Chapter 2

16 hours later

"Ugh," Lyanna groaned as she woke up and tried to get her bearings.

As she cracked her eyes open slowly, she didn't find her surroundings familiar. She couldn't even remember where she was before she must have passed out. Despite this, she didn't feel like she was in danger. In fact, she felt okay. Better than she had in weeks. She wasn't in as much physical pain and didn't have a headache.

Someone began yelling somewhere nearby, and she willed them to shut up. Even though she didn't have a headache, she'd end up with one if they kept going. Thankfully, the sound faded as they passed, but she heard more voices heading back a moment later.

Faintly recognising one, they hushed the others, and she tried to focus her vision to see who was around. Although she didn't care what became of her, she didn't feel unsafe here. Someone loomed over her, a man with olive skin, facial hair and a white, spotted hat. Why was Trafalgar Law, Captain of the Heart Pirates, so-called 'Surgeon of Death' helping her? She had nothing to offer in return, no money, treasure or information.

"You're safe here, and we're taking care of you." His voice was calm and low. "You passed out in the town, and we brought you here."

"Why are you helping me?" She managed to whisper loud enough for him to hear.

"Because I'm a doctor." He replied evenly.

"Then I can leave?"

"If you do, you'll be dead within a day."

"Okay." Lyanna tried her best to sit up, intent on leaving so she could die alone, glad to know that she was physically close to death since her pain was killing her anyway.

"What are you doing?" His voice lost its cool edge.

"Leaving."

"I just told you that you'll die if you leave."

"I know. If I could, I would have told you to leave me be and let me die when you first found me. I'm grateful for your help, but you can stop now." Her voice was raspy from lack of use, and she levered her legs over the side of the cot to stand.

His hands came to her shoulders to stop her from standing, and he was scowling at her. The look in his eyes was confused and frustrated, but he relaxed a second later and took his hands off her, stepping back to give her some room. He wasn't precisely allowing her to leave, but he wasn't stopping her either.

"Why do you want to leave?" Law asked, his voice softening.

"I presume, if you treated me, that you saw my Jolly Roger tattoo," Lyanna asked, and Law stared for a moment before nodding. "Then all you need to know is that there is nothing left for me in the world."

He didn't step aside to let her leave, and although this frustrated her, it wasn't what really got to her. The look in his eyes told her that he understood what she was going through. If he understood, then why was he stopping her from leaving? Law took a slow breath in and out as he took in what she said and seemed to be trying to figure out what to say.

"I know you don't want to live, but the rest of the Whitebeard pirates aren't dead. You have crewmates that are waiting for you." His low voice was somewhat calming, albeit firm, and he spoke just a bit louder than a whisper.

"I don't know where they are, and I can't find them. They haven't tried to reach out to me, and I can't get in contact with them." Law heard her answer, but it didn't seem enough for him to step aside and let her go.

"That doesn't mean they aren't looking for you. They are in as much pain as you are right now. They need you just as much as you need them." Law's simple yet profound response reminded her that the last thing the crew needed was to lose her as well.

She leaned back slightly, and Law took that as a sign that she wouldn't get up and run out the door, not that she would be physically capable of doing so anyway. He relaxed a little, his shoulders dropping as he let his guard down, not completely, but just enough to show his trust in her to stay. Although she still felt unbelievable anguish and pain, she didn't know if she could add to the crew's pain by dying.

"How about we make a deal?" Law's tone was supposed to entice her, and she couldn't deny that it was working. "Stay with us for a while, and if you still want to die, I'll let you go quietly." A strange look came across his face, and she couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind.

"How long?"

"2 months." He said after a brief moment of thought.

"If I still want to die, you'll let me throw myself into the sea to drown?"

"As a doctor, I won't forgive myself, but I'll let you." His face fell as they sobered at the realisation of the life-and-death deal they were currently making.

"You got a deal."

He held a large hand out to her, and she grasped it as they shook hands to cement their deal. Law smirked again, and Lyanna couldn't change her expression more than a fractional and momentary tilt of the corner of her mouth.

"I thought you were the Surgeon of Death and known for your brutality. Why bother saving a random woman's life?"

"I am a doctor, and you haven't pissed me off, so I didn't want to let you die." A dark smirk appeared on his face, and she huffed. "On that note, who the hell are you?" Law's tone changed, and he fully relaxed, satisfied that she wouldn't kill herself in the next 5 minutes.

"Lyanna. I'm an information broker. I mostly worked for the old man by keeping an eye on his territories and passing on anything important. I wasn't part of his crew." She answered as she shifted uncomfortably on the cot, exhausted from their small conversation. She usually didn't tell people anything about herself, but he had saved her life. The least she could do was be honest with him.

"Trafalgar Law. Doctor and Captain of the Heart Pirates. But you already knew that."

"I didn't realise you were so tall." She offered as if that was the only thing she didn't know about him.

He chuckled softly and shook his head in response but looked her up and down as if assessing her height. She noticed and went to stand, but her legs gave way immediately once she put weight on them, but Law caught her before she crumpled to the floor. As he helped her stand, he laughed again. Lyanna was shorter than average, almost exactly 5 feet tall, so Law towered over her. Guessing that he was amused by her height or lack thereof, she looked up at him with mock offense.

Ignoring her glare, he ushered her to lay back down, which she did without fuss. She was too tired to fight back and could barely keep her eyes open. Once she laid down and the amusement disappeared, she was left with her grief again, and Law didn't say anything else, even as she fell asleep with tears falling down her face…