Topaz shifted from foot to foot, Penguin and Shachi were still gushing over her cookies, the crewmate on the couch had woken up, lightly coughed and looked away from her while Jean Bart and Tero just sat at the table, picking at their cards and snacks.
Neo shivered and tucked back against Law with another suspicious hum. Her eyes pulled back to him when he cleared his throat.
"Neo, if you are done with the flowers, I'm going to take you to our room," Law said closing his book. He tucked it between him and the couch arm. "If you are getting sick, I want you in bed right now. We'll need to get you something to stop the fever too."
"I'm done," Neo said.
Topaz walked up to the earth crystal and gathered the bundle into her arms before rushing out of the room with them. "Thank you, Neo."
"Uh, sure thing," Neo replied in confusion at the woman's fast exit. "What's going on?"
"Nothing!" Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin shrieked.
"Neo," Law said in a warning tone, pulling her attention from the crew. He turned his body towards her. He put one arm behind her back and the other under her knees before standing up with her in his hold. "Bed. Now."
"But, Law," Neo protested, "the crew's acting strange again."
"No arguing. If you are getting sick, I want to nip this in the bud," Law said. He then headed for the rec. room door.
"The captain's right," Penguin said with a wave. "You should go to bed early. We'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Neo," the crew chorused.
"Fine. Goodnight, boys," Neo said reluctantly. She wrapped her arms around Law's shoulders and watched the crew disappear from her eyes.
Once the two were out of the rec. room and far enough down the hall, Tero shook his head at the display that just happened. He narrowed his eyes at Penguin, Shachi, and Bepo. "Smooth, guys. Real smooth. You're lucky she's sick and is not really comprehending what's going on here."
"Can remain calm under the stresses of battle, but can't keep their cool when keeping a secret," Jean Bart mumbled while glaring at the three younger men and bear. He popped another cookie in his mouth and chewed.
"We're sorry. We'll try harder in the future," Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo chorus while hanging their heads.
…
Neo released a tired sigh then turned her eyes into his neck. She shivered and nuzzling into him. She said, "All right, I'm getting sick. I just want to sleep."
"Good girl. Before that let's get you some medicine," Law said. He turned into the medical bay to get her some medicine to try and help stop her oncoming fever. Once inside, he sat her down on his chair, earning a whimper from her from having to separate from him. With a soft chuckle, he kissed her warm forehead then dropped his hat onto her head before walking over to his medical supplies. He grabbed a bottle of liquid acetaminophen, plus a spoon, and walked back over to her. Pouring the liquid into the spoon, he gave it to her then returned the bottle to the cabinet and laid the spoon in the sink to wash later. He then walked back over to her, scooped her back into his arms, and carried her downstairs to their room.
Once inside their room, he laid her down on his side of the bed. He took his hat from her head and placed it on the nightstand before turning back to her. She lifted her body up for him when he tugged on the covers. When she had settled onto his pillow, she grabbed and tugged on his sleeve. Pouching out her bottom lip, she asks, "Will you lay with me for a while? Please?"
"Okay." Chuckling at her childlike cuteness, Law kicked off his boots. She scooted over for him to lie down beside her. He held up his arm for her to come to him. He wrapped his left arm around her shoulders while placing his right hand on her back to rub it. "Better?"
"Much better," Neo said, snuggling into him. With a giggle, she added, "I really love my Surgeon of Snuggles!"
"Surgeon of Snuggles?" Law asked with one eyebrow raised. He paused his back rub to poke her in the ribs.
"You are!" Neo squeaked. She snuggled back into him when he went back to rubbing her back. She peered up at him with a sleepy gaze. He stared back at her with a soft gaze of his own. "You are my Surgeon of Snuggles. You always give them to me, especially when I need them. I don't think I've ever told you this, but I really love how you always show me that you love me. I also love when you tell me you love me, but there's just something more…special and powerful behind your actions of showing me how you feel." She paused to cover a yawn. She looked back up at him and continued, "I think it might have to do with how you treated me when you found me. You showed me that I could trust you because that's what you knew I needed. And it really means a lot that you do that. Don't ever stop."
"I won't, love," Law said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He tightened his hold around her. "I promise. You should sleep now. Okay?"
"Okay." Neo nodded against his chest. Her eyes closed to the rhythmic rubs he did on her back. In less than a minute, she had fallen sound asleep for him.
Law stayed with her for a few more minutes before carefully slipping out of her hold. He tucked the covers around her, pecked her temple, and then slipped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him. With his hands in his pockets, he made his way back to the rec. room.
Bepo was the first to speak up when the captain arrived. He asked, "Is she really getting sick? Does she suspect anything? Did we goof?"
"She might possibly be getting sick. It might just be a twenty-four hour thing, however," Law replied. He crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame. "I'll know more tomorrow when she get's up. And I don't think she was conscious enough to make any connections with what's going on."
"That's good. At least she'll have tomorrow to rest. We'll be arriving at the next island tomorrow too," Bepo said. "She'll want to get off the sub. Do you think you can keep her inside all day?"
"I know I can keep her inside all day. All I have to do is order her to do it. And, for extra measures to make sure she does, I'll threaten to take away her books and her cooking privileges. So don't worry about it. I'll make sure she stays in bed and drinks plenty of fluids." Law nodded. "It'll be fine."
"That's good," Penguin said with a nod. "We can actually use that. You can order her to stay in bed tomorrow while we put the finishing touches on everything."
"And we'll be able to make the cake a whole lot easier without her running around the sub," Shachi added. "It's a good thing we added another cook then. I'm not sure our cooking skills are good enough to make a cake suitable for a wedding."
"It doesn't matter. You know Neo doesn't care about things like that," Law said.
"She might not, but we do!" Shachi and Penguin shouted. "This is your wedding we're talking about, Captain!"
"So what?" Tero asked. He draped his left arm over the back of his chair and gave the two ranting men a frown. "The captain and Neo already told us that this was just going to be a simple wedding. There's no point in putting a ton of pointless effort into something they don't want. Besides, it's all about keeping Neo calm during the ceremony. Right?"
"You're right," Shachi and Penguin conceded. "But we're still going to make this memorable."
"Of course you are." Tero grinned.
"So how are you feeling in all of this, Captain?" Jean Bart then asked.
Law raised his eyes to the large man.
"Are you nervous? You're getting married in two days. Your nerves must be sky rocketing," Jean Bart said.
"Of course he's not nervous," Shachi said, plopping down on the couch. "This is the captain we're talking about here. He'll be as cool as ever."
"He's right. You don't hardly ever get nervous about anything," the crewmate said. He sat back against the couch and gave Law a suggestive smirk. "I'm positive you're not one bit nervous about getting married, but your nerves are probably shaking like a leaf in a wind storm about the wedding night. I'm sure you have that all planned out in your head."
Law stiffened and stifled a growl when his crew suddenly took in a great interest in his love life with Neo.
"Enough!" Penguin shouted. "No one is allowed to discuss such private matters! What's wrong with you all?!"
"What's the matter, Penguin?" Shachi questioned with a huge grin. "With the exception of the captain, we've all talk about our love lives before."
"This is different!" Penguin screeched, his teeth gnashing wildly. "This is my baby sister we're talking about here! I don't want any of you perverts asking such questions or making such remarks from this point on! If the captain and Neo want to talk about it with us then they can! But only if they choose to do so!"
"She's our little sister too!"
"Okay! Okay! We won't talk or tease them about it!"
"Yeah right!" Penguin snapped.
Law shook his now throbbing head with a sigh before leaving the rec. room. He didn't want to hear anymore of this. He paused when Bepo called after him. "Hey, Captain!"
"What is it?" Law turned back to the bear.
"I was just wondering, if you don't mind me asking," Bepo stammered a bit.
Law blinked a bit in confusion at why his best friend, to which he's known for several years, was suddenly shy around him.
"How are you feeling? I mean I know marriage is a big deal. And usually family is involved…and since, well, you know…"
"You're wondering if I'm upset that my family isn't here to witness this," Law surmised.
"Yeah." Bepo nodded. "I'm also a bit worried, I guess. This is a big step. And I know you have your concerns despite not voicing them to anyone."
"I suppose it does bother me a bit when I think about how my family isn't here to see this." Law pressed his back to the wall with a sigh. "Then I think about how her family isn't here either. We're both in the same situation. But we both have you and the rest of the crew. Neo sees us all as her family. And in this situation…I do too."
Bepo tilted his head with Law mumbled those last three words. He noticed his captain's cheeks were tinted pink, but wisely remained quiet on the subject. He continued to remain quiet when he noticed his captain's eyes softening with worry.
"I'm nervous, Bepo."
"About what exactly?" Bepo asked quietly.
Law stared down at the floor. The hum of the sub's engines, and the distant chattering of the crew, passed between the two for a couple minutes before Law spoke up again. He ran his hands through his black locks. "I'm nervous that I'm not going to be a good enough husband for her. I'm worried that I'm going to mess up and make mistakes."
"What are you talking about, Captain?" Bepo asked, confused. "You've done a wonderful job with her. Being married to her really isn't going to change all that much. You two are practically married already anyway."
Law chuckled. He started off talking at a normal speed, but his words then came fast and started to get jumbled up. "I suppose we kind of are already married. But I'm still worried. Since my parents were killed I never really had a role model on how a husband should act with his wife. I remember some things my dad did for my mom, but…I just don't know what exactly it is I'm suppose to do. All I've known for years is how to be a pirate. In the long run, how is that going to affect her? Will she still be glad she married me years down the road? Will she regret it? Will I regret it? Are we rushing into this? Maybe we should wait a little bit longer. She might not be ready yet. I might not be ready yet. Maybe I'm not ready yet since I'm having doubts now. And-"
Bepo clamped his hand down on Law's shoulder when the worried captain started talking far too fast for him to understand.
Law stopped talking and looked up at Bepo.
"Captain, calm down. It's all going to be just fine. I just know it."
"And how do you now that?" Law questioned. "I'm the one getting married and I don't even know that."
"I know you're going to be just fine because of what all you two have already been through. You know that you two are meant to be together. And I also know that you'll be fine because of all these feelings and second guesses you're having," Bepo said encouragingly. "I'd be worried about you if you didn't have these feelings. You already know what you need to do. You've been doing it for a little over two years now. Just keep doing what you've already been doing. You both will be just fine. And the crew's here to back you two up like always."
"Thanks, Bepo." Law smiled.
"Anytime, Captain." Bepo nodded with a smile of his own.
…
"But I feel fine. Why can't I go outside? I want to explore the tropical forest," Neo complained from the porthole. She glanced out at the thick, green trees and bushes, the colorful flowers and wildlife that passed by then looked back at Law who was leaning against the wall by the door. "It's so big. And there are animals here that I haven't seen before. I think I saw a parrot. It's warm outside too. It's not like I was really sick or anything. It was just a small cold."
"I still want you to rest for today." Law pushed off the wall and walked over to her. He pecked her temple then guided her back over to their bed. "You can go out tomorrow and explore. We're not leaving this island anytime soon. Why don't you send a message to Red Hair Shanks that you want to talk to him tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow?" Neo crawled onto the bed then tilted her head in confusion. "I know I haven't talk to him in a while, but why wait until tomorrow?"
"He's probably busy right now. It'll be best if you just sent him the message you want to talk to him before actually meeting up with him in your dream world," Law replied.
"I usually do that," Neo said thoughtfully. "But I really don't have anything to tell him. I already told him weeks ago that you're now a warlord, he knows about my training, and you don't really want me to tell him you're afraid of using your powers on me. And, speaking of which, when are you going to use your powers on me?"
Law twitched when she gave him a pointed look.
She crossed her arms. "Law. We're leaving for Punk Hazard in two weeks. You have to do it before then."
"Don't worry about that right now. Just relax," Law said.
"You can't keep running away from this." Neo poked him in the chest.
"I'm not running. I'm preparing myself, mentally, for that," Law replied stiffly.
Neo sighed. "Fine. I'll give you a few more days. Then we are working on that. We still need to work more on my training too. It's easy to fight with you, but I'm still a bit too slow on executing my moves. And I still haven't figured out how to increase my attacks. I have to rely on them more than my own physical attacks until I can get more strength in my body."
"Well, you have all day to think about that." Law sat down on the bed. "We still have a little time before we leave. And we can always train some on Punk Hazard. It'll be good for you to train in Punk Hazard's harsh environments."
"I wonder how that island is going to affect me." Neo tapped her chin in thought.
"I don't think it'll bother you too much. It's an island of fire and ice now," Law said, adjusting the blanket around her hips. "You'll probably just have to adjust to it like always and then will be fine."
"Probably. I have gotten a bit stronger. I adjust a lot easier to new environments. At least the nature ones not so much with people." Neo sighed.
"You're doing just fine when dealing with new people. Now, is there anything else you need?" Law asked.
"You to cuddle with me." Neo smiled. "It's boring in here without you."
"I'm sorry about that. Right now, I have some things I need to take care of. I'll come cuddle with you later." Law chuckled when Neo pouted.
"What could be more important than cuddling with your bonded?" Neo asked, turning her eyes into round, innocent puppy dog ones. A smirk twitched at the corner of her lips when she felt Law faltering.
"Don't give me that look. I fall for it practically ever time," Law huffed.
"Why do you think I do it?" Neo smiled innocently.
"You know I would cuddle with you if I didn't have some things I really needed to take care of. Until then, I'll send some crewmates to entertain you while I'm busy. And you have your books," Law said. He grabbed one, which he brought to her earlier that day, off the nightstand. He bopped her on the head with it playfully. "If you need anything else, ask one of the crew to get it. I don't want you out of this room until tomorrow. Do you understand me?"
"Okay. I'll stay in bed for you." Neo took the book and placed it on her lap. "Happy?"
"Yes," Law said. He kissed her forehead then her lips before pulling away from her.
Neo sighed as she watched him exit their room. Once the door was closed, she followed him, through their bond, heading for Topaz's room. She hummed in curious thought at what he could possible have to do that involved her before shrugging it off. He has, after all, asked Topaz to run errands for him before. That's probably all he was doing now. She then closed her eyes and sent a message to her godfather that she wanted to meet with him soon. When the message was sent, she opened her eyes then her book and settled into reading.
…
Reaching his destination, Law knocked on the fire elemental's door.
A few seconds later, Topaz cracked it open and carefully peaked out. "Captain?"
"How's it going?" Law asked.
"It's almost finished," Topaz replied, pushing the door opened a little bit more. "Would you like to see it?"
"No. I'll wait until tomorrow," Law said with a shake of his head.
"What about the rest of the preparations?" Topaz asked.
"They're almost done as well. I'm heading into town right now to put some finishing touches on my end of everything," Law said.
"And is Neo going to behave herself and actually stay in your room?" Topaz asked.
"I believe she'll stay put. I had her call for Red Hair so she can meet up with him tomorrow," Law replied. "She didn't seem to think it was anything more than just a typical meeting with him."
"That's good. She'll love that she can see him tomorrow. Just be sure to explain why you wanted her to meet with him." Topaz narrowed her eyebrows when they both hear a noise coming from down the hall. They looked to find it was only a couple crewmates. The crewmates waved at them before moving on their way. "And the cake?"
"It being decorated as we speak. They'll hide it in one of the men's quarters since Neo hardly ever goes in them." Law shoved his hands in his pockets. "And since we're anchored at this island until this matter is finished, we don't have to worry about the cake getting damaged. I'll warp it to the island before the ceremony."
"That's great. I forgot about your warping ability. I was wondering how we were going to get it off the sub without dropping it," Topaz said with a relieved sigh. "And what dress is she going to wear?"
"She's decided on wearing one of her white dresses she brought from Luminous. She also wants to wear Penguin's ribbon, but hasn't figured out how exactly she wants to wear it. She still hates having her hair up." Law chuckled. "I think I'll leave that up to you and Neo to figure out."
Topaz tapped her chin in thought. "I'm sure I can think of a way for her to wear it where it won't be in the way and won't cause her discomfort."
"That'll be fine. I'll be going now." Law turned and headed back down the hall.
"Hey! What exactly are you doing in town? I thought you already talked to the preacher about Neo and how she's the only one of you two who's going to wear a ring and about the location of the ceremony when we arrived this morning and how you're not wearing a tux and all," Topaz called after the retreating captain. "What else is there left to do?"
Law tossed the elemental a smirk over his shoulder. Without a word to her, he disappeared around the corner.
"What is that man up to? All well." Topaz closed her door.
…
The next day Neo shifted as she started to wake up from her slumber. She yawned and stretched out her arms before realizing something was amiss. Shooting up in bed with a startled gasp, she realized what it was. Law wasn't in the room or anywhere in the sub. "Law! Law, where are you?!"
'It's all right, love. I'm still here. I'm out on the island. Sorry I couldn't be there when you woke up. Did you have a bad dream? I didn't feel it.'
"No." Neo rubbed the heel of her hand in her eyes. "It's just…you're always here when I wake up. And you weren't. Then I didn't sense you on the sub. It scared me."
'I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to scare you.'
"It's okay," Neo relented. "You contacted me right away, but don't ever do that again."
'I won't.'
"What are you doing outside of the sub? You're not fighting. Or are you?!" Neo asked, her anxiety rising as she focused in on where Law was. She noticed he wasn't too far off from the sub, but since this was a new island, she wasn't sure exactly where he was.
'No, love, I'm not fighting. I do want you to put your dress on and come meet me after you drink your juice that's waiting in the galley for you.' Law said, feeling her heart beat slowing back down.
"Dress?" Neo looked down to her right. There lying on the bed was one of her white dresses she had brought from Luminous and on top of it was her ribbon. She reached over and ran her hand over the smooth fabric of the dress. "You want me to wear a dress? Law, what's going on?"
'Just put it on and go to the galley. Hurry up now. We don't have much time.'
"Okay." Neo gathered up the items and scooted off the bed. Staring down at them in confusion, she didn't even bother looking at her family pictures before disappearing into the bathroom. A couple minutes later, she was dressed and stared at herself in the mirror. She tilted her head with a soft sigh. She never would get use to how different she looked in dresses. It was a dress with spaghetti straps that hugged her chest while the pleated skirt flowed down to her knees. She plucked her ribbon off the sink and headed for the galley.
While walking down the oddly quiet hall, she noticed the entire sub seemed void of any of her family. "Hm. I guess they're on the island as well. I wonder what they're doing."
She then entered into the galley where a medium size glass of apple juice was waiting for her. Beside it was a little note that read: Drink this then go out onto the deck. She studied the note while drinking down the apple juice. Once the juice was finished, she rinsed the glass out, placed it on the counter, and then headed for the deck. The door was already partly opened for her so she stepped right out into the warm, bright sunlight. She looked around in more confusion when she noticed the sub had been moved. They were no longer at the docks of the island. Instead the sub was tucked into a cove at a different part of the island. And the water was apparently deep enough to pull right up to the island.
Neo walked over to the edge of the sub and looked down. Penguin and Topaz were on the island dressed in different clothes than they usually were. Penguin was wearing a white button up shirt with an orange primrose sticking out of the pocket and black pants that seemed oddly out of place with his typical hat while Topaz was in a long, dark orange, slightly form hugging, dress and a orange primrose tucked in her hair above her right ear. They glanced up at her with big, bright smiles.
Penguin waved to her. "Hey! Come on down!"
"Okay," Neo said to herself. She summoned a wind crystal. With her hand holding down her dress, she lifted herself down to the island. She landed on the ground and looked at the two before her eyes dropped to something in Topaz's arms. The fire elemental was holding something made of lace that was attached to a smooth silver circlet with the orange primroses Neo created two days ago. "What's going on? What is that thing?"
"Oh, you just look so beautiful!" Penguin cooed. He pressed his hands to his cheeks before stepping up to her. Pulling the ribbon from her hand, he wrapped it around her neck and tied it in place in a neat little bow. He then stepped aside for Topaz.
"Hold still now," Topaz ordered softly. She placed the circlet on Neo's head. Stepping behind the confused elemental, she guided the lace down Neo's blue hair, fluffing and fussing over both the lace and Neo's hair until she got it to lie perfectly in place, flowing down to her hips.
While Topaz fluffed and fussed behind her, Penguin fluffed and fussed over her bangs in front of her.
Neo blinked. "Uh…what's going on? Where's Law exactly? I can sense him nearby. And where is the crew?"
"They're all waiting for you, Princess," Topaz replied. She stepped back in front of Neo and inspected hers and Penguin's work. "Do you think we need to do anything else?"
"No! It's perfect! I think she's as beautiful as ever!" Penguin said with a sigh. He then sniffled. "I think I'm going to cry!"
"Well, hold it in. We're not even there yet," Topaz said, elbowing the man beside her.
"Not there yet?" Neo asked.
"Come on!" Topaz and Penguin both said with their grins just as bright as the sun. They each took one of Neo's hands in theirs and led her away from the sub. Getting the feeling no one was going to answer her questions, Neo allowed herself to be led to wherever it was these two were taking her. She pulled her eyes from them and took in their tropical surroundings. She wanted to fly off and explore this unfamiliar territory and wildlife, but obediently remained in her friends hold.
"Huh?" Neo pulled her eyes from the forest when she felt Law extremely close to her. Her eyes widened when she saw the rest of the crew as well as two men, one dressed in black clothes and a black collar with a little white just below his chin and the other dressed in regular clothes and holding a camera, she didn't know standing under the canopy of the forest. The crew, dressed in clothes similar to Penguin's, was lined up in two lines, but for one of their new crewmates who was sitting on a nearby rock with his guitar in his hands. Law and the two strangers were at the end of the line. Her confusion melted into shock when she noticed that Law was dressed in a black tux with three orange primroses tucked in his left breast pocket. "I know I keep asking this, but what is going on?"
"I think the captain will answer that when you get to him," Penguin said.
Neo looked at him in time to see him nod to the crewmate holding the guitar. Topaz then released her hold on Neo's hand, took a few steps in front of her, and started walking down the makeshift isle. Penguin squeezed Neo's hand when it started to tremble in his hold.
"Penguin, is this…?" Neo's voice trialed off when all Penguin could do is smile. This was her and Law's wedding. Next thing she knew, the crewmate was playing an unfamiliar tune, and Penguin was walking her down between the two lines of crewmates. Unsure what she should look at or even be doing, her eyes went everywhere. She scanned her blue orbs over the smiling crew, the surroundings, and the strangers until her eyes fell upon something she didn't see before. Now close enough, Neo noticed her two pictures of her parents, Shanks and Kailen were propped up on a small table near Law with a candle she assumed was the unity candle the crew talked about. She looked up at him. "Law?"
"I know pictures don't take the place of the actual people," Law said. "But it didn't feel right without them here. So I asked Topaz to open the case while you were sleeping."
"Law, this is…this is our…?" Neo started, but couldn't finish when her stomach began to spin. 'I think I'm going to get sick.'
'Just breath, Neo. Everything will be fine. I'm right here.' Law nodded with a smile.
Without a word, Penguin kissed Neo on the cheek and released his hold on her to his captain then joined the rest of the crew.
Law took her hands in his and gave them a gentle squeeze.
Neo smiled as tears gathered in her eyes as both their hearts fluttered wildly.
Law then nodded at the man dressed in black.
Neo stole a quick glance at the man and noticed he was holding a book with the word Bible printed on the front.
The preacher cleared his throat and started talking. "Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Trafalgar Law and Neo in matrimony commended to be honorable among all; and therefore is not to be entered into lightly but reverently, passionately, lovingly and solemnly. Into this - these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together - let them speak now or forever hold their peace."
When no one objected the preacher continued, "Our Father, love has been Your richest and greatest gift to the world. Love between a man and woman which matures into marriage is one of Your most beautiful types of loves. Today we celebrate that love. May your blessing be on this wedding service. Protect, guide, and bless Trafalgar Law and Neo in their marriage. Surround them and us with Your love now and always. Amen. And now these two will take a moment to share their vows with each other."
Law squeezed Neo's hands. "I, Law, take you Neo to be my wife, my partner in life, my one true love and my one true bonded. I will cherish our union, our bond and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."
Neo took a slow, deep breath, thankful that Law spoke first so she could remember what she was supposed to say. "I, Neo, take you Law to be my husband, my partner in life, my one true love and my one true bonded. I will cherish our union, our bond and love you more each day than I did the day before." Her voice cracked as she spoke. A couple tears dripped down her cheeks. Law gave her hands another squeeze. "I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."
Once the vows were said the preacher spoke up again. "And now is the time for the exchanging of the rings. This part of the ceremony will be different as the bride is already wearing her ring due to circumstances that happened prior to this joyous occasion. But the groom would like for his bride to place his ring on his finger."
"Ring?" Neo said with alarm in her voice. "Law, we decided you weren't going to wear one."
"I know. But I don't have to wear it on my finger. It just didn't feel right. I want people to know that I'm serious about us," Law said. He reached into his pocket. When he pulled his hand out, he turned his fist over then opened it. Lying in his palm was a silver chain and a silver ring. Neo picked the ring up and inspected it. It was almost identical to hers. It had the same heart shape design on it but it didn't hold any gems like hers did. Her eyes shot to Law. He put the chain around his neck. "For today and during times on the sub, I'll wear the ring. When we have to fight I'll wear it around my neck or leave it on the sub for safe keeping."
"Oh, Law." Neo brushed her tears away only to have more fall.
"If you will please place the ring on his left ring finger then light the unity candle," the preacher said.
Neo nodded. Nervously, she took Law's hand and slid the ring on it. The bride and groom then stepped over to the unity candle.
Law picked up the match and lit it. He then took Neo's hand in his and they lit the candle together.
"By the power vested in me by Million Bells Island, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride," the preacher said.
Leaning down to Neo, Law pressed his lips to hers.
Neo closed her eyes and kissed him back to the cheers of the crew.
"I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Trafalgar Neo!" the preacher concluded.
The crew erupted in more cheers then rushed forward to congratulate the couple. Penguin wrapped Neo in his arms while crying. "I so ha-habby! Y-you finawe m-married! M-my widdle s-s-sistar is m-married!"
"Penguin," Neo said, trying not to cry more herself. She rubbed her hand over his back. Once he freed her from his iron grip, she received more hugs and kisses from the rest of the crew.
Law was content in watching her while receiving handshakes and back pats from the crew.
Bepo was the only one brave enough to actually hug the captain.
After that Law exchanged a few words with the preacher and the photographer while the crew dove right into the after party. They revealed the cake and rest of the prepared food to Neo. The cake was four tiers with white icing outlined in orange icing around the edges and had the left over primroses circling around the bottom of it. "So this is why you wanted all those flowers."
"Yes, your majesty." Topaz smiled. "Forgive me for not telling you the truth about it. Are you upset with me?"
"Not at all! This was wonderful! Thank you so much!" Neo threw her arms around the older woman. "You are a wonderful big sister! I love you! I love you all!"
"And we love you, Mrs. Trafalgar," Topaz replied.
"I really like the sound of that." Neo giggled and blushed. Just then Law walked over. She instantly turned to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You! You did such a wonderful job hiding this from me! But how dare you let me wake up without you there!"
"I'm sorry, love. It won't happen again." Law leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. He then pulled her away from Topaz and started swaying around with her in his arms.
"I didn't know you knew how to dance," Neo said, trying her best not to step on his feet even though she was way lighter than him and shoeless.
Law chuckled. "Well, there are still some things you don't know about me yet. We both are still learning about each other."
"I suppose your right," Neo replied.
They danced for several songs before Law pulled her to the side of their partying crew. They sat down beside each other. Law said, "Contact Red Hair."
"Huh?" Neo turned her shocked eyes up to him. "Right now? But we just-"
"Yes." Law cut her off with his finger to her lips. "I want you to go to him right now. When you get to him, tell him about this and that I want him to see you. He'll know why."
"Oh, um, okay then. If it's really okay and what you want," Neo said tilting her head.
"Go ahead, love." Law kissed her temple.
She nodded then closed her eyes and made her way to her shared dream world. A few seconds later, Neo arrived on the same island they always met at. She looked around at the bell shaped flowers until she felt his presence. She turned and smiled at him.
His eyes widened while he looked her up and down. His eyes then shimmered as a bright smile spread across his lips. "I assume, considering the way you are dressed, that you and the little pirate surgeon finally got married?"
"Yes!" Neo squeaked with glee. She bounced happily before wrapping her arms around his waist. "I'm married! We're married! We finally got married! I'm so happy!"
"Well, congratulations, my child, my daughter!" Shanks said. He wrapped his arm around her and hugged her as tightly as he could without crushing her. "I'm glad you are so happy. But shouldn't you be with your husband and crew?"
"Law wanted me to come here," Neo said pulling back from him. "He was very insistent on me seeing you right now. And he said you would know why."
"I see." Shanks nodded.
"See what?" Neo asked curiously.
"At some weddings the bride and her father share what's called a father/daughter dance," Shanks replied. "I guess the little pirate surgeon didn't want you to miss out on that."
"Oh," Neo drawled. "Because you're my godfather. You are like a father to me."
"Correct." Shanks nodded. He then held out his hand to her. "May I?"
"Of course!" Neo nodded with a huge smile. She placed her hand in his. Shanks then guided her around in a special dance for a while before kissing her and insisting she return to her husband. "I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too," Shanks said with another kiss to her forehead. "Give my best to that pirate husband of yours. I'm going to go celebrate with my crew now too. They're going to love this."
"Give them my love. And don't you all drink a whole lot now," Neo said in a concerned, almost motherly like tone, as she poked Shanks on his chest.
"We won't," Shanks said before they both left that world.
Neo looked right up at Law when she returned. "You wanted me to dance with him because you know I see him as a father."
Law nodded.
Neo cupped his cheek and pulled him down into a kiss.
"Hey, hey!" Shachi then called. "There'll be plenty of time for that later! Let's cut the cake!"
"Yeah!" the crew cheered.
Neo then stood up. Pulling Law with her, the two made their way over to the cake. They cut it, shared a piece then Neo started dancing with the crew again.
Law was content to stand off to the side. He was leaning against a tree while he watched Neo and the crew dance around and celebrate their union. He went to bring his drink up to his lips when he suddenly felt a familiar presence beside him. The familiar presence placed his hand on Law's shoulder and whispered into his ear. "I'm proud of you, Law. You take very good care of her now. You hear me? If you don't, I'll come back from the dead and kill you."
"Cora?!" Law gasped and turned around when the presence disappeared. He looked around, but found no sign of the man.
"Law!" Neo called out.
Law turned just as she plowed into him with a beautiful string of bell filled laughter.
Her laughing stopped when she noticed his expression. "What is it, Law? Is something wrong? You look a bit pale."
"No, love, nothing's wrong," Law said stroking her cheek. He smiled, thinking of how Corazon was somehow at their wedding. "Everything is prefect."
"Okay then." Neo smiled. "Let's dance some more!"
Law chuckled as she dragged him back to the crew.
…
Neo fanned out her hair while staring at herself in the mirror. Her stomach was turning like a whirlpool. Even though Law had said they weren't going to have sex on their wedding night, she was still nervous for some reason. Giving herself one more glance in the mirror, she turned and left the room. Just like always, Law greeted her with a kiss to the forehead when she exited the small room. He then entered into himself as she stepped over to her Luminous shelf. She stared at the pictures with a smile before climbing into bed.
A short time later, Law exited the bathroom, turned off the light, and joined her in their bed. She laid against his chest with a sigh.
"What is it, love?"
"I guess I'm still a bit confused on why we're not going to have sex tonight," Neo admitted. "I mean you want to. You've had so many sexual thoughts about me and this night."
"I know I have. You're just not ready yet. If you were, you would have already made your move."
"I might not be." Neo pushed herself up into a sitting position. "But you are. I can do it for you."
"No, Neo, this isn't about what I want," Law said sitting up himself. "This is about what you need. And you need to wait until you are ready. Besides, I'm not as ready as you seem to think I am."
"What do you mean?"
"It's going to hurt you. You know I don't want that," Law said raking his fingers through her hair. "I don't ever want to hurt you. So I am perfectly fine with waiting until you are ready."
"But how will I know when I'm ready?" Neo mumbled.
"You'll just know. It's pretty much instinctual," Law replied. Putting his arm around her, he pulled her back down to the bed with him.
"You are so wonderful in being so patient with me. You really are the best." Neo brushed her thumb over his bare chest. She then tilted her head to look at him with narrowed eyebrows. "But we are going to do it eventually, right?"
Law chuckled. "Yes, love. Eventually, we will. For now, let's just enjoy this moment. We're married now."
"Yeah." Neo nodded. "We're married."
