Chapter Text
It hurts…
Law stares up at the ceiling, breathing heavily as sweat drenches his brow. Bloodshot eyes move slowly, taking in a small girl gripping his open palm as he’s weighed down by a thick, heavy blanket.
Why was he-
Where the hell was he?!
He was holding his sister’s hand. She was right there, holding onto him.
He could feel her-
“Law…” The girl says again, voice soft and hushed. “Are you alright?”
Oh.
Oh, it’s Baby 5.
That’s right… He was at Spider Miles, under the care of the Donquixote Family. A pirate crew.
It just another dream-
No. Nightmare; a living, breathing nightmare.
Law swallows, sitting up and the girl moves away, fidgeting with the lace of her nightdress. He’s dressed in something similar, the sleepwear being entirely Giolla’s idea as she thought all the children in the Family looked “cute” with matching clothes. Although he’s drenched in sweat and Giolla will definitely be making him bathe when she comes to fetch them all in the morning…
“You were shouting in your sleep again,” she shifts around, hopping from one foot to the other. “Shall I get the Young Master?”
“No!” Law winces immediately after saying it, realising how loud he actually had been. Baby 5 flinches and before he can mutter out an apology, Dellinger starts wailing from his cot.
“Shhh,” Baby 5 is instantly trying to calm the crying baby, lifting him out of the crib and rocking him. “We’re in big trouble if the grown ups find out we’re out of bed right now,” she juts her chin out, accusation in her eyes directed at Law. “Because of somebody shouting in their sleep again.”
Normally Law would bite back at Baby 5’s antagonising jabs, but not now. He’s tired, he’s disorientated and just wants to leave their bedroom and sit outside until the sun comes up.
Obviously, he can’t do that. It’s against the rules and if Doflamingo catches him sneaking around, he’ll literally be dragged back inside while getting an earful of a lecture. Baby 5 won’t say anything, but if Dellinger doesn’t quieten down, Giolla will be flouncing into the room any second and the pair of them will be on chore duty for the rest of the day.
“Here,” Law murmurs, taking Dellinger from Baby 5 and beginning to pat the baby on the back, whispering words of comfort and swaying him around. After a few minutes, Dellinger stops squirming and begins to settle. Law smirks at the girl and she responds by sticking out her tongue.
“Cheater,” she whisper-whines, as Law gently places the baby back into his cot. “How’d you get him to calm down so fast? You’ve never tried before.”
Although it physically hurts to explain, Law gives the girl an honest answer, “I used to do that when Lammy would cry. She loved it when I’d hold her, my mother-” his throat suddenly clogs up and he lets out a shuddery exhale. “My mother used to say I was Lammy’s favourite person.”
Baby 5 chews her lip for a few seconds, watching as Law strokes Dellinger’s cheek with glassy eyes. “Hey Law?”
“Mm?”
“Can I sleep with you tonight?”
“What?” Law rips his gaze away from Dellinger’s sleeping form, features twisting into a scowl. “Why?”
Baby 5 suddenly casts her gaze away, a rare show of vulnerability as her cheeks redden with embarrassment. “Sometimes I find it hard to sleep, just like you… Buffalo always tells me to get lost, so I just thought maybe…” Her voice trails off and she fixes a forced smile onto her face.
The other child in question is loudly snoring from his bed opposite Law’s, laying out in a star-shape with his bedsheets tossed across the floor. Law can believe that the other boy their age wouldn’t pander to Baby 5’s whining, despite their friendship.
After all, Doflamingo and the top executives always told them their hardships made them strong…
“Anyways, it doesn’t matter. We’re Young Master’s crew even if we are just kids,” Baby 5 continues, playing with one of the buttons on her nightshirt. “That’s what he always says. That we’re supposed to act just like the grown ups do, right?”
Law regards the girl for a few moments. They’d been on a lot of missions together, one of them sticking out was the time where they’d gone after another pirate crew at Doflamingo had sent both of them to take on a monster of a man, Baby 5 had tried to use her Devil Fruit to keep him at bay but he’d swatted her away like a fly and grabbed Law by the throat, slamming him against the ground with his sword angled to take the boy’s head clean off.
Obviously, Doflamingo had stepped in. Due to the fact that Law currently wasn’t dead and still had his head attached firmly to his neck and shoulders. Baby 5 had sobbed her heart out, clinging to the man’s leg while Law tried to hide his emotions with his fluffy hat.
Even though the Young Master expected their very best, Law never faulted or mocked Baby 5 for displaying her emotions for everybody to witness. The girl wore her heart on her sleeve, always wishing to be needed, even if it greatly inconvenienced her.
She was an idiot, for sure. But Law could never say that he thought she was a bad person nor did she deserve the disrespectful way that the crew would often speak to her.
Sighing heavily, Law gestures for her to follow him as hops back onto his mattress. “Get in,” he grumbles, shuffling to the side slightly to give the girl enough room to climb in. Baby 5 looks shocked for a split second before beaming, happily jumping beside him and immediately making herself at home.
Law can’t stop the violent flinch when he feels her hand clench his and his heart begins to thump.
“H-Hey, Law?”
The boy sighs again, having a feeling of dread in his stomach that this is probably going to be a long night. He grunts out a half-hearted, “Mhm?”
Though he’s not prepared to hear what Baby 5 says next and it knocks the wind right out of him.
“I’m sorry that happened to your family.”
His heart clenches and he feels the girl squeeze his hand gently.
“I’m here for you, if you ever want somebody to talk to.”
The boy’s lips tremble and he says something that he’s never uttered to anybody since Flevance burned down. She will be the first one in a long time to hear these words:
“Thank you.”
Baby 5 just smiles back at him.
Morning comes faster than normal and it’s a good thing they didn’t make a bet last night using their allowance money, because Baby 5 got ten out of ten for accurate prediction.
They’re on cleaning duty several hours later when Giolla bursts in to wake them. Buffalo pokes fun at the pair of them as the artsy woman lectures them for twenty minutes straight about listening to the Young Master’s rules set in place for them:
Bedtime at nine thirty every evening and no arguments or wandering out of bed after hours.
Adults go to bed two hours later, the same time that Doflamingo retires to his chambers. They remain in their rooms until eight o’clock sharp every morning, as that’s the time when their captain rises from his slumber.
It’s not a difficult schedule to follow, though it secretly drives Law up the wall. He sloshes water around in the bucket Gladius had given him, water soaking his shirt and shorts after Buffalo kicked the first one over, thinking he was hilarious. He hadn’t thought it was so funny after Law had used the mop handle as a makeshift javelin and managed to smack the back of the obnoxious boy’s skull with a hard thump.
He was on kitchen duty later that day for that act alone, though Buffalo only got a slap upside the head, courtesy of Senior Pink, for his role in antagonising Law. Baby 5, smartly, had remained quiet throughout the incident, choosing to just mop in silence while Buffalo and Law came close to starting a fist fight in the middle of the hallway.
“It’s not like you to rise to Buffalo, y’know,” Baby 5 states, mopping closer to Law’s current spot. She’s got a point; usually he’d just tell the buffoon to screw off and be done with it. She doesn’t press it but she has a sneaking suspicion Law’s foul mood is the result of last night’s nightmare dilemma.
“Oh!” Baby 5 steps aside, bowing her head as a sign of respect at the figure strolling along the recently-cleaned floorboards. “Good morning, Young Master.”
“Young Master,” Law parrots, though he feels ridiculous saying it. He throws the mop aside, ignoring the irritating wail of Buffalo who gets splashed as Doflamingo passes The captain’s pink feathered jacket is slung loosely over his shoulders, the sleeves swaying as he pauses with his hand on the door handle that leads to the upper deck.
“Finish up your chores and come straight to the dining room. We’ll be setting sail at midday.”
“We’re going off the island again?” Baby 5 blinks, ringing out her own mop before reaching down to grab her bucket. The water sploshes around as she struggles toward the door that Doflamingo holds open, Law following along behind in silence as she continues nattering away nonsensically up at their captain.
“Supply run,” Doflamingo answers casually, turning to Law. “You three can have some free time exploring while we settle some accounts.”
Baby 5 cheers, practically skipping along the hallway and completely forgetting about the bucket in her hands. Law curses loudly, Doflamingo laughs and the two children are left scrubbing up the spillage.
From Spider Miles to the island, the day goes just like clockwork; Doflamingo and his three main lackeys head off to do business with some poor sucker who’s about to get strung along with the pirate crew’s schemes, pun not intended of course.
Law trails along behind Buffalo and Baby 5 who holler and whoop as they run through the town square, the boy silently grateful that they don’t have to drag Dellinger along with them for once. Keeping track of Buffalo and Baby 5 is difficult enough without a baby with razor-sharp teeth crawling around and wanting to bite everything within a one mile radius…
Minor annoyances are soon desired as the other two dumbasses begin chattering away about birth names which, unbeknownst to him, is the birth of a new chain of events that send his fate in a brand new direction.
“Fine… It’s Trafalgar D. Water Law.”
Those words echo back at him, even as he’s running back to where Doflamingo had dropped the Birdcage, pushing his frail body as hard as he can to get back.
“Don’t die, Cora!” He pleads through his gasps of air as he reaches the pirate hideout again and his eyes land on the wounded man being buried under a thin layer of white snow. Tears are streaming down his flushed face, dark pink with fever and illness as he stands over Rosinante’s body.
He manages to extend both palms toward the man, only for panic to immediately surge through his body as a hand clamps over his mouth and he’s pulled back into somebody’s chest. Strong arms keep him pinned as he starts kicking out feebly in an act of weak resistance.
For a split second, he thinks it’s one of Doflamingo’s crew, feeling the terror beginning to eat away at any rational thought over the idea of that awful Vergo character making a reappearance.
“I saw that bastard feed you that fruit,” a voice hisses and Law stills, the attacker unfamiliar. “That pink psychopath was looking for it too, wasn’t he?! I’m getting away from this island and then I’m going to sell you-”
His threat turns to a garbled choke as Law bites down as hard as he can into the fingers silencing him. Law finds himself being thrown back into the snow and the pirate starts panicking as he takes in the markings spreading over Law’s face.
“T-Those marks! Is that… That’s white lead! I-I thought the Government wiped you all out?!”
Law tries not to flinch at those words. Is there even any point in trying to tell him it’s not contagious? The Government certainly did a good job at spreading the misinformation to the point of terrifying locals in the North Blue.
The pirate begins scrubbing at his arms and looking over the tiny teeth marks across his fingers with a grimace. He rips his pistol out from his belt and points it down at Law, who tries to hide the fear clear in his face. “You little freak… I touched you, oh God… Oh God, I touched you and you bit me…”
The trigger is pulled, time seems to stand still and a scream escapes from the back of the boy’s raw throat followed by a bright cerulean light that flashes all around them. Something makes a harsh thudding sound, Law winces as something warm sprays across his cheek and then, as he can feel his eyes rolling back into his skull...
Minion Island goes silent, once again.
“Remember, young ones. You must always watch how you behave, for if you do not, the D will swallow you whole. Remember, the D will always bring a storm for they are the enemies of the Gods themselves…”
It hurts…
Donquixote Rosinante has been here before.
Lost in the abyss of his own twisted memories that he wishes would vanish from his mind.
Coarse rope cruelly cuts off his blood supply as he’s helpless and suspended in the air, the stifling smell of heavy smoke invades his nostrils as he can feel the painful burn of flames growing closer to his feet. He can’t see anything and all he can do is wail for the pain to end.
“I swear…”
He stills, even after hearing these words so many times in past experiences, his heart still clenches as his brother growls down at the crowd of people behind the red-hot flames.
“I’ll get even… I won’t die here and I’ll survive anything you plan on doing to me… And then I’ll come and kill every single one of you!”
He is able to withstand the sheer force of aura radiating from his bloodthirsty younger brother, hearing the familiar thud as the mob loses consciousness, going as limp as dead bodies and remain so until the fire begins to die and their father manages to wriggle one arm free from his bonds. Once doing this, he quickly releases his other arm and heaves himself back over the wall to safety.
Their father seems to follow suit, pulling his oldest, trembling child towards him as Doffy’s sodden face and body quivering with sheer rage and bloodlust is swiftly unbound and pulled into the familiar familial embrace. It doesn’t last long, with Doflamingo tearing himself away with a snarl that sends a shiver running from Rosinante’s spine, which aches terribly after being suspended against a rough brick wall for hours on end.
The scene jumps, Doffy is panting heavily, standing over a few bodies while gripping a small dagger he’d clearly picked up off of the ground that belonged to one of the crowd's people. Saliva is dripping out of both corners of his mouth and there’s a psychotic look in the boy’s eyes as his hands tremble. He looks as if he’s ready to plunge the blade into their unsuspecting bodies, the sheer aura and tension of the child’s anger making Rosinante cling to his father.
“Don’t be angry at Father,” comes his pained whimper as their father hastily packed the few items they’d managed to scrounge up into a satchel with frayed edges and the strap hanging together by mere threads.
“Look what you’ve done…” The small boy rumbles as the shadows cling to his thin frame and then once again, they’re back in the place that haunted Rosinante’s adult memories as he’s screaming and pleading while his older brother holds a loaded pistol against the back of their surviving parent’s skull.
“Doffy, please! Please don’t kill Father!!”
“I’m going to fix the mess you’ve made for us.”
“I’m begging you, big brother!!”
The trigger is pulled, tears fall and Rosinante screams into the heavens.
“Look what you’ve done,” the young growl twists and morphs, maturing as instead of being hidden from the nozzle of the pistol, Rosinante is now standing in full shooting range as heavy snow falls all around them. He’s bloody, bruised and recognises the old familiar feeling of broken ribs, courtesy of his adoptive-father’s oaf of a friend and his violent training methods and lack of utter self control.
“Why do you insist on making me kill another of my family?!”
“CORAZON!”
“I’ll have to educate him so that he knows to die for me…”
Rosinante jolts awake.
His entire body is freezing, the gentle droplets of snow landing against his face as he realises… He’s still breathing, he notes as he touches his chest and feels a strong heartbeat thumping back at him.
He isn’t dead… Why isn’t he dead? His brother had shot him repeatedly in the chest, over and over again and then left him to die in the snow.
More importantly, where was Law? Had he managed to escape without being detected?!
Rosinante grunts, his broken ribs reminding him of his injuries as he slowly sits himself up and looks around… And his heart feels as if it’s about to plummet from his chest and sink down into the darkest depths of Hell itself.
A small boy is lying nearby, cloak blanketing his tiny frame as the only obvious sign of life still in his lungs being the rattled sound of breathing coming from his small figure. Rosinante scrambles onto all fours, clawing his way through the thick snow, trying to ignore the painful burning sensation coming from his palms. His hands brush the fabric of Law’s long cloak and he moves to lift the boy into his arms, scanning over his prone body.
“Law! Law, come on, kid! You need to get up!”
A thought hits him and he tears his shirt open, buttons flying in different directions as his blood turns to ice when his chest reveals no signs of any bullet wounds and look as if they’ve been completely closed up.
Which should be impossible, right? There’s no way Law was able to use the Ope Ope fruit this way in such a short amount of time after consuming it.
As Rosinante pulls the sickly boy closer, tears sting his eyes when he notices two thick trails of dried blood starting from his nostrils and staining his lips and chin. The blond fights down a hard, thick lump now wedged in his throat, choking him, constricting him, as he pulls the child into his arms and sobs as he wraps the boy up in his thick feathered cloak.
Oh Law… What did you do?!
The wind soon begins to pick up and Rosinante finally moves, clinging to Law as tight as he can, hoping that Law is also clinging to life rather than allowing the claws of death to steal him away.
Not yet, kid. Not after all we went through to get here!
The Birdcage is gone. Doflamingo is gone.
For now, a ghostly voice whispers to him from the back of his brain but he shakes his head roughly with a glare, trying to blot it out as he pushes on through the thick frost. He can make it, he can get somewhere with warmth and shelter, the kid has a fighting chance now that he’s eaten the fruit…
They overcome the odds, beat back the tolling bells of death itself as if a guardian spirit is shining down and blessing them.
Warm tears stream down his face, his hands burn, his ribs are throbbing and he wants nothing more than to drop to the floor and sleep…
“C-Cora…”
The man’s heart leaps, almost as if he’s been struck with a jolt of electricity, bringing him back to life.
“Law-” Rosinante holds him tight, the boy’s tiny, pale hand clutching his shirt as his golden eyes begin to pool with tears.
“I-I know you said for me to leave but I couldn’t, I just couldn’t do it, Cora. I’m sorry,” tears spill, Rosinante shakes his head in astonishment. Did the kid think he was angry with him?
Well… They could discuss what the fuck had happened with the bullet wounds at a later date and Law certainly would get a chastising for being so fucking reckless-
“Don’t you dare,” Rosinante hisses, adjusting the warm cloak over the boy’s tiny frame. “You have nothing to apologise for. Save your strength, kid. I’ve got you.”
I’m the one who should be apologising.
For lying to you…
Rosinante swallows thickly as Law’s eyes flutter and he goes limp again.
But I had to, kid. I hope you understand that… Even if it takes a while…
They trudge on, a few buildings beginning to show through the blizzard and a spark of hope finally rises within the traitorous soldier. If the houses are vacant, he’ll start a fire, scrounge for supplies and hopefully find something edible for Law.
It’s going to be alright.
They’re going to make it.
But then, Rosinante freezes on the spot and the hope dies on the spot, just as his flushed cheeks pale to a sickly shade of white as he notices something walking towards them in the distance, clad in a long dark cloak with the hood up and concealing everything about the figure’s face.
Could it be Doffy?!
Oh God, please-
No, no, no!
And then, like fate has suddenly realised its leniency…
His legs cave and he finds himself falling towards the bitter frost.
While he takes the brunt of the fall, he manages to keep himself from landing on top of Law and the boy rolls a few feet to the side as he grips the ice-covered cobblestone path with soft groans and gasps of air.
Rosinante’s panic turns to hysterics as the figure reaches them, leaning down and lifting Law’s prone form into the air. The boy makes no attempt of resistance as his flushed face grows darker with untreated fever and the figure clutches him close to their chest, looking over silently towards the younger Donquixote brother.
“L-Law…” Rosinante tries to pull himself together, legs splaying out uselessly so the man decides to crawl, clinging to the stones of the path as he moves more akin to a worm sliding through dirt than a human being.
The figure says nothing, dark features looking down on the injured blond as Rosinante extends his hand towards the boy that he’d vowed to save.
“Don’t touch him. He’s m-my…”
The mysterious figure trudges forward, still holding Law as he kneels down, adjusting the slumbering boy in one arm as the other clamps down on Rosinante’s shoulder, the blond’s body goes as rigid as the arctic winds biting into his bruised and bleeding skin.
“P-Please…” It’s a thick rasp, Rosinante can barely keep his head upright.
“Don’t worry, Commander Rosinante. You’re in safe hands now…” The dark eyes of the figure bore down on the shivering boy and they narrow as their pupils scan over the patches of evident Amber Lead poisoning staining the poor child’s skin.
“You both are.”