FicWad

Summer's wounds were healing well. She was able to walk a few days after the incident and her arm no longer throbbed with pain. A dull ache remained every time she tried to reach for something above her, but it was much more manageable to deal with.

She had been neglecting her training the last week or so and Summer began practicing late at night after dinner was over. She was still far from proficient at swordsmanship, and the added injury greatly restricted what practice she could actually do, but there was a definite improvement. The sword no longer felt too heavy or strange in her hands; the toughened leather was familiar and comfortable and according to Law, familiarizing oneself was the first step to mastering the technique.

Despite being told that he would supervise her training every night, he too had been too busy with other things to make good on his statement. This really was more of a blessing than anything, as it would have been really awkward considering previous...events.

Speaking of the devil, she really needed to have a serious talk with the bastard. There was one more problem that she needed to address. Well, two actually, but there was no way in hell she was going to bring that one up with Law. No, the real problem here was Kat.

Summer had intentionally been avoiding her as much as possible after the incident a few days ago. Working in the kitchen made it difficult, but at all other times when she had free time she was either practicing or in her own room. She had caught the girl's eye once or twice while serving food, and on these occasions she felt a chill go up her spine.

Kat had become a regular part of the crew now. She sat in the middle of the room with the most crewmembers, laughing loudly when they made jokes or recounted stories from their past voyages. On some occasions, she spotted the redhead sitting across from the captain himself, on those few occasions that he actually ate with the men. It stirred her blood when she sat talking loudly with him and sometimes Summer had felt the urge to snap the plates in her hand into little pieces.

Law hadn't brought the scene in the infirmary up at all, even when he had plenty of opportunity to do so. She wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing, considering that whatever the captain did, it was usually no good and for his own benefit. That wasn't really a comforting thought.

No, she had to talk to him the next time she saw him. Before things got out of hand.

It was about 2:30 in the evening and Casper had sent her off to get some rest before the dinner rush. Giving a small smile, she immediately started towards Law's room. No one was in the hallway, and the trip to his quarters took less time than Summer would have liked She was prolonging this for as long as she could.

She stood in front of the door, suddenly overcome with a fear of going any further. She swallowed hard and stared at the metal door, almost hoping that he wasn't there at all so she could retreat back to her own room. Shaking her head, a little reluctantly, she forced at step forward. Her fist raised to knock against the hard metal but stopped when she heard a voice inside.

More specifically, it was her voice that gave her pause.

"...would really appreciate it!" Kat's shrill words caused a slow boil of Summer's blood. Slowly taking her fist away from the door, she took a step back.

The words were too low to distinguish, but she heard Law's reply back to whatever it was they were talking about. If she stuck around long enough, she might have figured out what the subject of their conversation was. But that really didn't matter to her at this point.

Spinning on her heel, her quick steps brought her away from Law's quarters. A cold fury like she hadn't experienced in a long time overcame her and she gritted her teeth against the negative thoughts that surfaced.

Summer didn't even want to think about what it was that Kat was 'appreciative' for. That was not something she was going to dwell on right now.

Finishing a medical book he had started last night was not exactly Law's idea of a good morning, but his insomnia left him with little choice. Nor was starting another right afterwards. Unfortunately for him, it was the middle of the afternoon and reading was all he had accomplished so far today.

Forcing himself to stop scanning the book's pages, he pushed away from his desk and stood. The small kinks in his back made themselves known, and he stretched them out. He retrieved his sword from the wall and snatched his hat from his bed. He was just about to leave when a loud and insistent knock came from his door. Sighing heavily, he opened the door to reveal a beaming Kat.

"Hi Law!" She said in a high pitch. He winced at the sound before giving her a glare. He noticed she was wearing one of his crew's uniforms. Someone, probably Shachi or Penguin, must have lent it to her. Altogether, he didn't enjoy seeing her in it.

"What do you think?" She asked, holding her arms out to her sides as she spun in a small circle to show him her outfit. Unconsciously, he compared Kat's reaction to what Summer's would be. No doubt, the blonde would cross her arms, a small pout on her face, and complain that she had to wear something that had ties to him.

He didn't respond to Kat's enthusiasm, letting the thick silence hang between them. The girl didn't squirm under the uncomfortable atmosphere as he had hoped, instead she just smiled wider before continuing to speak.

"I wanted to talk to you about something." Raising a brow in curiosity, he opened the door wider so she could walk in, against his better judgement telling him to slam it in her face. She glanced around at his room and took a seat on the edge of his bed before her gaze came back to his.

"What do you want?" He said without bothering to pretend to be polite. He leaned against his desk with crossed arms.

"Well, I noticed that Summer-san doesn't really seem to like me all that much. I was wondering if you knew why?" If Summer's cold manner bothered the girl any, she certainly didn't show it. The obnoxious smile was still in its place and she swayed back and forth on her heels.

"She hasn't quite warmed up to you yet. Give her time." Was all he said. He left out the incident in the kitchen, and the part where she was given a choice to join and Summer hadn't.

"How long do you think that'll take?" She asked eagerly. Law raised an eyebrow and shook his head.

"I don't know."

"Do you think we'll ever be friends?"

"Perhaps." He answered uncertainly, not sure exactly where this conversation was leading.

"Have you ever been to Elysium before?" She asked suddenly. He narrowed his eyes. Her series of rapid and unrelated questions wasn't only annoying, but a practiced tactic like that was a method of trying to catch someone off guard. He wasn't sure whether that was her intention or she was unaware that she was doing it. Either way, he was certainly wary of her now.

"No, I have not."

"Oh, it's beautiful there! It's like a paradise and everyone is wonderful! In the fall, they hold a harvest festival and all the trees are golden colors and-"

"Enough." Law pinched the bridge of his nose, holding back his sharp tongue. "I get it. Is there a point to telling me this?" Kat seemed to be surprised that she had gone off on a tangent, but her smile hastily returned.

"Oh! Not really."

He felt his eye twitch, but didn't outwardly show any irritation. "Then why did you feel the need to come to my room?"

"Because I like talking to you, Law!" She said, closing her eyes in delight. This time, Law couldn't resist an eye roll at Kat's behavior. She really was getting annoying. "And, I wanted to ask you something."

"What?" He said, not kindly in any way. Kat's smile didn't falter.

"You're not taking me back to Elysium, are you?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No, what makes you think that?" Her hands joined at her back and she shrugged.

"Well, I was talking to Jean Bart and Bepo earlier today and they said that if they stayed on the path we're going, we would go to Elysium. I don't want to see my family's mansion ever again."

A smirk crossed his face and he leaned farther back into the desk. This was exactly the topic that he had hoped she would get to. Cocking his head to the side in mock sympathy, he grinned in her direction.

"You're sure they said we would be at Elysium if we stayed on this course?" She nodded confidently.

"Yeah, they told me when I asked where we were going." If possible, his smirk grew wider.

"Well, I'll be sure to tell them to direct their course elsewhere. We wouldn't want you getting into any trouble, now would we?"

"Nope!"

"Well, if there's nothing else, I must get back to my work." Kat jumped up from the bed and hurried over to the door. One moment she was on her way out, the next she had wrapped her thin arms around Law's middle and squeezed.

"Thanks Law! I really appreciate it!"

The hug lasted a lot longer than he thought that it should. The woman's grip was constricting and uncomfortable, her much smaller height making it difficult for him to maneuver. He held his arms slightly out to the side and just stood there. He didn't know any other way to react. He was damn well sure no one else was suicidal enough to up and hug the Surgeon of Death. He had a hard time seeing anyone in his crew, including Summer, doing anything remotely similar to that. Though Kat was not like most people, and not necessarily in a good way.

A flashback from the cave crossed his mind. Summer's body snuggled up close to his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her small frame, the faint strawberry scent of her hair, his mouth close enough to her neck to kiss…

For once, he didn't force the thought away.

He was vaguely conscious of Kat stepping away from his person, and he automatically smoothed out his hoodie after her 'attack.' Her light steps brought her out the door, leaving him alone in his quiet quarters once again.

Waiting a few more moments to make sure Kat was well and truly gone, Law reached for a den den mushi on his desk and dialed the navigation room.

"This is Jean Bart." Came the answer. Smirking, Law leaned back onto the desk again, craning his neck upwards to get the kinks out. Looking down at the much shorter woman had begun to be painful.

"Bart-ya, increase our speed and stay on our original course. I want a week long journey done in a few days."

"Aye, Captain." The snail hung up and he set the receiver down.