The Life I Live

Get It Together

*Four Days Later*

The kitchen. That was the second thing that she thought of when she was missing the sub. Its full cabinets and gritty floors that needed cleaning twice a week, the food storage where she'd been found that day at Marineford, Casper's minimal conversations and small words of praise on rare occasions...

Bepo was next, with his warm furry body and his sensitive nature. He really needed to be more confident in himself. He inspired her to be happy and true to those she cared for, courtesy of the devotion he showed his Captain.

The fourth thing was Shachi and Penguin. They could definitely be dorks, in fact they were almost certainly dorks, but they were also her nakama and they never failed to bring a smile to her face on the worst of days.

Fifth was the rest of the crew; Scott, Blake, Parker, Reid, Liam, and everyone else she hadn't named. They were her family. She saw that now that she'd been taken away from them, not knowing as to when...or if...she'd ever see them again.

That little yellow submarine that smelled like sweat and metal and sometimes burnt food and disinfectant...That was her home and she missed her home.

There was one thing that she wasn't sure how to feel about. Specifically, one person in particular. He was cocky, arrogant, played by his own rules, sadistic to a point, and as moody as herself. He teased and tricked and mocked, always wondering what he could gain from his actions.

But at times he was kind, and generous to those he saw worthy of it. He cared deeply for his crew, always worrying about ways to protect his men even if he didn't show it. His numerous sleepless nights and coffee binges were evidence of that much.

Even with his flaws, he was attractive, considerate when he wanted to be, sometimes charming...

The first thing she thought of was that sadistic bastard of a Captain, Law.

And, God help her, she missed him most.

~~~

"Wakey, wakey!" Kid stepped through the door, a loaf of bread and a tin cup in hand. Summer only glanced up at his arrival, keeping her head straight and staring at the wall. She wasn't in the mood for talking.

He waltzed over and set the two items on her legs, reaching into his pocket for something. Pulling a knife from his belt, he reached for her wrists. Summer tensed up before realizing if he killed her then this whole deal would be called off. So she calmed down enough for him to cut the restraints on the arms of the chair.

"Eat up, you'll be meeting your buyer tomorrow. Can't have you being too skinny." Without another word he turned and left the room, shutting the door and locking it behind him.

She sat unmoving, staring at the loaf of bread in her lap and the small amount of water in the tin cup. She was starving, but even if he needed the deal to go down nicely, who was to say he wouldn't poison her beforehand? It could be a slow-working poison that killed her after he had traded her and left with his money. Why wouldn't he take this opportunity to kill an opponent?

At the same time she was skin and bone at this point. She was weak and unable to do anything but eat the bread, poisoned or not, and hope she didn't die.

Slowly she closed her hand over the loaf and brought it to her mouth. It was a little hard, but anything at all was better than nothing.

While she ate, she wondered idly who her buyer was. Kid hadn't ever given her a name. She was starting to doubt that he even knew who it was himself. She only hoped it wasn't someone worse than Kid.

~~~

"You're sure she's on board?" Viper asked, viewing the vessel in question through the scope. He eyed the jolly roger, mentally wondering why the pirates of this generation had such strange designs. It wasn't even intimidating...And what did a Supernova want with her anyway?

"Aye, Captain." Replied the first mate. "We've had several reports that she's there. We saw them-"

"Excellent. Inform all men to be at their stations immediately. I want all valuables in the vault and put Summer in her old quarters." He purred, licking his lips in anticipation.

"Aye, Captain. Man the sails! Load the cannons!" The first mate ran across the deck, shouting orders and dodging man who hurried to get to their positions. Viper remained on the front deck, watching the ocean in glee.

He'd waited so long. Idly sailing and raiding the Grand Line in wait for her to escape her prison, just like he knew she would, so he could retrieve her once again. He'd missed those constant paychecks...

"Summer, love, I've finally found you."

~~~

Casper finished serving the soup to the crew, passing bowls around to the tables one at a time. Everything took longer than usual, due to the absence of his only assistant in the kitchen. He himself wasn't sure how the soup had turned out as he had lost his appetite halfway through making it.

Nobody spoke. Most kept their eyes down, distractedly stirring their spoons in their dinner. The clicking of the bowls and silverware began getting on the old cook's nerves. Normally such a sound was welcome, a testament to the enjoyment of the men, but tonight it almost mocked him, taunted him. Within the clinks of metal he could almost hear the word 'gone, gone, gone.' Gone was the laughter, gone was the companionship, gone was the confidence that had accompanied them this far. All taken away by one missing crewmate.

He should yell, scream, shout, say something to the depressed men. It was him who, when the Captain wasn't around, thought of just the right words to say to get the morale going once more, rallying the men into confidence. But in this situation, when the odds were stacked against them, when physical action wouldn't help anything, when they had no information to go on...

He couldn't think of anything to say.

~~~

'Why did you let him take me?' Law opened his eyes, watching as Summer was dragged away by her hair. 'Why didn't you stop him?' Kid gripped her blonde locks in a gruff hand, grinning back at the Heart Captain smugly.

'Summer!' He tried to move, but his legs held fast. Looking down, his eyes widened when he saw his crew holding his legs back. They narrowed their eyes in suspicion.

'You failed us. You didn't save her. You betrayed your crew.'

'No! I have to get her!' Still, their arms wouldn't release his leg and Summer was screaming as Kid dragged her away towards his ship in the distance. He reached an arm towards her, as if that would bring her back to him, but she continued screaming even as she disappeared into the distance...

Law jerked awake, gasping for air and wiping away the sweat that clung to his face. The room briefly spun before settling back into place. He finally remembered where he was, sitting in his desk chair and facing the board of the Kid Pirates' course.

They'd had no luck in finding the rival crew, no news whatsoever in the newspaper, nothing to indicate where they'd been or where they were going. It was driving him insane from frustration.

'You need to get a grip.' He thought suddenly, mentally berating himself for letting himself fall so low. 'You're not helping her by becoming hysterical. Get yourself together.'

It took immense willpower but he rose from his chair and away from his research. Turning, he walked towards the door. Opening it up, he was thankful that there was nobody in the hall. It wouldn't do to have his men see him like this. As quietly as he could, he slipped off towards the shower.