Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it!

Chapter 5

Waiting

Ichiji led Nami inside the front entrance of the manor. He briefly checked his pocket watch before offering to give her a proper tour. It was something she had previously hoped for, although with a different guide. It was easy to pull a con when she could read her mark. Unfortunately, Ichiji was the one Vinsmoke that showed her nothing. She was desperate to understand his intentions so she could plan for whatever was to come. That ended up causing her to struggle with dividing her attention between mentally mapping the layout and trying to get a read on Ichiji.

Conversation didn't flow as easily as with his brothers. With Niji and Yonji, she would let them regale her with stories of their "heroism" and would easily feign interest, or she could laugh at their shallow attempts at jokes. Ichiji seemed reluctant to speak freely. When she wasn't looking at him, she could feel his gaze boring into her. With every step, she had to work harder to temper her fear. Did he know who she was? Was he simply getting her away from the others so he could confront her? Kill her? She hadn't used a fake name but was careful to hide her tattoo. She had no weapon on her to fight back and no way to signal to law if she needed help. She did not bring her baby den den mushi because they planned to be together during the celebration. All of the servants or soldiers who would normally be inside were out at the games. They were alone, and she prayed her wits were enough to get her through whatever he had planned.

They reached the top floor and he led her down the wide hallway, pointing out the bedrooms of the Vinsmoke siblings as well as some guest accommodations. They didn't enter any of these rooms, and he gave her a look that pushed her forward without touching her when she lingered too long in a doorway. She wouldn't be able to map out the rooms in detail, but she could tell the basic layout and size based on what she saw from the outside and the floors below. At the end of the hallway, he stopped to motion to a set of large, wooden double doors. "After you."

She hesitated but pushed back her thoughts of dread as it seemed the tour was ending and he would subject her to whatever torment was involved in his chosen favor.

As the doors opened, she had to blink a few times to adjust to the lighting. The sun was beginning to set as a sea of soft pinks, oranges, and blues scattered across the horizon. The sunset was reflected in the ocean beneath as well as in the flowers covering all sides of the moderately sized balcony. She let out a small gasp at the sight, and she heard Ichiji let out a short huff of air behind her. She walked to the edge and took in the full landscape. Her eyes drifted from the sea to the rooftops of the town and ended on the lawn with the concluding games. She all but forgot herself until she glanced down to see a dark figure under a tree, a white ball of fluff in his arms, returning her gaze with unwavering golden eyes.

She held his gaze even as she heard the door behind her close, sensed footsteps approach, and felt the heat of the man standing directly behind her.

It felt like ages waiting for her to return. Law cursed himself for not forcing her to bring the baby den den mushi. He cursed himself for allowing her to talk him out of bringing his sword. He cursed himself for letting the situation get so far out of his control. He knew his time would be better served questioning Niji and Yonji, but he did not trust how thin his temper was at the moment. Stroking the hair of the now sleeping mink cub was all he could do to keep from going insane.

Ichiji seemed utterly uninterested in Nami by everything she had told him. The oldest brother seemed to be the cleverest, although based on his brief experience with the Vinsmokes, Law doubted any of them were all that bright. She focused on manipulating the other two, and he worried what Ichiji may have seen in her while her attention was elsewhere.

Movement caught his eye on one of the balconies. He had been watching the outside of the manor religiously, looking for any sense of what was inside.

His heart lifted slightly as he watched the redhead gaze over the island, seemingly unharmed. She was safe. She was calm. She was looking back at him.

As quickly as it had lifted, Law's heart dropped back down into his stomach as he watched the prince slowly approach the balcony's edge, stopping closely behind her. He couldn't tell from this angle if he was touching her or what he might be whispering in her ear. Had he done something to her already? Was the favor complete? Why had she done this to herself? Law knew he didn't deserve any act of kindness from her. His anxiety was almost too much to contain as she looked away from him, following Ichiji back inside.

To Law's surprise, it was only a few minutes before they exited the manor and walked directly toward him. He was ready to make up an excuse to leave immediately but was surprised again when Ichiji did it for him, insisting they take their leave with the mink to get him acclimated to his new masters.

As they walked away, Law could feel Ichiji's eyes on their backs. He was all but driven mad by Nami's reluctance to immediately tell him what had happened, but he held his tongue until they returned to their apartment where they were safe from unwanted eyes and ears.

As soon as the door shut behind them, he set down the bear and rushed to Nami to begin looking her over. His eyes and hands moved quickly over her hair, face, neck, and shoulders.

"Law! What the hell are you doing?!" She squealed as his hands turned over her arms, searching for any sign of unwanted touch. He reached to spin her by her shoulders, but she slapped his hand away.

"Tell me what happened," he demanded.

For a brief moment, she looked like she was going to clobber him but after meeting his eyes, she stopped herself. She let out an annoyed sigh, "He didn't touch me."

Law released a deep breath he didn't realize he was holding. He looked away, realizing just how tense his body had been. Stay calm. Stay in control. He turned to lift the mink in his arms and took a seat on the small couch.

"Tell me everything" he demanded again, though calmly this time.

Nami sighed again and walked over to the breakfast table, grabbing some blank paper to begin drafting.

"A please wouldn't kill you," she mumbled under her breath.

"Nami-ya."

"Alright already, geez! I'll tell you everything, but let me do this while it's fresh in my mind. When Ichiji took me inside, I finally got the tour of the manor I've been wanting."

"Why would he do that?" Law wondered out loud. He expected Yonji or Niji to take her on the tour in an effort to seduce her. It was painfully obvious how they took any opportunity to touch her, even more so when there was a pang in Law's chest when she allowed it. He swore it was because he'd be to blame if anything happened to her on Germa and success in this mission was vital to his own. No one there had expected the flippant, brooding brother to return with the bear less than him. That made the pang in his chest move to his stomach as he realized his mistake. He had been watching Niji and Yonji like a hawk, so much so that he neglected to assess Ichiji as another threat, another player in this game, another element of the puzzle to be dealt with. Ichiji had tricked both his brothers and Law into underestimating him. His intentions were a mystery, making things that much harder to plan for. Another element out of his control. He felt the tension in his muscles rising again.

"I have my theories, but he's harder to read than the other two." She continued sketching quickly. She would get the rough drafts completed first and add the finer details in later. "But I think he was trying to kill time before he took me on the balcony."

Law furrowed his brow. The cub began snoring in his lap as he absent-mindedly stroked behind his ears. He needed a plan for the mink, but that had to wait until he got answers.

"I got the basics of the main 3 floors. In addition to the security post at the entrance to the grounds, there's a security room on the second floor with several monitors. I couldn't get a good look at what they were showing, but there weren't any surveillance den den mushi that I could see anywhere he showed me." She set aside the paper and grabbed another to sketch out the next floor. "And based on the amount of emergency generators hidden in the back garden, I'd bet my wardrobe there's more than just an infirmary in the basement."

"Makes sense," Law hummed. He had assumed they had something to do with their technology hidden in the manor, but he wasn't expecting more than a small medical bay after Nami mentioned that is where Yonji went after his arm was broken. The Vinsmokes owned the whole island, including several businesses and production plants, so it wasn't necessary to have such a large facility underground. "I'm impressed. I hadn't clocked the generators."

Nami paused to glance at him over her shoulder with a sly smile. "I'm not surprised," she teased. "From what I saw from the balcony, you were too busy clocking me."

Law gently pushed the cub off his lap and onto the couch. He walked to the table as she retreated to her drafts, starting on the final of the 3 floors. Resting a hand on the back of her chair, he leaned over her to view her progress. He wanted to argue, but she was right. He should have seen that. He was off his game. "What favor did he ask of you?"

She paused her sketching before answering. "He didn't."

"I- That doesn't make sense. Why would he buy time leading you on this tour if it didn't involve the favor? He's hardly spoken two words to you before today. He wouldn't just decline the favor he went out of his way to get." He was worried. There were too many variables. He needed more information. When she didn't answer him immediately, he took Nami's hands in his own, knelt beside her, and turned her to look at him. "Nami-ya. What happened on that balcony?"

Nami thoughtfully stared back at him with big brown eyes. "Hardly anything, honestly. Before we walked out there, I was worried he was taking me somewhere to question me. That he was stalling with the tour to torture me or size me up. But when I opened the doors to the balcony, I realized he was waiting for the right view. For the sunset."

Law looked at her quizzically, but he waited in silence for her to continue.

"It was breathtaking." He couldn't help but frown as she continued. "It was weird though. He just stood behind me quietly while I took it all in. I almost forgot he was there." She half chuckled. "When he did speak, he told me he wouldn't ask me for the favor today. He gave me a den den mushi and said he'd be in touch within the week but gave no other information." She paused in thought. "When I saw the sunset I assumed he was interested in me the way his brothers are, but he never touched me. It should've been romantic but he just stood there like a statue... and I caught him frowning at my dress. It was the closest thing to an emotion he displayed the whole time."

Law hummed in thought but waited to speak in case there was anything else she would add.

"That was it. The sunset was quickly fading, and he told me we should get home before dark."

Law released her hands with another hum. He took the seat across from her and removed his hat, running his fingers through his hair. "I don't like it."

"Welcome to the club," she mused.

He looked up at her. The hanging pendent light above the breakfast table cast shadows across her eyes underneath her bangs. She gazed thoughtfully over the maps as she bit her lip. Law dragged his own gaze from her lips and stared intently at the maps.

Collecting his thoughts, he spoke again, "I don't know exactly what the Vinsmokes' enhancements entail, but it is safe to say whatever chemicals involved have an affect on the skeletomuscular, neuroendocrine, and autonomic nervous systems. Increased speed, reaction time, strength; any enhancement like this would have to affect these in some way."

Nami looked up at him, waiting for him to explain what was clearly gibberish to her.

"These systems do a lot of things within the human body, including triggering bodily responses to emotional changes. They allow us to see how someone is feeling based on how they look. You might feel a lump in your throat and swallow hard, feel the flush of your cheeks when you blush, or clench your fists when you are angry. We know all three Vinsmoke brothers have been subjected to these enhancements. If Ichiji's ability to show or have normal emotions has been altered by their technology, it's curious that it doesn't seem to affect Niji or Yonji the same way." He paused to glance at Nami. "It's a theory. It would explain why he's not as emotive or predictable as his brothers. It's not uncommon for patients to react differently to the same treatment, even when the patients are siblings. There's also the possibility that Ichiji was given something more concentrated or maybe additional doses. When we can get a look at their research, we'll find out if our theory was correct."

"It's also possible that he just has a wet blanket for a personality," she added.

"Potentially," Law considered.

"If not though, if there are other side effects we didn't anticipate..." Nami trailed off.

Law looked at her again. She was starting to look as worried as he felt. He pulled out a den den mushi and started making a call.

After a few rings the black eyes opened, surrounded in white fur. A soft male voice answered, "Captain?"

Law watched Nami as he responded to the voice on the phone. "Bepo, it's good to hear your voice." Nami's eyes widened as she realized who he was talking to. She looked up and smiled. A lazy grin grew across his face. "We need your help."

Nami struggled to sleep the next two nights. She was tired of waiting already. Bepo would take about three days to make the voyage to Germa, possibly longer if they had problems docking discreetly.

She received no call from Ichiji either. She wondered if this was actually the torture he had in store for her.

After Saturday, they agreed they needed to be more careful about what they leave lying around the apartment. The Vinsmokes had their address and moving locations wasn't an option. They weren't sure if it was in their heads, but both of them mentioned feeling a tingle down their spine as if they were being watched. Nami swore she saw the same black car that picked them up a few times and wondered just how many idling cars the Vinsmokes had on the island.

It was well after midnight as Nami stared up at the ceiling above her bed. Convinced sleep was out of the cards for a while, she peeked out of her room to see Law lounging on the couch with his eyes closed. The sleeping cub was curled up on his chest. It had taken them a while to coax it out of him, but the bear took to Law quickly and trusted him with his real name, Oso. She smiled at the sight. It reassured her that her decision was worth everything she might endure over the next week.

Nami silently crept behind the couch to the breakfast table. The maps she had created since coming to the island were safely hidden, but a few blank pages and pencils were left out. She lit a small candle, glancing back to make sure she hadn't woken either of them. When she was satisfied, she started sketching. It didn't take her long, even as she took slow, quiet strokes with her pencil. She had done this a thousand times. She traced the coast, the village, and finally the mikan grove that was the only real home she ever knew.

"What are you drawing?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

Nami looked up to see golden eyes watching her over the back of the couch.

"I didn't mean to wake you. It's nothing important." She smiled softly.

Law carefully shifted the bear onto a pillow next to where his chest had been before sitting by her at the table. She continued sketching as he silently watched.

He took a few minutes to study her work. His voice was low as he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "It may not be relevant to our mission, but it's obviously important." She relaxed a little despite his closeness.

"What makes you think that?" She whispered back.

"You've drawn this before. Many times I'd guess. Your strokes are soft but intentional, almost like a signature. Nothing like anything else I've seen you do."

She stopped to look at him but didn't respond.

"Nami-ya, why did you save Oso?" He asked suddenly, just as softly and quietly as before.

"I don't know," she lied. She fought hard to rein in the tears forming in her eyes as she looked away. An overwhelming loneliness tugged at her chest.

He slid his hand over hers on the table. Her brain told her to pull away, but the warmth of his skin was magnetic. His other hand caressed her cheek as he brushed away a fallen tear.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I shouldn't have told you about Bepo. That wasn't part of the plan."

She looked at him and saw the genuine remorse in his eyes. "Don't be." Her voice shook slightly, but it steadied as she went on. "I don't regret anything. I'm glad you told me. It's just..."

She looked back at the map. Her desperate heart was winning out over her mind, and she resolved to shed some of the weight she forced herself to carry.

"This is Cocoyashi Village." She set down her pencil to place her free hand on the page. She pointed to the coast. "This was where we used to watch ships in the bay." Her hand traced along sections of the map as she continued to describe the different areas. "This was where I stole my first book. I thought Mayor Genzo was going to throw me in a cell." A sad smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "This was Nako's office. He was the village doctor. We could barely even afford to eat, so we never went there except to try to sell him mikans."

She continued to speak. The more she described each location the lighter she felt. After going through the village buildings, she told him about the mikan grove and the small home she lived in. "This is where my mother saved our lives from Arlong." Her hand trailed to a sketch of a large tree at the edge of a cliff side. "And this is where my sister and I buried her."

Her hand was shaking over the map. "Her name was Bellemere." Silent tears began to fall again. "I just... I miss her." Nami struggled to get the words out. In an instant, she felt Law release her hand and pull her against his chest with one arm around her shoulders and the other cradling the back of her head. She leant into him, gripping tightly to the front of his shirt as she cried warm tears onto his clothing.

Nami knew he left his home at a young age but didn't know the circumstances. She took a risk sharing this with him, but she knew by the way he held her that he understood. He shared her pain.

After several minutes, she stopped crying and pulled away to collect herself. Law didn't speak but he remained close, watching her as he ran his fingers through her hair.

She sighed softly to herself. "Drawing this usually makes me feel better... Reminds me what I'm doing this for... so I never forget."

Law finally spoke, "You're trying to save your village?"

Nami stared hard at the map, taking in every detail. "No," she said so softly he almost didn't hear it. "Cocoyashi Village is a ghost town. There is only one person there who remains."

She knew Law was waiting for her to continue, but she had said all she was willing to say. She looked at him and put a hand on his shoulder, silently thanking him.

"You know, I think I'm ready to sleep after all." Her smile was slight but genuine. She folded the map a few times until it was small enough to fit in her hand. Law remained silent at the table as she retreated to her room. She slid the map inside her pillow case and laid down, finally finding the rest she desperately needed.