Law was finishing up checking on his engineers' wounds when James began muttering things. The pirate captain glanced over, noticing his eyes were squeezed shut in either pain or irritation. He wandered over to the bed with the underground informant, sitting on the stool to wait for the man to wake up.
"Nngn…He groaned, reaching up to touch his head.
"I would recommend not to tamper with your bandages." Law suggested firmly. James flinched slightly at the sound of his voice, cracking open an eye to take in his surroundings. Eyes darting around the room, he frowned when they took in Law sitting beside him.
"Where am I? What have you done with me?" He demanded, and Law smirked.
"You don't remember?" The pirate picked up his clipboard, checking over injuries and charts for any abnormalities. "That spirit emerged from you and proceeded to battle with Nemesis-ya. You passed out, as did Summer-ya. You're currently on my submarine under my medical care."
"Take me back to Caelum." He said, and Law shook his head.
"We never left, just submerged at the dock. As soon as you are recovered you may leave."
"Hmph." James said, crossing his arms over his chest. This was difficult as many wires and tubes were attached to his forearms. "I'm starting to recall what happened. I suppose you're telling the truth."
Law only lifted an eyebrow, finishing up his inspection of his condition.
"What became of the file?"
"It was lost in the destruction of your mansion, I'm afraid. You were lucky to come out of it alive yourself. If it were not for me and my crew, you'd be crushed under the feet of ancient warriors."
"Unfortunate." James sighed, closing his eyes. "No matter. I can gain the information I desire through other means."
"And what of our deal?" Law asked, the question having been on his mind since they had gotten back to the sub. "Without the file, technically the deal is off."
James waved the question aside. "Normally, I would send my men after you with a bounty larger than you could ever imagine. But, since you did save my life, I suppose everything is accounted for. We are even, in a sense."
Law nodded, feeling a bit of relief that he wouldn't have the underworld after his crew. They may be strong now, but that didn't mean they were invincible. Having the freedom to sail where he wished unafraid of being targeted by the whole world sounded a lot more appealing than watching their backs for the rest of the journey.
James must have been watching his expressions because he gave a short laugh that broke through Law's thoughts.
"You have a lot of questions for me, I can tell. One of which being if I knew about the other spirit, correct?"
He nodded, waiting for an explanation. Unfortunately, he didn't get one.
"An information dealer such as I can't go around answering every question asked of him, so don't continue thinking you'll have yours answered either." He lifted his chin with a regal look, as if he was too esteemed to deal with the pirate. Law was irked, but there really wasn't much he could do about it.
Summer gasped as the needle carved across her skin yet again, the stinging pain accompanying it. Her hair splayed out across the full-body chair. She stared up at the decorated ceiling, wincing with each pass of the small metal instrument in the purple-haired woman's hands. Every few seconds or so, she'd wipe the area with a cloth. Her skin felt on fire, flaring with each touch.
"You're doing pretty well for a scrub." The woman said, eyes following every line she traced on Summer's shoulder.
"T-thanks." Summer stuttered, trying to focus on something other than the pain. The cold air from the air conditioner blew across her exposed torso. The only thing covering her was the cloth she'd been given to cover her breasts. Her shirt and jacket rested on the back of a chair beside her.
"So, what's this tattoo mean anyway?" Purple Hair questioned. Summer glanced at her in surprise. She didn't seem the type of person who would ask personal questions, or even care about the answers. Her eyes never left Summer's shoulder, though.
"It's a jolly roger."
"Hmm. You a fangirl or something?"
"No, I'm part of the crew. The Heart Pirates, actually."
Purple Hair glanced up then, inspecting Summer's face critically. She searched, trying to find any hint of lying, but Summer stared back cooly.
"You're a pirate?" Summer nodded, then winced because it moved her shoulder a little bit.
"Hmm." Was all Purple Hair said. It was barely audible above the buzzing of the needle. They didn't talk after that, but it seemed like the woman's face had lost a little of its edge. Her eyes didn't look so crinkled, as if she was relaxed. That made no sense. Shouldn't she be on edge because of her connections to a pirate crew? This woman was definitely confusing.
*That evening*
Law emerged from his quarters, having finished several medical notes and reports, to the smell of something cooking in the kitchen. Prevalently among the scents of food was a strong meat smoking. Just from the smell alone, Law couldn't wait to eat.
Coming into the mess deck, most of the crew were already waiting for dinner to be done. They greeted Law, who wandered over to his usual seat and sat to wait as well. Bepo wandered in a few minutes later, sitting across from him.
"Captain, the log pose has set for the next island."
"We'll wait for another day or two for everyone to recover from their wounds, and to restock on supplies." Law concluded, nodding in appreciation at the new information.
Men conversed in small groups, but as soon as Summer pushed through the kitchen door with plates of food, they gave a great cheer and reached for forks and knives.
The blonde only shook her head in amusement, placing food in front of hungry men and retreating back inside the kitchen to grab more plates.
Law watched her idly as she zigzagged the room. After observing her serve the men so many times, he noticed that she kept to a distinct pattern in the way she walked the room. She started at the back corner and worked her way closer to the front. She was systematic and quick, precise. He grinned, wondering once again at her habit of keeping routine.
Immediately, his grin faded, replaced by a concentrated frown. She walked strangely, as if she favored her right side. It wasn't her legs…Now, he could see her wince every time she placed a plate onto a table with her right arm. So, her shoulder was in pain…Why hadn't she come to him to treat it? Surely if she were in pain she would say something about it.
He narrowed his eyes, continuing to watch her as she made her way closer and closer to his table.
Finally, she set the plate of food in front of Law and a bowl of fish for Bepo. Again, she winced almost imperceptibly as her right hand set the bowl down. Law said nothing, only raised an eyebrow in her direction. Not giving up any information of her own, she walked back to the kitchen.
"Bepo," Law said, catching the attention of his first mate who was already on his second fish, "was Summer-ya injured in the mansion at all?" He hadn't seen any outwardly obvious injuries on her when he'd treated the others, but perhaps he'd missed something.
The bear paused but continued to chew on his meal. "No, I protected her when the spirits were fighting. Why?"
The captain rubbed at his goatee, thinking deeply. "No reason. Just curious." He responded, only half paying attention to his own musings. She had disappeared behind the door once more.
After helping Casper wash the dishes, Summer retreated to her own room. She wanted a bit of space from the Captain for a few days, at least until her tattoo stopped hurting. She knew that Law suspected something was wrong during dinner. His calculating gaze watching every move she made was evidence of that. Plus, he'd kept staring at her shoulder when she'd given him his food.
Still, some time alone to her own thoughts and in her own territory would do her good. The door closed behind her and she plopped down on the bed with a relieved sigh. Unmoving, she sat there a moment and thought about nothing in particular. It was nice to feel at home again.
Her shoulder pulsed, and she shrugged off her jacket to reveal the large white bandage covering the mark. The purple-haired woman had told her to leave it be until the next morning, when she was to change the bandage to a fresh one. It itched something fierce, though. It took a lot for Summer not to rip the thing off and scratch at it to relieve the irritation. Still, the results would be great if she left it be.
Changing into her pajamas, but leaving her tank top on, she got under the covers and snuggled into the sheets.
Something poked at her neck, and she looked down to see her bird pendant. She smiled at it sadly, thinking of Liam again. She certainly did miss him. Still, it would hurt to wear the necklace to sleep, so she moved to slip it over her head.
The moment her fingers touched the little bird, a warmth came from the stone and the purple eyes began to glow. She stared in wonder at the jewelry, marveling at such a beautiful piece. And then, in the next instant, a voice appeared in her head.
"Child, our departure was sudden and you must feel quite alone. I apologize for leaving you in such a way, but it had to be done."
Summer's eyes began to water at the familiar female voice. It was Nemesis. Her voice emanated from within her, just as it always had, but Summer knew it had to be because of the necklace. She'd felt no other presence in the time since the battle.
"There was much I wished to tell you before we had to part, but was unable to. I've imbued a portion of my soul into this pendant, just a simple memory from long ago, but it will remain with you as long as you remain in possession of this jewel.
"When I discovered that I was with child, I would sing to her, though she was not born. One lullaby in particular, she loved the most. I just knew it was her favorite. This is my gift to you, so you may know I am with you always."
Then, words in another language floated through her head. She couldn't understand what it meant, but Nemesis' voice was gentle and loving, just like that of what Summer imagined a mother to sound like. Tears trickled down her face, listening to the soft sounds of Nemesis singing to her.
The song ended, and Summer's eyes opened, staring into the darkness of her room. Her heart ached, not however in the sad way it had before, but in the loving and thankful way only she could understand. She passed her thumb across the eyes of the bird once more, and Nemesis' voice began to sing again.
Summer fell asleep to Nemesis' lullaby, a wide smile on her face, feeling for once in her life that she, indeed, had a mother who loved her dearly.
The lullaby Nemesis sings is featured in the 8tracks soundtrack! Go check it out and give it a listen!800Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PfeWTecfK
