~

"Ok so what are we doing about these forms?" Uni asked the whole group that had gathered in the lobby. Law had gone to sleep or at least they hoped because if he happened upon all of them in one place, he would sure have questions.

"Why is captain being like this? Weren't we supposed to help him with his goal?" Clione added.

"What even is his goal?" Musta asked.

There was silence after that. Nobody knew what Law actually wanted to do. He hadn't told them at all. Shachi cleared his throat and got everyone's attention.

"I don't want to know what Captain will do if we write something he doesn't like. He'd probably reject the idea and throw us in a solitary confinement until we come up with a new answer?"

"You're letting your imagination run wild man." Penguin snickered.

"Come on Peng, you know Law, he's a different brand of stubborn."

"I don't want to disappoint Captain so I will respect that he doesn't want any of us to do bad things." Bepo said.

"Why, Bepo?"

"Suimasen!"

"Hey no, like really, why?"

"Maybe if we are all in safe, legal professions, Captain won't have to worry about us while he plans and executes his own goals. I think he deserves that much." Bepo explained, scratching his head.

"Makes sense."

"He's just a kid, why does he want to take on the world by himself!" Uni said, exasperated.

"He's like that." Penguin muttered with a groan. "Idiot kid."

"So he's gonna play Santa with us then? Make all our dreams come true, while we don't even know what his dream is."

"He's kept it that way for a reason then." Shachi said adjusting his hat.

"It's surely something illegal as hell."

"And equally dangerous."

~

Law looked at all of them, matching their gaze, one by one. His eyes were scrutinizing his group, some of whom had scooted to the far end of the living room. He had gathered them up to collect the 'career forms' from them but once they had all appeared in the living room, everyone kept pushing someone else ahead to submit first.

Law sighed. "Just put it in the basket. I don't care about who goes first and I won't murder you for the wrong answer." They all sighed in relief, at least that's what Law thought it seemed like. "I might only cause minor disfigurement so you've learned your lesson." That didn't help at all. "Or major if you all keep delaying."

That worked.

Everyone was quick to put their forms in the basket Law brought with him and once he saw everyone had put the paper in, he collected them from the vessel face down and counted it to make sure it all tallied. It did.

"I am going to be in my office going over these." Law stood up. "Clione, Peng, you're both on the kid's duty. He's stable and fed, no IVs attached, just keep an eye on the basic stats."

"You got it."

"When will we know about the results?" Bepo asked innocently about the forms.

"If you aren't disfigured tomorrow morning then know that you've passed."

Smirking at the shudders that passed through the group, Law went back to his room and sat by his desk, putting all the papers on it and grabbing his laptop to get to work. He put on his glasses and began the preliminary read-through just to get a gist of what was written, then he would think thoroughly on if it was correct or not, dividing them into the 'approved' and 'not approved' piles.

The first one brought a smile on his face. It read: a doctor like captain. That, he could approve of. Next were all,

Florist.

Mechanic.

I might want to have my own coffee shop.

Teaching!

Banking and accounting.

Med school.

I want to work my way to having my own restaurant.

Dog walking.

Nursery teacher.

Info Tech...? I swear it's not for hacking. So computer school?

A doc.

All of this he could approve. He opened his laptop and quickly drafted an excel sheet typing in what everyone had written, in front of their names and coming to realization that none of them went against him to write illegal or dangerous professions. He would need to have a talk with his three idiot best friends though. Law didn't understand their motive for them wanting to step in the field of medicine. It was rough and grueling and those were the good days. Law himself hadn't been a professional doctor but he had worked enough shifts with his parents to know about the bad days, when you lose patient after patient or even a single one, that much is enough to send your whole world tumbling.

Shaking his head free of such thoughts, the teen got to work creating and drafting what everyone would need for their choices, a light drafting only which he would solidify after talking with the person.

He was almost done with the initial drafting when he heard the emergency alarm blare. Ditching his laptop and glasses, Law rushed to the infirmary thinking of everything that could have happened.

"What happened?" He asked to the two who were standing beside Luffy who looked to be in pain, crouched on the floor, clutching his abdomen.

"He won't say anything beyond 'it hurts.'" Penguin provided.

"His vitals?"

"All normal."

Law bent to Luffy's level and put a hand on his back. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"H-hurts." The boy cried. He was literally crying. Shit. Law looked at where exactly Luffy's hand was to try and determine the cause.

Lower abdomen so,

Abdominal pain?

Internal injury, perhaps rectal? Shit fuck.

Urinary tract infection?

Muscle spasms? Could be since Luffy-ya is weak as fuck and anxious too, some erratic movement might have caused that.

Was there any injury Law overlooked? He was at a complete loss.

"Come on, help me out here, what else are you feeling?" Law pushed.

"I'm gonna die!" At that, Law just straight up started panicking. What was he supposed to do?! The kid was not answering him and all his vitals were ok, his medicines were ok, if there was any internal bleeding there would have been obvious signs but nothing! Nothing!

"Luffy-ya, you are going to have to be specific. You need to tell me where it hurts and what else you are feeling so I can help you." Law tried being patient, he didn't want the boy to become unresponsive at hostile behavior.

"I-I" Luffy started and Law urged him by rubbing his back. "I'b hubgry!" He cried, clutching tighter on his...stomach.

"What?" Law asked, an automatic response to what he had heard.

"Ibba die i'b so hubgry." Luffy sobbed through his words, snot and tears doing little for coherence.

Law felt like grabbing his scalpel and ending this mess right then and there. He didn't know he was doing just that until Penguin restrained his right arm.

"Captain what the hell are you thinking?!"

While Peng was pulling Law away from Luffy, Clione picked the boy up from the ground and put him back on the bed. Eventually Law let go of the scalpel and handed it to Penguin, along with his hidden dagger that somehow the other knew about.

"I can still strangle him." Law warned fisting his hands.

"You can but you won't." Peng argued back. "Now go examine him or something."

Law went to Luffy and started by taking a deep breath. "You were fed less than three hours ago, your schedule does not account for heavy meals or frequent ones at that because right now your body cannot handle all that."

"Bub-" Luffy started then wiped his nose on his arm, something that cringed Law out so much that he grabbed a few tissues and cleaned Luffy's face himself, then his arm.

"Did you experience any stomach pains after your last meal?" Luffy shook his head. "And now you're hungry?" A nod. If the kid said he was hungry, so he probably was. Maybe he had a fast metabolism, which would explain his high as fuck energy levels. "Ok, I'll see what I can get you."

"Really?!" Law nodded, slowly, at the starry eyed boy. "Torao you're the best!!"

"...Sure..." Law went out of the infirmary telling the two to, "keep an eye on him."

He went to the kitchen to let the cook know of their current predicament and received a huge bowl of assorted fruits.

"He looked like he eats big, so." The cook shrugged. "Might do you good to steal a few of them for yourself too you know."

Law heard that as 'eat your damn fruits you brat.'

"Thanks." He said quickly and left for the infirmary. "Here." He handed Luffy the bowl and pulled a chair, personally wanting to witness if Luffy 'ate big.' The moment he was handed the bowl, he had literally started to inhale the pieces of the neatly cut up fruit. "Slow down you're going to choke." Law warned but by the time his warning reached the kid, the bowl was empty.

"Seconds!" Luffy held out the bowl for Law.

"No." The kid made a face at Law's blatant refusal.

"Hehhhhhhh, Torao's mean."

"Let's first have you digest this without throwing up, if you're still hungry then I will revisit your meal plans. Sounds good?"

"Ok!" He bounced in his place and Law raised an eyebrow. The boy was much too active for Law's liking. He was sick the other day, throwing up and had a pleural infection, but now it was like none of that had ever happened. "Hey can I go out?"

"I doubt your ability to-" Law was about to say 'stand and walk' but Luffy had walked around, ran and even fought in a more weakened state so...why not? "Ok."

"Yay!" He hopped off the bed.

"Cap, going out?" Clione asked appearing in the infirmary.

"Yes." Law got up and walked out with Luffy in tow. When he was putting his own coat on, he handed a coat to Luffy as well. "On second thought, let me get you a change of clothes first, and shoes, then you can go out."

"Why? I'm ok with this." He spun in his place.

"It's cold out and you're not ok enough to resist that."

"I'm fine!" Luffy stomped his foot like a kid. Well...he was a kid. "See?" He jumped around and started running around Law in circles until he lost his footing and collided with the older, falling with a fit of coughs. "This doesn't count."

"Yeah sure." Law helped the kid up and led him back to the infirmary. "Now stay here. I will be back in an hour with something. What are your preferred colors for shirts?"

"Red!"

Law left after pulling his masks on. He quickly bought the things he needed, a single set because he wanted to let Luffy choose for himself and he wasn't in the mood for shopping for clothes...ever.

He arrived at the building and headed to the infirmary to let Luffy know that he had arrived under an hour and they could go now but when he stepped foot in the place, he saw Luffy clutching his thigh and frowning at the mark tattooed there. He was clearly not happy with it being there.

"I can remove it surgically you know." Law offered. "But it will leave a scar and you won't be able to walk on that leg for some time."

Luffy was lost in thought that Law thought he might not have heard him but then Luffy nodded. "Do it then."

"Later then when I've gathered the supplies and you're off meds. Didn't you want to go out?"

"Yes!" He got off the bed and Law handed him the clothes and shoes.

"Change."

Law turned around and pulled the curtain for Luffy to change in privacy but the kid was an utter savage who walked out of the curtain with pants in his hands instead of wearing them.

"What the fuck!"

"I've never weared pants so they keep fighting me." The boy shrugged and Law sighed mentally correcting the grammar and pushing Luffy back in the curtain to help him with the pants. "Shoes too."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I only wear slippers so I dunno how to wear these." He poked at the boots until Law snatched them from him and put those on for him as well, tying the laces as well.

"I am sure you can put your coat on by yourself?" Law rolled his eyes.

"I'm not a baby! Of course I can!" Law could feel his fingers itching for that scalpel and dagger Penguin confiscated.

"Put the hat on, it's cold out." When Luffy put his strawhat on over the woolen beanie, Law sighed once again and handed him a face mask to protect him from potential allergens in the atmosphere.

"How do I put this on?"

Law crouched to put the mask on Luffy's face and nearly groaned at the height difference but stopped himself when he remembered that the boy might suffer from stunted growth all his life.

Huh, they were the same in this matter. Amber Lead destroyed a few of the growth factors and delayed more than a few in Law too. So they were somewhat the same.

"Let's go." Law said and Luffy sprinted out of the door at such speed that Law had to run after him. "Wait Mugiwara-ya! Don't run!" When he caught up with Luffy who had stopped to enjoy the cold, Law grabbed his hand forcefully, preventing him from running further away.

Luffy was...quiet. His big eyes were curiously looking around at everything they passed, from flowers to stones to benches to rubble. And people. He looked at people with the same curiosity but shirked away towards Law when someone was in certain proximity. Law gathered Luffy was subconsciously wary of people, might be because of what happened, though Law never asked how it happened.

He wanted to run and jump but Law didn't allow it, tightening his hold on Luffy's hand whenever he felt like the younger might start running. Luffy tugged and tried but Law never budged. The kid weighed a great deal less than Law and the older was confident in his own weight.

"Toraooooooo, let's go there!!!" Law looked in the direction Luffy was pointing. The park. Many children Luffy's age or younger were playing in the grass. Naturally Luffy would want to as well.

"You are in no condition-"

"I am! I will stop when I get tired!" Law raised an eyebrow at the negotiation.

"Ok." Law ceded and sat on the bench letting go of Luffy's hand so he could go and play. Meanwhile Law started on Pokémon Go. This park had so many pokéstops but they were placed unstrategically on the grid so there were only two gyms. He claimed them both to mystic and put his strong to average Pokémon there.

The moment a Team Go Rocket balloon appeared on the screen, Law heard a loud, "aa! My hat!" before the said object came flying in his face.

"Tch." Law took the hat in his hand and sighed. It was Luffy's strawhat.

"Torao! My hat!" Luffy came running, hands stretched forward for Law to give him his hat back.

"I'll keep it safe. You go play."

Luffy looked at Law then his hat, then the playground and the numerous swings, then at Law and his hat again. "Ok! Thanks Torao!"

Law put the hat on his lap and went back to his game but didn't feel like mustering finger power to battle a Grunt so he closed the app and put his phone in his jacket pocket, switching to people watching around the park.

Luffy looked like he was having fun on the swings, going higher than the other kids, leaving his laughter ringing behind him. He was in an unknown country in an unknown continent, not knowing how many miles away from the people he knew or called family or when he would see them again, but he was still laughing so...freely. Law was envious of the kid.

While Law was zoning out looking in just one direction, his attention snapped back to the present when Luffy started making his way to the monkey bars.

"Oh no you don't." Law was on his feet in an instant and didn't care that he had to push some kids aside to get to Luffy on time but the moment he did, he yanked the boy away by the back of his jacket.

"Lemme play!"

"Not those. You still have a cannula in your arm."

"So?"

"So you can't play on anything that can hurt your cannula site. And you've already played for longer than thirty minutes, let's go back."

"Eehhhhh? I don't wannaaaaaaa." Luffy whined flailing his little arms. Law sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Ok how about, I take you to buy some clothes and when we get back, you can have your meal early?" Law negotiated knowing that Luffy was enthusiastic about food.

"Ok!"

Well that worked. Law thought with a roll of his eyes. Simple kid.

They went to the mall that stood where the church once was and Law was getting extremely uncomfortable the more that thought settled in his brain. Law was holding Luffy's hand so he wouldn't run away and unintentionally squeezed it trying to subdue his panic before it got out. Luffy looked up at Law with a question on his face but didn't voice it, instead he held Law's hand tighter. Law still held Luffy's hat in his other hand.

"Torao! Food!"

"Not the mall food in your current state."

"Meanie." Luffy pouted and Law took him to the first shop he could see selling clothes that were Luffy's size.

"Remember, you might be staying for half an year or more so pick accordingly." Law said and sat down near the entrance/exit so Luffy wouldn't accidentally leave the shop without Law knowing.

Luffy ran around displays like an excited puppy, taking in everything he saw. It wasn't like a shop he ever got to see in the parts of Goa he lived in so this was new for him and like for everything new, Luffy was curious.

"Hello, how may I help you?" A man appeared from behind one of the displays and smiled. The sudden appearance shocked Luffy so much so that he bumped into him and fell back. The man smiled again and Luffy panicked. He immediately got back on his feet and ran to where he thought Law was.

"Torao!"

"Sir?" The man called.

"Stay away!" Luffy yelled and ran. "Tora-oof"

"Woah, what happened?" Law steadied Luffy by putting his hands on his shoulders when the younger collided right into Law who looked for Luffy when he started yelling.

"Sir, is everything ok?" Law looked at the store employee who Luffy was...running from? That might be correct seeing the way Luffy hid behind Law the moment the man appeared.

"Ah yes. We will look for stuff ourselves and bring it to the counter." The man left and Law turned and crouched to Luffy's level. "You ok?" Luffy just nodded and Law noticed the shaking. "Bad memories?" Luffy nodded again. "It's ok, I sent him away. Do you want to continue here or leave?"

"Come with me?"

"Ok." Law took Luffy's hand again and they looked through the shop together. Luffy liked a variety of stuff and colors, all of which Law was ok with buying but grimaced when he remembered he would be the one seeing bright neon colors when Luffy wore those shirts so he discreetly put those back.

Since Luffy was going to gain muscle and weight, loose pajamas and trousers were a safer bet than pants and Luffy agreed saying he didn't like pants either. Luffy hid behind Law again the entire checkout then held his hand when they left. Law put Luffy's hat back on his head so his hand could hold the bags.

Luffy didn't like closed toed shoes so they bought a couple of flip-flops for indoors only as Law continuously warned. Law chose some easy cotton sleepwear for Luffy because by that time, Luffy was starting to show early signs of tiredness.

"Get on." Law didn't want to do what he was doing but he couldn't have Luffy dropping unconscious in the middle of the mall, so he crouched and told Luffy to get on his back.

Luffy got on without a second thought and fell asleep sooner than that. Law sighed and headed back. Luffy kept talking about someone called Ace and Sabo again in his sleep but he was smiling this time so it must be a good dream.

"Oh boy." Shachi said when Law got back with shopping bags in his arms and Luffy on his back.

"Oh boys." Penguin snickered.

"Oh no." Bepo commented when he saw Law putting down the shopping bags and reaching for his shoe.

"Careful Law, you'll wake him up." Penguin said noticing Law about to throw his boot at them.

"Don't want that right-oh he's drooling on you." Shachi pointed and Law suppressed the cringe that went through him because he did not want to drop the kid as per his usual and first instinct.

"Go tell the cook to ready his meal." Law said instead jutting his chin towards Luffy, breathing through his nose to keep himself calm.

"What about you, Captain?" Bepo asked.

"Not hungry."

"Suimasen!"

"Oi oi! You can't do that all the time. Why aren't you hungry?" Shachi asked.

"I dunno. Don't feel like eating." Law answered and made his way to the infirmary to put Luffy down.

"Where are we putting these?" Penguin pointed to the clothes and Law stopped for a moment to think.

"Get one of the rooms clean. We'll give it to him once it's ready."

If Penguin and Shachi high-fived and cheered behind Law's back, he didn't hear. He made his way to the infirmary and finally put Luffy down, the act of which woke him up.

"We're back?" He asked rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"Yeah." Law pulled his coat, mask and hat off and put them on the chair, turning to Luffy when he remembered something. "Go take a bath before your meal."

Luffy made a face. "I hate baths!"

"Shachi!" Law called and the guy appeared almost immediately.

"Yes boss?" He did a fake salute but eased up when Law glared.

"Clean him up."

"No!" Luffy jumped off the bed and started running but Law grabbed his arm.

"Yes. Cleanliness is part of the treatment."

"Then you do it. Not him."

"Pfff- sorry!" Shachi covered his mouth before any more sounds escaped that might want Law to decapitate him later.

"I'm tired. You can trust him."

"You can always take a bath with him Law." The words escaped Shachi before his brain registered that it would certainly spell his doom.

"He needs a warm bath and you guys have fished me out of the tub enough times to know better." Law said without malice which confused Shachi a little. Maybe Law was more tired than he was letting on. He didn't even have the energy to get mad. "Besides, I already took a bath this morning. It's enough to last me till the end of the week."

"But that's three days away."

"No need to unnecessarily waste water."

"You cat."

"Orca."

"Alright. Come on kid."

"Go with him." Law said to Luffy.

"Fine." Luffy stomped his foot and headed for the bathroom.

"Shachi," Law called when Luffy was out of sight.

"Hmm?"

"Keep your eyes open for signs of panic."

"What? Did something happen?"

"He panicked in a store. I don't know what a bath might do."

"You got it."

"Thanks." Law said before leaving the infirmary ahead of his friend who was slightly surprised at the sudden honesty Law was displaying.

Law arrived in his room and the moment he closed the door behind him, his discomfort from earlier coupled with his tiredness and set loose the seal he had on his panic. Fumbling through his phone and looking for his headphones, Law put on the song that helped calm him down but he had played it three times and he still wasn't coming from that high. So he just let it go away on its own. He could hear a knocking on his door but didn't have enough stability to go and see who it was and what they wanted.

When he was heaving from the after effects of the panic attack, Law got on his feet and washed his face and made himself look like he was ok. The knocking came back and he went to open the door. It was Penguin.

"Oh." Somehow these idiots always understood that Law had a panic attack even if he hid it expertly. "Anyway, food's up."

"I'm not hungry." Law growled without meaning to.

"Yeah we don't care about those lies. Come on." Peng took Law's thin arm and led him to the infirmary, shoved him in. "Eat with him. Maybe you'd feel like eating then."

"Have you see how he eats? I will lose my appetite forever."

"Then tell him to slow down for his own good."

Law sighed and obliged just because he was too tired to go against anything at the moment.

Wait a second, are they taking advantage of that?

"Torao!" Luffy greeted, all clean and sparkling. Shachi did a good job.

Law only waved his hand as a way of greeting and sat down where his friends had set the table and picked up his spoon. Curry rice looked really appetizing, Law just wished he had enough of an appetite to consume it. Luffy had begun to eat his meal. "Eat slowly." When Luffy didn't show signs of slowing down, Law just stopped looking at him altogether and ate his own meal in his own space. He was hungrier than he thought because his hand wasn't stopping.

"You don't eat much." Luffy mused watching Law still at his first plate while Luffy had finished half of his entire food.

"Yeah..."

After Law was sure he wouldn't be able to put another bite in him, he pushed the plate to the side and watched how Luffy eyed it. It wasn't spicy or bad for health so he let Luffy have it.

While Law was waiting for Luffy to finish eating so he could take the plates back, his eyes went to Luffy's hat for a second and he remembered that it was prone to flying away so he grabbed it and sewed a string on two sides.

"Now it won't fly away." He handed the hat back to Luffy.

"Waaaa! Torao! Thanks!" Luffy grinned broad and free putting the string through his neck and letting the hat hang on his back. "This is so cool!"

Law didn't know if it was because he was tired from his panic or tired in general but Luffy seemed a really nice kid to him at that moment. Sure there were habits he would be happy without but the overall aura and persona of the boy, even though sick right now, was very warm and sunny, something Law needed in his life and could definitely get used to. He guessed the next few months won't be that much of a trouble to go through after all.

~