Rose POV

Trafalgar Law... ?

Rose gulped as retreated from the door she had been pressed up against. After she had heard them discussing her situation, she had listened intently at the door.

That was his name. Trafalgar Law. The Surgeon of Death. The name sent a chill down her spine. Was this man someone she should fear, after all?

His last words rung in her ears. She doesn't know who we are, and it needs to stay that way.

She now understood that he and his crew weren't from here – their submarine had been damaged, and she assumed that meant they'd taken cover on this island. And now, they were looking to escape the island too, once their ship was fixed.

She recalled the doctor's plan for her. Leave her here for the Marines to deal with without risking her exposing us.

Heart hammering, she felt a horrible, twisting feeling in her stomach at the thought. Was he really going to leave her to the Marines, after what had happened to her?

I'd rather go with the pirates.

The thought shocked her. Just a few days ago, the idea of preferring the company of dangerous pirates over the Marines would have been ludicrous to her. And yet, a small flame of hope sparked inside of her…if they had a ship, they had a way to escape this island. Maybe she could convince them to help her escape too?

No more voices echoed from the hallway, meaning that the doctor and the other man had left. Bracing herself, Rose unlocked the door and peaked cautiously out.

The white bear was waiting outside. He started a little when he saw Rose step out from the bathroom, then two of them stood their awkwardly for a second, staring at each other. Whilst she'd overheard the doctor's name through the bathroom door, she had been too shocked to remember what he'd called the white bear.

"H-hello…" Rose said tentatively, watching the bear cautiously.

"Hello Miss." The bear nodded in greeting, seemingly just as cautious about Rose. His feet shuffled, brown boots scuffing the floor. "La- I mean, erm…the captain has asked me to watch you."

Rose nodded, still watching the bear warily. It was still hard to process that a bear was talking to her, but it wasn't the strangest thing that she'd experienced recently.

His nose twitched, and his hands wrung nervously. "Erm… are you ready to go back to the treatment room?" He asked sheepishly.

Despite everything, Rose found herself biting her lip, trying to keep a smile off her face. The bear's kind yet slightly skittish nature was endearing, and so unlike what she'd expected of a pirate crew member. So with the bear's help, they returned back to the operating room, although she wasn't keen on returning to that cold bench and the strong smell of antiseptic.

Once Rose was settled on the bench, the bear began pottering around the room. The doctor – Law she recalled – had clearly given him a list of things to do. He was quite clumsy when performing the tasks, yet very careful all the same. In fact, Rose was so entertained by his apparent uncertainty that it distracted her from the dark thoughts she had experienced earlier that morning.

His first task was to apparently to help her clean her hair whilst avoiding her head wound, as well as change her bandages and clean her cuts once more. He had Rose lean her head back into a basin as he carefully cleaned her hair and scalp, taking caution to avoid the painful cut on her head.

The bear definitely seemed more sympathetic than the doctor – he was very gentle with her, and apologised profusely when he accidentally squirted some shampoo into her eye.

"Sorry!" He exclaimed, dabbing her face with a towel. "That was an accident…"

Rose couldn't help but giggle with amusement though. "It's okay."

He gave her a sheepish, toothy smile in return. "Let me know if I'm hurting you, Miss."

"My name is Rose." She said quietly. The bear's hands didn't falter.

"That's a nice name," he said as he wrung out her hair. Rose looked down, a small smile creeping onto her face. He handed her a towel and she sat up, squeezing the water out of her wet hair.

"Do you have a name?" She asked after a moment. She knew it was likely a lost cause to ask, but she felt a strange urge inside of herself to know all she could about the group of pirates stranded with her on this Marine base of an island. Especially this big, kind, fuzzy pirate.

The bear blinked at her. "I do, yes," he said. "I can't tell you though. Sorry."

Disappointed but not surprised, Rose nodded. "It's fine. I expected you to say that."

The bear began to tend to her bandages, starting with replacing the damp ones against her head wound.

"How did you learn to speak?"

Her question seemed to take the animal by surprise, and he accidentally tugged on a strand of hair near the sensitive wound which caused her to flinch. "Sorry!" He exclaimed. Yet, he seemed satisfied to answer. "I've always known how to speak. I grew up around humans... it's always been natural."

Intrigued, Rose continued to ask him various questions as he continued to care for her, such as what medicine did what, why he needed to apply it how he did. She asked them tentatively, trying not to ask questions that he wouldn't answer, but she found speaking to the bear very easy, and soon his hesitance to speak too much dissolved.

The bear continued to go through the tasks, cleaning her cuts with antiseptic lotion and giving her an ice pack for her ribs. Although their conversation remained simple, Rose got the impression that she had befriended the bear.

~ x ~

Over the next few days, she spent a lot of time with the bear. He explained to Rose that the doctor was busy with other urgent matters, and that for now he was watching over her now that she was in a stable condition.

They passed the time by talking, or by playing cards, and the small flame of friendship between the them continued to grow slowly. She found it easy to trust to bear - it was hard not to. He seemed earnest and kind.

He seemed curious about her, and asked a lot of questions. She found herself telling the bear about her island, her parents and friends and how she missed them. She even explained why she had chosen to leave - curiosity about what lay out beyond the seas of Agea. Talking about Agea made her voice thick with emotion, especially when she talked about her parents, but it was comforting to dive back into the memories of home.

Initially the bear made sure their conversation never strayed towards Law, or the other members of the crew. But Rose couldn't dispel the nagging curiosity.

"Your crew," she began as the bear was re-bandaging the head. "Are you all on this island?"

"Yes. Our ship wrecked on the rocks so we were forced to come ashore. We're still fixing it now, before the Marines come back."

Rose cocked her head. "What do you mean, before they come back?"

"The Captain didn't tell you? Another Marine envoy will come to this island soon."

Rose swallowed. She remembered what she'd heard through the door. The doctor planned to leave her here for the Marines to find. The thought still sent shivers of fear down her spine.

"Do you know when?" She asked quietly.

The bear shook his head. "We think in a week or so. We plan to be gone by then."

"Will your ship be fixed by then?"

"It has to be." The bear nodded resolutely. "The Marines can't know about us. They'll attack us again for knowing about this place."

Rose was confused. Didn't the pirates attack the Marines?

"But didn't you…" she trailed off. The bear's paws paused, and he glanced at Rose expectantly. She swallowed. "…kill them?" She finished, voice catching at the end.

At this, the bear's ears dropped slightly. "Well, yes. But we had no choice. They wouldn't let us repair the ship and leave. They attacked us first, wanting to protect the base. We do try to avoid it if we can, but in this case…"

That wasn't what Rose had thought had happened. The Marines in the prison had implied the pirate crew had descended upon them willingly.

Maybe…they're not what I thought?

"What happened to the men in the basement?" She found herself asking.

The bear shifted nervously at that. Rose watched him, feeling her stomach squirm. She knew the bear knew what had happened to her, given he had been with the doctor when he'd taken her out of the prison.

"The Captain took care of them."

Rose knew what that meant. "Oh." She felt oddly numb to that information. Not satisfied, or avenged, or upset. In fact, she was more concerned by her lack of disgust, over being concerned at hearing the doctor had killed the men.

"But he's not a bad man, I promise!" The bear hurried to explain. "The Captain is the best man I know."

That caught her attention. "Really?" She said, failing to hide the scepticism in her voice. "Why?"

"He saved me." The bear spoke with a fond voice. "He saved most of us. He gave us something the rest of the world didn't want to. He gave us a home, a crew…a family, of sorts."

The animal's words touched something inside her. Rose had always assumed pirate crews were ruled by fear and begrudging respect. That's how the stories passed down on the island always painted pirates.

Listening to the bear, it seemed Law had earned his crew's loyalty through helping them in one way or another.

He saved me too.

The idea of a pirate captain with any sense of nobility was foreign to Rose, but thinking about the doctor, she found it oddly made sense. Despite his serious and somewhat unapproachable demeanour, he had never given Rose a reason to doubt his intentions since he had saved her from the men in the basement.

Maybe he wasn't the man she thought he was.

~ x ~

As she recovered, Rose found that breathing became easier and less painful, and she could put a small amount of pressure on her ankle. Her bruises began fading to a dark yellowy colour, and her cuts began to scab over.

She even found the dark thoughts entered her mind less often than usual. Perhaps it was the constant company of the friendly bear that helped lift her spirits, or the fact that with each passing day she processed her unusual situation, or that each day the bear and the doctor proved to her that they meant no harm.

Every evening, Law came to check on her and ask the bear for updates. His grey eyes always searched hers as he entered the room, and Rose's heart always began pounding in response, yet she had no idea whether it was from fear or...something else.

He wouldn't stay long though - just long enough to check her condition, and give her the same sleeping draught he'd given her the first night, knocking her out into a dreamless sleep. Rose was grateful for it, to not be sucked into her dark thoughts in the dead of night.

Apart from that, he stayed away. The fleetingness of his presence meant that Rose often found herself thinking about him – whilst Rose felt safe in the bear's company, she felt oddly drawn to the mysterious doctor and to the sense of security he gave her.

At one point, Rose asked the bear why he couldn't tell her anything about himself or the doctor, and what plans they had. She hoped the animal might be able to provide her with more answers than Law had.

"We can't tell you, not only for our own security, but for yours too."

She bit back her frustration. Same answer as the doctor.

When Rose asked him to explain further, he just shook his head. "All I can tell you is that you're not our prisoner, but we have to keep you in a sort of isolation so you don't learn anything you're not supposed to."

She didn't press her luck by asking any further questions.

~ x ~

On what must have been the fifth evening of this strange isolation, the doctor came in earlier than usual, when Rose had just finished a cup of water which the bear had nearly forced her to drink. She lifted her head, watching him. He approached her, giving her a quick once-over with his eyes before turning to the bear.

"Dinner's ready. I'd be quick if I were you, the others are acting like they've never been fed."

At that, the bear's stomach growled loudly. Sheepishly, he clutched at it before nodding. The doctor's mouth curled up slightly in amusement.

"Alright, thanks Captain." He gave Rose a toothy smile as he left. "See you later Rose."

"Bye…" She said quietly after him with a small smile. As the door swung closed behind him, Rose watched Law as he approached. She realised this was the first time they'd been alone since he took her to the bathroom a few days ago.

"Rose," he rarely addressed her by her first name, so when he did, it caught her attention. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. Everything hurts less, especially my ribs."

Law nodded, moving closer. "And your ankle?"

"Better, I think." She gingerly rotated her injured ankle. "It's a bit stiff though."

The doctor scratched his chin. "Alright. I want to test it though, to see if it's healing properly."

Rose nodded hesitantly. "Okay…"

"Come off the bench." He wasn't asking. She obeyed, sliding down onto the cold floor of the operating room. She bore most of her weight on her good leg. "Try shifting your weight onto it. Slowly."

Carefully, Rose shifted her weight. It hurt a lot less than the last time she'd tried to do this - when she'd fallen and Law had caught her - but it still twinged.

"I-It still hurts a little." She winced. "But I can stand on it."

"Good," the doctor nodded, watching her ankle. "Now try without holding onto the bench."

Rose looked up apprehensively. "Really?"

He glanced up at her questioningly. "We need to test the strength of your ankle."

After hesitating slightly, Rose let go of the bench slowly. "Now what?"

"Try and keep your balance. Tell me if it's too much."

Her leg wobbled as she stood, but for the most part she managed it. She marvelled at how quickly her ankle was improving, even if it wasn't one hundred percent better.

"That's good." The doctor nodded. "How does that feel?"

"Uncomfortable, but not too **bad."

He hummed in satisfaction. "Alright. Now try with your eyes closed."

Her eyes shot up to him. "S-sorry?" She all but squeaked. Had she heard him correctly?

He raised his eyes to her questioningly. "Is there a problem?"

"W-well," she stammered. She wasn't sure how to explain her sudden trepidation. "Not really…"

With a shaky sigh, she closed her eyes and focussed on balancing. It was considerably harder to remain balanced with her eyes closed, and her ankle protested. She wobbled and after a second, felt herself begin to tip over.

Before she could exclaim in panic, she felt a pair of strong hands steady her shoulders, anchoring her. Her eyes snapped open.

There was only a small space between their bodies. He'd stepped forward to balance her before she could fall. Her flailing arms had grabbed his forearms. Looking up at him, her cheeks flared and her heart pounded uncomfortably in her chest.

"Your balance is a little off still." His deep voice seemed to ring in her ears. Rose let out a shaky sound of agreement. "Try again."

He stepped back a little from her and releasing her shoulders. Rose was very aware of how close he still was though, and how his arms lingered close, ready to steady her again.

Heart thumping in her ears, Rose closed her eyes again and tried to keep balanced. Her ankle began to throb, and she wobbled.

She heard him shift closer ever so slightly. Something brushed her arm, and suddenly she felt like she couldn't breathe. The pounding in her chest and fluttering stomach was too much.

"That's all I can manage - it hurts too much." She said unsteadily, opening her eyes and grabbing for the table behind her. She couldn't look at him as she pushed herself back onto the bench, creating more space between them.

"Alright." He didn't comment on her abruptness. "Looks like it's getting there. Your balance should improve in the next few days too, the blood in your head wound will be throwing that off."

Rose could only nod, calming herself. What was wrong with her?

The doctor stepped closer, and finally she looked up at him.

"What about your head?" He asked, eyes focussed on her bandages wrapped around her head.

"The bear changed the bandages yesterday, but it's really itchy."

"That's a good sign," the doctor replied, and then stepped closer to examine the bandages. "Means it's healing."

His fingers brushed behind her ear as he carefully twisting her head to get a better look at the healing injury. The feeling caused Rose to have to suppress a tremble.

"What's he told you?" The doctor asked then. Rose frowned, confused. "The bear. Did he say anything?"

"Oh. Not much… he told me how your ship wrecked here, how you're repairing it before more Marines arrive."

The doctor didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue. He was still checking her head, still in close proximity.

Rose cleared her throat, continuing. "He also said that I'm not really a prisoner, but you still can't tell me anything about who you are."

She saw the doctor nod out of the corner of her eye. He spoke in a low voice. "Yeah. That's still the case."

His fingers were playing through her hair in a weirdly pleasant way. Tentatively, she lifted her eyes to the doctor. Trafalgar Law. She knew his name. He was close, and she could see the stubble on his sharp jaw, the creases under his eyes, the gold earrings. The fluttering in her stomach from earlier returned. He also told me how you're the best man he knows. She lowered her gaze, cheeks warm again.

Law began to adjust the bandages. The silence was heavy - all that could be heard was their breathing, and the rustling of clothes and bandages.

"I never got the chance to apologise."

The soft voice of the doctor took Rose by surprise. Blinking in shock, she raised her eyes to meet his. He was looking at her in a way which he had never done before – his features were still hard, yet there was something swimming in his eyes. Not quite sympathy, but close.

"What those men did to you, I shouldn't have let happen."

Her stomach clenched uncomfortably, and she looked down quickly, biting her lip. His words shocked her – she wasn't aware he felt guilty over what happened. Trying to form some sort of response, she opened her mouth.

"N-no..." she began hastily after a pause. "It wasn't your fault." That's all she could think to say at first, but then she was able to descramble her thoughts. "I…I never said thank you. For saving me."

After another pause, she looked up at him. He seemed to be lost in thought, but when she looked at him, his eyes returned to hers. In that moment, Rose once again felt that strange trance-like feeling settled over her.

The doctor gazed back, unblinking. Then his mouth parted, as if to speak. Rose watched him in anticipation, feeling her heartbeat quicken.

Just then, the door opened, and the moment dissipated. Her head snapped towards the door, almost as if she'd been caught red-handed doing something she shouldn't have. The doctor did the same. The bear was standing at the door, watching the two of them.

"The others are done with dinner. I saved you some food in the kitchen, Captain." The bear said, looking at Law expectantly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the doctor take a small step away from her and nod at the bear.

"Thanks," he muttered, turning to bin the bandages he held in her hand.

"Do you want me to watch her?"

"Yeah, I'm all done here." Law went to wash his hands in the sink. The bear approached Rose, holding a small metal food tray piled high with food.

"This is for you, Rose."

"Oh, thanks." She said quietly.

The doctor brushed behind the bear as he began to leave. Rose glanced up at him. Their eyes met. He inclined his head slightly as if in goodbye, then turned away towards the door.

Something inside of Rose dropped in unexpected disappointment.

"Wait!" She exclaimed without thinking. The bear and doctor both looked up at her in surprise.

Rose swallowed, suddenly nervous. "I-I mean…" she stammered, looking down at her knees. "Can I please leave this room to eat?"

Her request seemed stupid and out of the blue. Cheeks warming, she continued hurriedly. "It's just, I've been cooped up in this room for like, five days. I just…if possible, I want to get out of here just for a little bit…"

Silence for a moment. I shouldn't have said anything. Of course he'd say no. What was she thinking? She hesitantly looked up.

The bear turned to look questioningly at Law, who was watching her with an unreadable expression. He didn't look visibly angry at her request, which Rose was relieved to see.

"Well, Captain?" The bear prompted. At this, the doctor looked over at his fuzzy companion.

"The others done in the kitchen?"

"Yes, Captain."

After a second, he sighed. "Fine."

Rose was a bit stunned he'd agreed to it. "Really?" She exclaimed a bit too excitedly, then bit her lip. "I mean…thank you." She was relieved at the chance to get out of this bare room and its bright white lights.

"Will you take her tray to the kitchen?" The doctor said to the bear, who nodded with a 'Yes Captain' and disappeared through the doors. Then the doctor picked something that lay next to medical bench. "You can use this as a crutch." He handed her a crutch for her ankle.

"T-thank you." She stammered, taking it gratefully.

"Come on." He said, clearly waiting for her to get down from the bench. Rose slid a little hesitantly off the stool, gripping the crutch as she walked after the doctor as he made his way into the corridor.

Rose breathed in deeply, relishing the fresher air, feeling her body being revitalised. Now that she was up and moving, she felt her body humming with energy. "This way." The doctor nodded to the opposite wing of the hallway that he had taken her last time.

The smell of food wafted through the air, and Rose's interest instantly peaked. Her mouth watered at the thought of good food. After turning round another corner, the doctor stopped in front of some double doors.

"In here." He said, then paused. Rose tensed up a little, watching him. After a couple of moment's silence, he muttered, "I'll go first." And with that, he pushed through the doors.

The room was white and clean, and the air breathable. Long wooden benches filled the room, enough for a large amount of people. One of the long benches had clearly just been used - some small bits of food were left on the surface, with a jugs of water and ale on it. Her tray had been placed on the table next to another bowl of steaming food, but the bear was nowhere to be seen.

They were alone. Rose was suddenly very aware of this fact.

As she sat down carefully using her crutch, the doctor took the seat nearby, reaching for his food. Despite the slightly awkward silence, Rose felt her stomach clench at the sight of such delicious food.

As they ate in silence, Rose stole timid glances at the doctor. She found his quietness a little unnerving, more so than usual. Yet his demeanour was not hostile – in fact, he was the most relaxed Rose had ever seen him; his shoulders were slack as he leaned over his plate, one of his hands resting next to his glass.

Law. As her eyes roamed over his blue hoodie, his tanned complexion, his name echoed in her mind. With all the stress of everything that had happened in the past week or so, she hadn't consciously noticed it before, but looking at him now, there was something undeniably attractive about the doctor. He wasn't anything like the guys she'd found good-looking back on her home island, who carried a boyish charm. No, his serious yet confident demeanour was alluring in a completely different way.

At one point he caught her gaze, and Rose felt her heart skip as she looked away, embarrassed to have been caught watching him. What are you doing? Rose scolded herself. She needed to focus on getting off this island and back home, not be distracted by such trivial things.

A clang from the corridor made her jump, and her head spun to the closed doors. She heard several deep voices echoing as people passed the doors. It sounded like a large group of men. She tensed up in anticipation…but the doors didn't open.

"Relax." The doctor's voice rumbled next to her. "That's just my crew. They're fucking rowdy but they won't hurt you." His voice held a hint of fondness she'd never heard before.

Rose still stared at the doors as the voices faded away. She heard some laughter, and thought she heard a woman's voice amongst the deeper voices.

"How many of you are there?" She asked, turning her gaze to the doctor, who was watching her from under the brim of his cap.

"Nine of us." He gestured with his spoon in the vague direction of the doors. "They've been working on fixing the ship."

Rose nodded, then looked down at her food. She remembered the bear had told her about the wrecked ship. I wonder if they'll fix it in time.

"Do you think you'll manage to fix it in time?"

"Of course." The doctor replied without hesitation. Rose wasn't sure if it was out of confidence or if the doctor was just willing it to be the case.

"How long do you think it will take?"

"Probably another few days. A week at most."

A week until I'm left to the Marines. Rose tried to quell the bile that rose in her throat at the thought.

"By the way," he said, shifting. "I found something about Agea."

Rose's eyes shot up to the doctor's, heart in her mouth at his words. "You did!? What?"

The doctor took a few folded pieces of paper from his hoodie pocket and slid it across the table towards her. "Read it for yourself."

Rose grabbed the papers eagerly to read the information from herself, heart suddenly pounding half in excitement, half in anxiety. It was a field report dated from a couple of months ago.

"Here." He tapped a paragraph low down on the page.

Location A-12, known to inhabitants as 'Agea', should remain a point of interest for Operation Hawkeye. We still have strong reason to believe a Logia-type devil fruit to be present on the island. The whereabouts of this are still to be determined. The inhabitants appear unaware of this, but we cannot confirm if they are concealing this from us, or if they are truly ignorant of the fact.

Status of objective: Unconfirmed.

Rose had to read it twice to fully digest it. "Devil fruit?" She whispered, hands gripping the pages. This couldn't be accurate - everyone knew devil fruit didn't exist. She'd always been told this. "This can't be right…"

The doctor raised an eyebrow at her, chewing on his food. She shook her head, re-reading the paragraph again. "Devil fruit don't exist. It's just folklore. The Marines must be mistaken."

At her words, the doctor stopped chewing for a moment to stare at her. After a second, he half coughed out "Are you serious?"

Rose stared back at him, just as confused. "What?"

"Of course they're real." The doctor was frowning at her in confusion, almost sceptically. It was Rose's turn to cough in surprise.

"No they're not? That's what we've always been told by…" She trailed off. By the Marines. Even as she said the words, it dawned on her. That's what we've always been told.

She swallowed the thick lump forming in her throat.

The Marines had lied to her before, hadn't they?

She blinked at Law in shock, feeling her stomach sink. "Are…they real?"

He was watching her, seemingly incredulous that she'd even asked. That was all the confirmation she needed. "Oh…" she whispered, fingers clutching the papers. "I…we were told they weren't…that it was folklore. I…" She was lost for words.

This another thing she had been lied to about by the Marines. The questions began assaulting her brain. Had she also been lied to by her community? By her parents? Did they know the Marines were liars? Were they liars themselves?

The biggest one was: What else did she not know?

First it was the Marines' motives for visiting the island. Next it was Marines not being the symbol of peace and order she thought. And now…devil fruits were real.

It was shocking how fast her life on Agea suddenly seemed like an illusion. A trick of the eye.

The doctor clearing his throat snapped her out of her thoughts. He was still watching her with questioning eyes, seemingly scrutinising her. "They're very rare. But yes, they do exist." His voice, although low, seemed to ring in the room. "If there is a devil fruit somewhere on your island, the Marines will stop at nothing to get it."

Reeling, Rose couldn't find the voice to respond. Instead, she just focused on finishing her food, but she had lost her appetite. I don't know anything about this world.

It remained silent until they both finished. The doctor didn't say anything else, but Rose was too preoccupied with questioning things she had never previously doubted to talk.

Eventually, the doctor prompted that it was late, and it was time for her to go back. Rose nodded absentmindedly, the questions still whirring around her mind.

As the doctor was escorting her as she hobbled on her crutch back to the medical room, she thought back to what the bear had told her, and what she'd heard through the door. The Marines were coming back here at some point soon, and the pirates were planning on leaving her here. Was this still their plan? She needed to know.

Glancing up at the pirate captain, Rose couldn't see his eyes – they were covered by the brim of his hat. He turned his head ever so slightly in her direction as she looked at him, but he didn't raise his eyes to hers.

They reached the familiar doors, and the doctor pushed through them. As they approached the medical table, she couldn't bare it any longer.

"L-Listen, I know you won't tell me who you are," she began. "But can you at least tell me what's going to happen to me when you leave?"

The doctor glanced over to her as he pulled the sleeping draught from a nearby cabinet, seemingly unsurprised at her question. He held her gaze for a second before responding.

"You're going to stay here." He replied, lowering his gaze to focus on preparing the medication. "The Marines will be back here soon. They can help you get back home."

Even though his response shouldn't have shocked her, it still felt like a gut punch. The thought of having to put her faith in the Marines made her blood run cold.

But there was something else gnawing at her, and had been ever since she'd read that field report - could she even go home now that she understood just how little she actually knew about the world? Wasn't that why she left in the first place? Did she want to return to a safe, yet ignorant, life?

"Take me with you."

He nearly dropped the glass in shock. He stared at her, standing tensely across the room from her. Rose gripped the medical table in a white knuckle grip, trying to calm her wild heartbeat. But she didn't take it back.

After a long, nerve-wracking silence, he finally spoke.

"Why would I do that?"

Her voice nearly failed her as she replied, but she was determined. "Just off this island. You can leave me somewhere else, on another island, but just let me leave here with you."

His eyes narrowed at her, as if he was trying to peer into her mind. When he didn't say anything, she continued, feeling her palms turn clammy. "Please…" Her voice trembled. "Don't leave me with them. Not again."

Something flickered across his face. She nearly missed it, but her words had clearly hit something inside him. Rose watched him in cold anticipation as his jaw worked.

"I…understand why you're hesitant." He began, voice measured. "But they're your only chance of getting home. I don't know how to get to Agea, and neither do you. Is that not what you want?"

Rose took a deep breath. "Not anymore." It felt insane saying it out loud. Was she really doing this? "I…I know it sounds crazy. But since leaving, I realise how much I don't know. It's why I left in the first place."

His face was unreadable. His eyes were flickering over her face, searching. Rose continued, feeling her resolve harden. "I'd rather know the truth about the world than keep living in an illusion."

At this, Law lifted his chin, regarding her for a second with something that could have been approval. Did that impress him?The small spark of hope that flickered inside her was like a boon in that moment.

"Be that as it may, I can't do that."

Her hope deflated instantly.

"Why?" She whispered, voice thick. He inclined his head in a way that implied she already knew.

"You know why." He replied pointedly. "It would put us at greater risk of you finding out who-"

This again? Frustrated, Rose interrupted. "I won't tell anyone!" She said, exasperated. "Why would I? I have nothing to gain from doing that. Please…"

Law's eyes narrowed at her. "No." He replied sharply. "I have to think of myself and my crew."

He can't leave me here. She felt desperation take hold.

"P-please, just off this island-"

"Enough." He cut her off. "As I said, I can't let you find out-"

The frayed tether on her patience finally snapped.

"I already know who you are!"

His entire body seemed to tense up at this point. He stared at her, his grey eyes wide and intense. No words escaped his slightly parted lips.

Suddenly, the reality of what she'd done hit her. Heart pounding in her ears, hands clammy and trembling with a sudden surge of adrenaline, she stared back at the man before her.

The weight of her mistake couldn't have been clearer. She'd let her guard down. She was utterly powerless compared to him. Whatever odd feelings of closeness she felt towards him, she should never have forgotten that.

What have I done?