*The Next Day*
"We should probably get more supplies while we're on the island." Casper muttered, rummaging through the sparser-than-usual fridge for the last of the eggs. Summer glanced his way, continuing to cook the bacon on the skillet for breakfast.
"I'll let Captain know later." She replied, and he closed the door. The older cook sighed.
"I forgot to talk to the Captain about the available beli for food. I'll be right back, lass. And don't burn anything!" He warned in mock seriousness. She smiled, giving a salute. The cook pushed through the door, and Summer returned her attention back to breakfast.
Humming quietly to herself, she turned over several strips and placed more raw pieces on the hot skillet. Her spirits were high that day, unusually so, perhaps. The thought of getting to the island was actually rather appealing. She had an idea why, but it was hard to explain.
Actually, she knew exactly what it was when she thought about it. She wanted to thank this James person for leading her crew to her. Sure, he might've had ulterior motives for doing so, the file being a large part of it, but without him, she wasn't sure if she would have ever seen her family again. And for that, she was very thankful.
A head popped into the kitchen, and Shachi sniffed the air loudly.
"Summer-chan, your bacon always smells the best! How do you do it?" He questioned, unsuccessfully trying to sneak a piece when she reached for the salt. With a raised eyebrow, she smacked his hand away with the tongs.
"No eating until everything's done!" She ordered, and he scurried back out into the mess deck. The men outside laughed, and she grinned in satisfaction at keeping the men at bay. Then, suspicion crossed her expression. Wherever there was Shachi…
She spun on her heel, holding the tongs out like a sword as Penguin froze, reaching halfway up the counter for the plate of cooling bacon.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" She asked quietly, and he gulped. Slowly retracting his hand, he scooted back towards the door, glancing around nervously.
"Oh, hey Summer-chan! Didn't, uh, expect to find you here!" He laughed in fear, scratching the back of his head.
"Uh huh…" She muttered, smacking the ends of the tongs against her hand menacingly. She smiled darkly. "You know no one's supposed to be in the kitchen, right Penguin-kun?"
Taking a step forward, she laughed in excitement at the punishment she was about to dole out on the two. Deciding his safety was more important than a few extra strips of bacon, he screamed and ran out the door.
"Summer-chan's so scary!" The men in the mess deck laughed louder, some even applauding at her ability to keep the two knucklehead's away. She sighed goodheartedly, turning back towards the skillet.
The grease that popped from the cooking bacon, coupled with the heat of the stove on the tile floor created a sort of slippery grease spot directly in front of the stove, the perfect conditions for the unsuspecting blonde to slip on.
She gasped, but the laughs of the men covered up the sound and no one heard as she crashed to the floor, face hitting hard against the tile. The tongs slipped from her hands a few feet away, but the pain was what took prominence in her mind. She lay there, too dazed to cry out or move.
Eventually, she cracked her eyes open to the white tile floor, and small drops of blood from her nose and mouth.
White tile…
Adrenaline began coursing through her body as the panic rose, the rushing of blood in her ears dulling every other sound. Her eyes widened and her breathing became rapid. The white tile…the blood…
'Why…won't…you…give…me…results!?' His voice could still be heard shouting in anger, bouncing around in her head over and over. His anger, she felt it. Summer whimpered, arms wrapping around herself protectively.
'You have failed another test.'
'There are consequences to failure.' Over and over the voice racked her brain, sending her heart rate beating at a dangerous speed.
There was a bang somewhere, and she mistook it for the sound of a kick to her side. She curled up in on herself, fearful of another attack. Choking back a sob, she tried scrambling away from the noise, eyes closed.
"Stop…please…" She whispered, feeling fresh tears rolling down her face.
"Summer, are you hurt?" A voice called, but the words didn't altogether register. She still struggled against the approaching presence. A pair of hands rested on her shoulders, and a sick vision of Viper grinning nastily at her flashed through her head.
"Please don't!" She whimpered a little louder. The hands smoothed over the hair on her head in a tender gesture.
"Sh…" The voice said, much gentler than before, and she slightly opened her eyes. Casper looked down at her with great concern, gently stroking her head to calm her down. He noticed she was looking at him. "You're safe here, lass. No one's here to hurt you. No one's gonna hurt you."
Summer wasn't sure if Casper was real. But the heat of the kitchen began to bring her back to reality, and she sniffled. "Casper?"
"I'm right here, lass." She immediately sat up and wrapped him in a desperate embrace. "I'm sorry…" She cried, sobbing into his apron.
He held her tightly. Law had informed only a select few about her mental state, and of the episode she'd had in the shower. He knew that anything could set her off, and at any moment. His own regret was that he wasn't there to comfort her immediately. Thankfully the blood was beginning to slow, as the cuts were only small.
"There's no need to be sorry. You did nothing wrong."
"Please, don't tell anyone…I don't want them to know." She begged, holding tighter onto the back of his shirt.
Casper was facing the door, and it cracked open silently, Liam poking his head in. Eyes wide, he was about to ask what was going on, a frown set in concern, but Casper glared back, minutely gesturing with his eyes and head to leave. Nodding, Liam slipped back out, the door not making a sound.
"Of course, lass. I won't say a word. It's gonna be alright."
They sat on the floor, breakfast forgotten, until Summer felt safe again.
Law sat reading medical journals, and one that he happened to never read before, a rare event. He'd found it tucked underneath the bed, probably pushed there during one of his efforts to clean up the mess of books and notes he called his room. Shrugging, he'd set his hat on the table and sat down to read.
Now, hours later, his back was paying the price. He tried stretching out, and the pops and joints fitting back into place were very painful. He grimaced, but was distracted by a knock to his door.
"Come in." He called, standing and placing a small piece of paper in the book to mark his place. The door opened, and Liam poked his head through.
"Can I help you?" He asked, and Liam nodded, slipping inside and shutting the door behind him.
"There's something you should know that I haven't told anyone…"
*Evening*
"This place is huge!" Summer muttered, staring over at Caelum's night life and city lights. The high-rising buildings and people down below made the place look a little crowded, but nonetheless beautiful, especially from the top deck of the submarine. It gave Summer the advantage of height, and so she could see so much more than what would be possible from the ground.
Beside her, Liam leaned against the railing and stared with her. They watched as people down below laughed and drunkenly wandered the streets. Summer laughed when a woman, who was wearing an overly-short skirt, meandered up to another similarly-looking woman and socked her in the face without a word. A cat fight started, and the two mates watched in fascination.
"Can't wait to walk through all that…" Summer mumbled, and Liam chuckled.
"It wasn't as bad last time. Guess the festivities get to the head, ya know?" They'd seen signs for some celebration they'd never heard. "What is Octoberfest anyways?" She shook her head, watching as the second woman grabbed the nearest rock and threw it at the first.
"No idea, but obviously it involves a lot of drinking…" A silence fell over them. The breeze blew past them, gently brushing Summer's hair across her back.
"Umm…we're glad you're ok, Summer." She glanced at Liam, a small smile present.
"Thanks. I've never wanted to be anywhere this much, even if you guys are just a bunch of nut cases." She smirked, and he shrugged.
"I can't argue with that." He admitted. They laughed together, falling into comfortable silence for awhile afterwards.
After a moment, she could feel him staring at her, so she looked his way. He looked away quickly, set his jaw, and turned back. Taking something out from his pocket, she gasped.
"I bought this a long time ago." He started, showing her the small little black stone bird pendant, the eyes a brilliant violet gem. "I've, uh, wanted to give it to you for awhile now, but I just never knew the right time."
"It's beautiful." She said, taking it in her hands. He gazed at it sadly, and she looked up.
"Liam…" He held up a hand with a small smile.
"Don't. Just listen." He requested gently. She searched his eyes, finally nodding. He sighed, running a hand through his messy hair.
"When you first joined the sub, I didn't know what to make of you. Really, you were just a stubborn patient that I had to accompany down the hallway." She smiled at the memory. "And then, we became really good friends.
"You're annoying, stubborn, hotheaded, kind of crazy…" He trailed off at the look on her face. "What?"
She rolled her eyes. "I'm so flattered."
"Just telling it like it is. Anyways," He waved it aside, "you're all those things. And funny, and strong, and probably the most genuine people I know. And the truth is…" He looked off into the distance. Summer waited expectantly. He finally glanced back, that sadness still there.
"The truth is that I loved you." Her eyes widened, wanting to say so much but not entirely sure how. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. He watched, grinning a little.
"I don't wanna hear you say you're sorry. That's not what I'm telling you this for." He scratched the back of his head. "You can't help who you fall in love with. I don't blame you. Captain's a great guy." Summer's face went red, and she looked to the town below.
"Um…" She cleared her throat, wanting to skip the topic of the Captain.
"Right…" Liam trailed off, quickly getting back on track afterwards. "I wanted to tell you all this so you would know that I've moved on. I don't hold any grudges against the Captain or you, so don't go feeling guilty about it." He gave a small smile, which quickly turned into a large blush and he had to look away.
"I've…actually…found someone else." Summer gasped, hands going to her mouth.
"Really? Who is she?" She asked excitedly. He smiled, digging in his pocket for a small picture. It was of a brunette, with dark red glasses that sat on a small nose. She was very cute, and the bottom of it was signed, 'To my sailor, Liam.'
"Her name's Nessa." She gave back the picture. He took a moment to stare at it in wonder, and Summer knew immediately that whoever this woman was, she had found herself the best damn pirate out there on the seven seas. If she even caught a whiff of any funny business on her end, or if Liam ended up getting his heart broken, she'd go to wherever she was and beat the living shit out of her. He folded it up before returning it to his pocket.
"Where'd you meet her?" She frowned. "And wouldn't it be hard to have a relationship while you're gone all the time?"
"I met her on Ortygia, the island Captain met the conman? She helps at the small library there, and when I went to see their selection of medical texts, she dropped a bunch of books on my head from on top of a ladder."
"What?" Summer laughed, and he rubbed his head at the memory.
"She said that a spider was in between the shelves. She's terrified of them, so I offered to kill it. She thanked me and wanted to take me to lunch as payment. I turned her down and immediately asked her on a date instead."
"Well, look at you, you smooth talker." Summer nudged him with her elbow, and he smiled shyly. "But how are you going to see her?"
"…I'm…leaving the crew." He muttered, facing away from her. She paused, her grin slowly disappearing.
"Oh…" She replied, a little dejectedly. They stood in silence a moment, both pondering their own thoughts. "What does Captain think?"
"I already discussed it with him. He approves, so long as I don't become a Marine, and I send you guys updates by seagull every once in awhile." He grinned.
"Does she make you happy?" Summer asked suddenly, and he looked up.
"…Yeah, she really does." Nodding, Summer clapped her hands together.
"Well, it's settled then! You'll go back home to her and be happy. The crew will miss you, but if she loves you, I can imagine her heartache."
Liam smiled in…relief? Maybe he was afraid she would be angry for his departure. True, the idea sounded pretty saddening at the moment, but if Nessa made him happy, she wasn't going to stop him.
"When did you plan on leaving?"
"Today, actually. I can buy a small boat, I've already got an eternal log pose for Ortygia, and start sailing as soon as possible."
"What about the others? Don't you want to say goodbye?" She glanced back at the door to below deck in concern. He smiled sadly again, a sigh escaping his lips.
"I already did. You're the last one." He admitted, and she nodded slowly, pursing her lips.
"So…this is goodbye?" She asked.
"Yeah, but it won't be the last time you hear from me." He promised, and they settled in for a big hug. She squeezed him tight, knowing that it would be the last time. They backed away, and Summer ruffled his hair playfully, earning a grin from him.
"We'll all miss you."
"Indeed." Law spoke up, approaching from behind them. They looked to him, startled. He approached, a small smile on his face. "You're off, then?"
"Yes, Captain." Law held out his hand, and Liam shook it gratefully. Summer watched a few feet away, observing this strange, silent exchange between men. Male greetings and social interactions always confused her, as it seemed that there was always a silent communication that passed between them. A few seconds later, they parted.
"Should you ever change your mind, we'll gladly have you back aboard." Law offered, and Liam grinned.
"Here's to hoping I won't." Then, giving a small salute, he turned and walked down the gangway, where a backpack lay waiting for him. He picked it up before disappearing into the crowd.
Summer and Law stood there watching long past when he'd gone out of sight. The crowded streets below were noisy, with laughing and shouting, distracting the two pirates in the permeating silence aboard the deck.
"I'm gonna miss him." Summer said quietly. Law glanced in her direction, nodding slowly.
"We all will."
They lapsed into another silence, the faint breeze whistling by. Down below, a woman caught Summer's eye. She was extremely short, judging by the way she could barely be seen in the crowd below. She weaved and bobbed, heading straight towards the submarine.
She nudged Law's elbow, pointing to the woman down below. "Is that her?" Law had informed her that Belinda would find them when they arrived. Eyes narrowed, he searched the crowd for her.
"I believe that would be." He nodded, pushing off from the railing and heading towards the gangplank to meet her.
"So we meet again." Law said, greeting her hurried arrival. She smoothed out her creme-colored, bouffant dress, complete with strawberry-red heels and a small ladybug clip to pin up her hair. She gave a bright smile.
"Trafalgar Law, it's quite a pleasure to see you again." She turned her attention to Summer. "And wonderful meeting you, Summer. I'm glad to see you're alive and well." Her demeanor exuded charismatic ignorance, as everything was nice fluffy sweet. But, it wasn't obnoxious like Kat's. It was…refreshing.
"Ah…thank you?" Belinda giggled, a delicately gloved hand rising to meet her lips.
"Master James wishes you congratulations upon finding your subordinate, Trafalgar, and he would like you to join him in his study tomorrow morning."
"Not tonight?" He inquired, one eyebrow raised.
"Master James is rather occupied at the moment with other clients, and would prefer if two separate parties did not chance a meeting." She explained. Law nodded, seeing the reasoning in that.
"Very well." She closed her eyes, smiling widely.
"Excellent! I'll be here to fetch you in the morning!" With a polite wave, she shuffled down the gangplank and blended into the crowd.
ns 15.158.61.6da2
