Missing Piece

Chapter 40

"What are you doing?" Law questioned, leaning across the rails as he stared down at the lower decks of his submarine where a certain woman sat with her limbs fitted through between the rails to dangle off the sub's edge. She looked like a burrito with the way she had holed herself up in her red scarf. Just how big is that scarf of hers? He blanched. Rike had said she used it as a bed in the past. "I should have known you were here; you're always where there's water."

Silence fell between them when Charlotte didn't respond again and Law felt his lips pull down, unsure what to say next. He wasn't the talkative type and consoling a female was something he hadn't done since Lemi passed on. If it had been one of the guys, then he could tell them to just get over it. But this was Charlotte, and he always needed a different way to deal with Charlotte.

A type of fatigue that was beyond just the physical hanging off her pale features. As if he wouldn't notice the change in her demeanor ever since she met Elora. Charlotte wore her emotions on her sleeve whether she wanted to or not. Her face was a conglomeration of emotions—of disbelief, shock, pain, and guilt. He eyed the hand gripping the two ends of her scarf together in a death grip as if struggling to hold herself together. Really what had happened at that moment when they met?

"You're rather late on the uptake, aren't you, Law? Could have used Kebunshoku Haki." She chided lightly without any real malice and Law felt his lips twitch up at the banter. Perhaps she wasn't as down as he thought if she was still able to make quips at his expense. "Thought you'd realized by now how much I love the waters."

"I hope I don't need to remind you what happens if you were to jump into the water."

"I can swim, you know." She hummed, lips curling slightly at the knowing sigh she got out of the other.

"Not as long as you remain the wielder of the Gisu Gisu no Mi."

"I know..." She muttered, eyelids fluttering again. Her cheek pressed against the pole she was leaning on. She forced her eyes to open, cursing at the fatigue taking possession of her body. Perhaps she should get up and do something to keep her awake, she didn't want to fall asleep now. Maybe she shouldn't have sat down, rested. Now everything was feeling so comforting. "But this is fine too." She managed to say.

Law watched the dark rings visible against her pale skin with a frown. It was expected that she was tired after so many nights without sleep. What's keeping you? What's so urgent? Who is Aceteon that's causing you to do double duty on hunting? Law had thought maybe he was the one with the heart, but her heart was with Elora. "What do you mean?" He questioned, wondering if he'd get a response. The woman looked almost out.

"It isn't exactly the same, but the sub is a close second." She smiled then, eyes falling closed and missing the surprised look on Law's face. He hadn't expected that from someone who used to call the sub a baking oven. "When we're underwater, the sub is swimming along the fish, and I... get to watch." She spent most of her free time next to a porthole fish watching. A habit she was certain the doctor wasn't aware of. Why did he think they got Sea King meat so often since she's joined?

Law stared at the woman incredulously. Leave it to Charlotte to find a different perspective than normal. Fish watching was the last thing on his mind when he decided to sail in the element of his weakness. He done it mostly because it would be a good way to stay hidden. After all, what insane person would sail underneath the water's surface, especially a Devil Fruit user?

The drop of her head pulled her back to consciousness. "Hey," she probed at him suddenly. A shift in her voice that didn't go unnoticed by the doctor. "Tell me about your mom." Her gaze focused on the reflection in the water, visible only to her. A face that wasn't hers stared back at her.