Farewell And Adieu [2016] [P/UP]

3

Trafalgar Law woke the next morning feeling warmer than he had in ages.

A sliver of sunlight sliced across the comfortable bed, illuminating the two adult figures lying on either side of him.

For a brief moment in time, Law forgot about his disease, forgot about the destruction of his home, forgot about everything. It was all just a horrible dream and he was safe in his parents' bed. The nightmare was over.

"Mother..." He breathed happily, snuggling up to the woman and burying his face into her chest and warm embrace.

His father shifted a bit in bed on his other side and wrapped an arm over Law and around his mother's waist.

It was peaceful. Any moment now Lamie would come running in and bounce on the bed, waking them all up in the best way possible.

Any moment now his mother would go downstairs and make them all breakfast while his father picked out the medical books Law would learn from that day.

Any moment now they would all be a family again.

Any moment now...

But the moment never came.

Opening his eyes fully, Law looked up to see that the woman he was snuggling up against was not his mother, but Eva Sofia, the woman they met on their travels. And the man who's arm wrapped around them was not his father, but Donquixote Corazon.

Law's heart sank.

His eyes watered and a hard lump formed in his throat. He should have just died with his family that way he wouldn't feal so much pain now.

Law was just on the verge of tears when a slim, tan arm snaked around his frail body and pulled him ever further into its owner's embrace.

Sofia sighed in her sleep, maternal instincts controlling her actions even in unconciousness.

Though the two adults didn't know it, Law had heard what Sofia had said about being a mother, if only very briefly.

He couldn't help but feel proud of her. He had seen mothers completely break down in the hospital when their babies died. Indeed, his own mother was very close to doing so on several occasions when Lamie's condition took a turn for the worse.

Law could only describe her every action as motherly, towards both him and Corazon.

Turning onto his other side Law let his eyes drag over Corazon's sleeping face.

The man had gone form his worst enemy to a father figure in seemingly no time flat.

And now here the three of them were, wrapped up together in bed like a family. Law couldn't even remember how they found a bed in the first place. Where were they?

He was about to wake the two adults when a shrill scream did the job for him.

Corazon skyrocketed from the mattress immediately, one arm thrown instinctively over his two companions, shielding them from whatever harm may befall them.

Law was nearly instantly swept up into Sofia's embrace and held protectively behind both her and Corazon's bodies'.

The source of their panic stood with her wrinkled mouth agape in the doorway.

The old receptionist stared with wide eyes at the "family" she had let stay in her inn the night before

Though covered by thick layers previously, it was now all too obvious to tell that both the woman and the child were plauged with that horribly contagious disease.

As fast as her stubby legs could take her, the older woman raced back to the reception area and snatched up the den-den mushi that rested on the desk.

The World Government had to know!

Corazon cursed loudly and rushed to his feet, throwing his black-feathered cloak over his companions and rushing to gather all their belongings into his lanky arms.

Law and Sofia only just had the time to put on their shoes before the blonde man was rushing them all out of the inn.

They ran past the receptionist, who screamed once again, and out into the frozen morning snow.

Heads darted out of houses, questioning the commotion so early in the morning as the trio tore through the village.

The sting of the cold and snow hardly registered in Sofia's mind as she scooped Law into her arms and ran ever faster after Corazon.

There was no time to think about where they were going, they just ran as far and as fast as they could.

By the time they finally stopped running, the village was already far behind them, but they didn't stop moving.

Sofia wrapped Corazon's coat as throughly as she could around both her and Law, ignoring the proud boy's frustrated complaints at being carried.

Corazon still carried all of their belongings, not stopping for an instant to put all the layers back on.

It was only a few hours later, when the trio came across a cave in a mountainous area, did they stop.

Once they were sure they were safe, all three immediately began putting on their clothing and Sofia started a fire (knowing Corazon would probably ignight if he tried to do it himself).

Stumbling to her knees, the woman wrapped Law in her embrace and began rubbing his frozen limbs in her hands, trying to get the blood flowing through the boy's body again.

Once semi warm and satisfied with their hiding place, the trio let out a collective sigh and relaxed for the first time all day.

[INCOMPLETE]