You rest a bit when you get to your room, but you don't sleep. Having a private room was a commodity on the space-efficient submarine, and you appreciated the gesture for what it was. The room itself was small, but there was a porthole that let you see the ocean as the ship traveled, a small and comfortable bed, a little storage room under it, a couple shelves and a flat surface for writing. There was even a small lamp that hung from the ceiling to provide light for reading when the main lights needed to be off.

Laying on the bed you watch the dark ocean shift idly by, barely taking note of the occasional fish or shoal that passes by. Dozing a little you try to relax, at least physically. Every time your mind wanders to the past, you force yourself to think of the crew.

The Heart Pirates didn't exist centuries ago. So you pull their voices and their interactions into your mind. It's difficult, there's similarities that trigger older memories, mostly because from your perspective the other memories aren't that old.

Eventually you fall back on a mantra.

"Every time I close my eyes, the ceiling changes, and the people change." You murmur into the quiet room. "But the last few times I have closed my eyes, it has been the same. The world has changed, and yet it seems, for me it has stabilized."

A bittersweet smile plays at your lips. Lami would be happy for you. Banchina would probably scold you for holding onto the past, but you could see her smile just as well.

Resting was beginning to lose its effectiveness, and before your mind could wander off again you left your room. Making your way easily through the mostly identical halls, you reached the mess hall and walked into the back to see Bepo beginning to prep for dinner.

"I hope I am-hem – that I'm not too late to help?" You smile as Bepo turns to you.

"Not at all!" He answers, indicating the board and knife. "If you want to start prepping vegetables, I'll get the rest."

"Of course."

You get to work breaking down the vegetables, following Bepo's guidance. The mink talked while he worked, but it was mostly what he needed to do, or what he needed you to do, and what he was going to do. It was like he was keeping himself on task by talking everything out. It was extra useful for you, because it was easier to determine what he'd need from you since he was constantly listing off steps and next steps.

According to Sachi it was something he did all the time when it came to chores. Fighting and working in the operating theater, however, and Bepo was almost completely silent, aside from the occasional apology.

"We're making two dishes tonight?" You ask after a moment, quietly proud of yourself for sounding informal.

"Yes, tonight's meal is pasta and red sauce with garlic bread. The captain isn't fond of it so I'm making him some rice balls instead." Bepo explains, never turning his attention away from his work. "Will you deliver them?"

"Deliver?"

"I bet he's gonna forget to come eat." Bepo says, and then promptly apologizes. "He gets focused on a plan or an experiment and if we don't force him, he can go days without eating or sleeping properly."

"That is... surprisingly unwise for someone so smart." You say, grinning deviously at Bepo. "I shall be fierce in my delivery."

Bepo's face shifts oddly, and he gets a hand over his mouth before he laughs. It's a short laugh and he looks away, apologizing again. "Sorry – pfft, hahaha!" He falls into a small fit of laughter, apologizing between outbursts for a few moments before he manages to get himself back under control.

It's so adorable you don't even feel bad that he's probably laughing at you.

"Fierce." He finally manages to say. "I'm sorry."

You smile, taking the rice balls. "It is quite alright." You stop and close your eyes in a grimace. "It's... all good?"

Bepo tilts his head. "Um?"

"Law has stated- said, that I need to speak informally, for safety's sake." You explain. "Mister Bep-er... Bepo I haven't ever spoken casually before now. I am aware, I mean, I know how to, and I've had friends who do, and all of the crew does, but it is proving difficult."

Your face scrunches up a little in continued frustration. "Hearing and knowing translate poorly to speaking, it seems."

"Hmm... I can let everyone know. We can... help?" His head tilts a little. "Like if you revert without correcting yourself."

"Thank you, I think that would be most ideal. It will aid me, ah, it'll help."

"Best." Bepo offers. "It would be best."

"It would be—Oh! Oh, it's better to say 'best' than 'most ideal'?" You question and Bepo nods with a smile. "Very well then, thank you. I shall deliver this to the Captain."

Bepo gives a very quiet sigh as you leave, realizing that this is going to be a lot of work.

Law's cabin is located fairly centrally in the ship. It gives him access to the bridge, mess, and operating rooms within nearly equal distance. Considering it was easily the largest cabin on the ship, you imagine it had been designed with that kind of perk in mind.

Knocking on the door you wait for a moment in silence before knocking again with a little more force. Your brow crinkle, but you're certain you can hear movement on the other side of the door. You give it another moment before you open the door and let yourself in.

Law is hunched over the desk, books open and papers set around. It looked a bit chaotic, but there was method to the madness of it, and you realize he's trying to figure out what he can about your tears.

"My apologies for the intrusion," you begin to say as he glances over at you before looking back down at what he was working on.

"One moment." He looks around from book to book and makes a few notes on the paper in front of him before he sets the pen down. He straightens up, stretching a bit and letting his back crack, before looking back toward you. "Dinner time already?"

"Indeed." You reply, handing over the plate of rice balls, not wanting to risk setting them on something important. "After you eat, I could stay and assist you."

"Mm, can you phrase that differently?" He prompts, taking the plate and beginning to eat.

You consider for a second. "When you're done eating, I can give you.... Ah, what was the phrase? Give you a hand job?"

Law chokes on his food and sets the plate down on the desk. Even with all the times you'd caught him off guard before now you'd never seen him so flustered as this.

"I said it incorrectly." You state apologetically, pouring him a glass of water and handing it over. He's still trying to clear the food caught in his throat, but he's nodding as he takes the offered glass. "Sorry."

He puts his hand up as he drinks, coughing a couple more times before he's finally cleared things out. There's a moment of stillness between the two of you as he considers his next words, and without looking at you he speaks.

"It's just 'give you a hand'." He says finally, his face is red from the choking spell, but his ears look red too. "When you're offering to help someone, you don't need the qualifier of 'job' at the end."

"Is a hand job something else then?" You question innocently. "Perhaps assault?"

Law lets a breath out slowly; eyes closed, shaking his head. "It's intimate in nature. Just... don't go around offering people hand jobs." He says finally, returning to his meal with a scowl.

"Very well." You smile a little, staying by the desk, trying not to think too much about how you had accidentally propositioned the captain.

Law regards you while he eats one of the rice balls and finally asks. "Is there something else?"

"Oh, I was waiting for you to finish eating so I could be of assistance." You answer, gesturing to the research laid out on his desk. "Should I come back later?"

Law considers things for a moment. "No, you can stay. Read over what I have while I eat, and we'll go from there."

You nod, stepping around the desk and looking over the notes and books that were laid out. There were history books, referencing the void century and the theories around what may have happened. A book about the Ope Ope No Mi specifically. There were more notes in the margins in, you assumed, Law's handwriting than there was original text. Whole sections were crossed out in some places just from what little you skimmed.

Connecting the books to the notes you realize that half his query was about the variances and safety of the tears you could create, and the other half was on the Devil fruit's possible impacts on you.

"You... appear to be looking for a... cure?" You question tentatively.

"... yeah." He replies quietly, finishing the last of his meal.

You're quiet for long moments, but Law doesn't say anything. He hardly moves as you look over the notes again. You purse your lips, fighting back the emotion welling up inside you. Control is difficult after so long without any emotions, but you manage.

"I wouldn't have to count my tears?" Your question is quiet, and you're blinking rapidly trying to beat back the tears threatening to fall.

"You wouldn't have to hold them in either." He admits, a tone of frustration in his voice.

The dam breaks at the statement and you step back from the desk as a few tears escape you along with a stifled laugh. A breath of air with a note behind it, nothing more - relief captured in a single beat. Heavy tears slip past your chin and thunk onto the floor with the crinkle of breaking glass.

"Sorry, sorry the gold ones always break." You explain automatically, wiping your face and trying to calm yourself. "The glass is so thin."

"Please don't apologize." Law says softly, carefully walking over to you and handing you a couple tissues before he crouches down. "Gold comes from... relief?"

"Historical data and personal experience compel me to admit it comes from several, generally positive, emotional states. Though, you are correct that relief is one." You answer, face warm. "I would prefer to not match all my emotions to tears, doctor."

"I won't tell anyone else. Part of it is wanting to keep my crew safe, but part of it is specifically wanting to keep you safe." He explains, standing back up. "People know you have a unique gift, but I don't think the exact details of your ability have survived all this time. Would you rather someone experiment on you for the details?"

"... I would rather someone believe the heart was lost at sea." You admit, eyes more on the floor than Law.

"Are your tears all that change?" He asks quietly, but the implication and concern are obvious.

Your fingers flex, and you chew on your bottom lip. Your hesitation alone is enough of an answer, and you know if you tell him no now, he'll know better. You had long since decided to trust him implicitly, and with literally not one else alive to have your back, it seemed imprudent to leave him in the dark about anything.

If Law betrayed you, it wouldn't matter to what degree. You had nowhere else to go.

"If... if I bleed, it... but no one knows. I found out one day by chance, and I didn't even tell my friends." You admit.

Law puts a hand on your shoulder leaning down and catching your gaze. The golden-yellow eyes hold your gaze, and he squeezes your shoulder gently. "We're going to do everything we can to protect you, but people... The Warlords and the World Government will experiment, especially if you don't give them something."

"... People believed if I was injured or..." you clear your throat meaningfully and look away. "That my tears wouldn't... wouldn't contain anything. All I do know is that be it tears or blood, it needs to be surrounded by air. Soaked into cloth, or dried upon skin, it won't... change."

"Use that to your advantage. If anyone presses, then say of course it's untested. Who would risk it?" He offers.

You nod in agreement as his room fills the small office and he shifts the broken glass and gold into a small pile on his desk.

"I may begin to forget to count my tears, if you continue to gather them for me like that." You muse, a small smile on your face.

Law reaches out for you, the back of his finger brushing across your cheek. "That wouldn't be so -."

A knock at the door causes you both to nearly leap out of your skins.

"Captain!" Sachi's voice calls from the other side of the door. "Is Bell in there with you?"

Something in the question compels you to take a step back from Law. You can feel your heart trying to pound in your chest, but you were doing your best to keep it from showing on your face. The captain regards you for a moment before answering Sachi.

"Yeah."

The door opens and Sachi smiles when he sees you. "Sorry, Bepo said he sent you off to bring the Captain his meal before you had gotten to eat." He holds up a bowl and a couple pieces of bread wrapped in a napkin. "When you didn't come back, I got sent to make sure you ate."

You can feel Law's eyes on you, but you keep your focus on Sachi with a smile. "Thank you, and please thank Bepo for looking out for me like that." You say as you take the offered bowl and bread. "I can set this on the plate from earlier, and I'll bring them back to the mess hall later."

"Oh, that was almost informal." Sachi beams. "Good job, Bell."

Law sets his plate down on an open spot on the desk, and you set your meal on it. "Did you ask the crew for help?"

"Mm, Bepo specifically, but he promised to pass the word." You answer, seating yourself. "Hearing the crew has not – hasn't effected my affect, it seems."

Sachi makes a face, but you only catch a split second of it before he smiles. "Well, enjoy your meal. Bye Bell, later Cap'n." He says cheerfully before leaving the office.

"Effected your affect?" Law prompts, a grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. "You couldn't be more formal if you tried."

"I mostly certainly could." You say with a grin. "Would you like me to speak as though you were the king?"

"No." He answers quickly and flatly, and you smile as you begin to eat.