You didn't expect either of them to help put groceries away but they did. The atmosphere was very uncomfortable and as soon as it was done, they dispersed. Law went outside and Kid threw himself on a living room couch, head leaned over the edge and eyes closed.

As much as you wanted to go hide as well, there was still one last thing you had to do. Laundry. They had all these new clothes that needed a good cleaning before they wore any of them and you wanted it done. They'd worn the same clothes for two days and that was a little too gross for you. So you started with the jeans, tossing a couple of your own dirty pairs in with the load and then getting it going.

The house was wonderfully quiet. Besides the sound of the washer thumping around, there wasn't much going on. Kid hadn't said a peep and Law was still out somewhere. You settled into a seat at the dining room table with a sigh, waiting for the laundry to finish so you could change the loads.

A low meow let you know Hobbes was nearby. He didn't like going a whole day without attention so now he was seeking it from someone. You didn't see him so he had to have gathered the courage to check out Kid. When you peeked into the living room, that was exactly what he'd done.

The man was too focused on the cat to see you looking around the corner. Hobbes had jumped onto his chest and was batting at his metal fingers he was wiggling overhead. His other hand was buried in the cat's long fur, scratching away at his back. Kid wasn't smiling but he didn't have a condescending look going on either. If anything, he looked troubled.

You laid you head on the table and closed your eyes. It was nice knowing he wasn't going to be a pain to Hobbes and now you were beginning to feel exhausted from the day's activities. You had a feeling they'd want to get started on their search tomorrow and you weren't looking forward to it. If by some crazy chance they really were from another world, you might be able to help them get back. Otherwise it was going to be a non-stop game of them dragging you along in a vain attempt to fulfill their strange fantasy.

----

"Hey." Cold metal prodded your cheek. "Show me how this damn oven works so I can make something."

You cracked your eyes open slowly and adjusted to the harsh kitchen lights. It was dark outside, at least it looked like it from what you could see out a window. Kid sat in a chair beside you, his face a little too close for comfort as he continued to poke at you.

"Give me a second." It came out sleepy and hushed.

You didn't mean to fall asleep but apparently you needed to. After a few moments of stretching, you glanced over at Kid. He was still watching you, at least until your eyes met his. Then he was looking down at a frozen pizza he was holding in his hands like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. You didn't think your outburst in the car was that bad but apparently it was. Did he and Law have that hard of a time dealing with death? And here you thought they were tough guys.

"I don't bite." You murmured, moving over to the oven.

"Whatever." He growled. "Just show me how to do this."

You walked him through the different buttons and the directions for the pizza. You didn't think he'd need help with that, they were pretty easy to follow, but he still almost put the pizza in with the plastic wrap still on. It took a small lesson in why plastic wasn't edible for him to remove it.

"Is your friend still gone?" You asked him as you went to change laundry loads. It was getting too late in the day for this but you wanted it finished.

"Law? He's not my friend and yes, he's still gone."

You frowned. He shouldn't be out so late. This was practically the middle of no where, with the closest neighbors living a couple miles out. If he ran into trouble by himself no one would know. Sure you didn't care for him, but no one deserved to get mauled to death in the woods.

"I'm going to see if I can find him." You slipped on the light jacket you had hanging on a hook by the door and rummaged around in an end table for a flashlight. It would've been easier if you had your phone but Law still had that.

"Really? He'll be fine." Kid wore a look of absolute disgust.

"Not if a bear or something gets a hold of him."

"Trust me, he can handle a bear. If he can't, then good riddance." He snickered.

You simply rolled your eyes and left. Hopefully Kid wouldn't burn the house down while you were gone.

It was a brisk evening, definitely chilly enough for the jacket. The chickens cooed away softly in their pen, settling in for the night as you passed. When the light from the house became too dim to guide you, you switched on the flashlight. The bright, yellow glow did a great job of illuminating everything as you hit the treeline and followed along an old, beaten dirt path. It was one you always used to walk with your aunt and uncle when you were younger.

It was clear around the house so you figured it was safe to assume he'd gone into the woods. They offered better scenery than the patchy grass of your yard and occasional tumbleweed so it was a much better place to wander through if you were looking to get lost in thought. Or lost in general if you didn't know the area.

You'd go a short distance and pause, listening for other footsteps, the sounds of dry, brittle leaves crunching, or really anything to suggest something bigger than a squirrel was nearby. It probably wouldn't have been a bad idea to bring the handgun but Kid had stashed that away somewhere else. He said it was to keep you from getting any wild ideas though you'd already had plenty, many of them didn't even require a gun. It was amazing what could count as a weapon if you got creative enough.

There were still no signs of Law and you'd completely lost sight of the house. He must have gone further into the trees. You sighed as you went down a steep slope, feet slipping on the loose dirt and undergrowth until you managed to slide down to the creek. It was cute in the daylight. A small trail of water lined with clay and mud. In the dark it look pretty foreboding. The murky brown water took on a pitch black appearance. Small fish darted under the surface, sending out ripples and disturbing the steady flow.

You swung your light around, checking for footprints and found what you were looking for on the opposite side of the creek. Law must have hopped across and then followed it downstream. You did the same, letting the imprints he left guide you. The further you went, the wider the creek became until it looked more like a stream. The sides of it were relatively clear and easy to maneuver around and you could tell Law thought the same. He stuck close to it to avoid dealing with any cacti or goatheads* laying about. And past that was a gathering of plants you and Wren used to always call skunk grass. It probably wasn't what it was actually called, but if you brushed against the plants' large leaves or snapped parts off, it'd stink to high heaven. Based on the smell in the air, Law had been here recently and learned that little bit of information the hard way.

"Law?" You called for him, thinking he might be able to hear you if he hadn't gone much farther.

A short pause and no response. He'd gone further ahead. That's were it got a little harder to navigate around the water. The sides turned from mud to rock, a few trees encroached on the space, and more undergrowth snagged at your clothes. The terrain stayed relatively flat until now. It turned into a lot of ups and downs that sent you clambering over sharp inclines and sliding down the declines on your ass until you finally found him.

Law had found your favorite spot.

He was sitting on a log that had snapped and fell over the top of the stream a long time ago, his legs dangling just above the water's surface. His back was to you as he peered over the edge of the small waterfall he was perched over. Even if he wasn't facing you, he knew you were there. Your light was bouncing off of every surface, impossible to miss.

"It's too late for you to be out here." You grumbled as you approached, sitting on the log beside him. The wood creaked in protest but held the extra weight. It'd been here for years and frankly, it was a gamble every time you sat on it. One day it'd break and send you tumbling into the water but until then, you'd continue to push your luck.

"I thought I'd start looking for our way back." He answered casually, flicking a bit of dirt off his sleeve.

"What exactly is your way back?" You kicked your feet back and forth, split between listening to Law and the continuous splashing of water.

"I suppose you should know if you'll be helping us find it." He took your flashlight and turned it off before handing it back. The light was harsh and you had to admit, the scenery was nicer without it when your eyes started to adjust. "It's an item, an orb I guess is the best way to put it."

"I don't get it." You frowned. "How does...an orb make all this happen."

He shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Okay, tell me how you came across it, what happened, all that good shit."

He chuckled. "Well, it started when Eustass-ya, strawhat-ya, and I met up. Eustass-ya wasn't supposed to be there, but he happened across the same island we were at. We were there to follow a treasure map and split the findings, if there were any. After some arguing with Eustass-ya, it was agreed that he could come along as we could use the extra man power. The island was heavily guarded by Marines and he'd be able to ensure a quick getaway."

"I don't know you guys all that well, but I find it hard to believe that you'd actually work together on something."

"Strawhat-ya was the one that agreed. I got outvoted." He grumbled. "Either way, things went relatively well. We found the stash and got away with a small fight. When we reconvened to split the haul, we found the orb in the mix."

"What exactly does it look like?"

"It's strange, half glass and half metal, very smooth." He scratched at his goatee. "Almost like it had all been melded together at the same time. No seams or anything to suggest it was put together after being formed. It caught both mine and Eustass-ya's attention. I was fiddling with it, trying to figure out what made it important enough to land in a pile of gold and then he tried to take it. I assume he was more interested in how it was made more than it's possible value, but as soon as we both had a hold of it, everything went black. Then it was like I blinked and was here with Eustass-ya, the orb no where to be seen."

"Okay." You tapped the flashlight against your leg thoughtfully. "So it probably ended up somewhere else then. Where exactly did you turn up at?"

"Your backyard."

Right. That made sense as to why they were in your house. It was the closest building and therefore, it was the best place to start their search for their trinket. The more you thought about it the more rediculous it seemed to you. You were stuck helping two crazy men find an object they swore was imbued with some strange power to relocate them to different worlds. Maybe you'd look into the news when they weren't paying attention, see what care facility they escaped from so you could hopefully return them.

"So, just to be clear, I help you find this thing and you guys leave me alone, whether it works how you want it to or not, right?"

"Right." He nodded. "It'll work, it did once and it will again."

"Sure." You rolled your eyes and went to stand up, ready to go home, when the log groaned a little louder than normal.

Law glanced at you, sharing an "oh fuck" look before the log finally gave way. You let out a yelp as you fell into the freezing water. At least it wasn't deep. It soaked through your clothes and came up to your chin as you sat in it with a scowl.

"Can we go home now?" You raised your arms and slapped the surface of the water in frustration.

"Yeah." Law cursed as he tried to get up and slipped on a patch of mud, landing back on his ass and sending water splashing in your direction. "I could use a change of clothes."

It was a good thing you got some cleaned up then.

(A/n)
*Not sure what others call these little fuckers but they're goatheads around here. They're a real pain in the ass and you won't know you've dragged any in the house until you step on one. They really aren't common in forest like areas but definitely in the more desert parts around where I live. Anytime you go on a hike you gotta check your shoes cause you'll find half a dozen of these imbedded in the soles.