The snow crystals glittered delicately in the passing sunlight, glistening merrily in the clearing as the sun tried its best to reveal the ground hidden below. The islands of the Grand Line were much slower to seasonal changes than the rest of the world, tending to follow their own patterns and eventually transitioning through the solstices but usually taking a millennia or two to do so. In other words, this island is scheduled to be covered in wild blooms in several thousand years, but to the two men currently sitting bundled in their thickest coats, that eventual break in the weather never seemed farther away. Midday had already passed without notice, but for these two time couldn't be traveling any slower.

"Remind me why we're here again, Beckman." One of the men stated, yawning and shivering lightly as he forced himself to stay awake. The task he and the other were attempting to complete was so terribly boring that he was having difficulties keeping focused on the job. The other man lazily returned the yawn, clasping a hand over his mouth until he was finished.

"The longer I sit here the more I've come to forget." Beckman replied, returning his hand to the pole in his grasp once more. The two sat in silence a while longer, sitting cross-legged on the frozen ground. They had carved out an ice hole in an attempt to access one of the many rivers which have been frozen over ever since winter came to this island what seemed like forever ago. They each had a crudely constructed fishing pole in hand but nothing in the river seemed curious enough to bite at the old hooks secured to the lines. They had been at this ever since sunrise without even a single nibble.

The first man suddenly stood, catching Beckman's full attention when he unexpectedly flung the pole into the shrubbery with crazed look in his eyes.

"Seven hours, Beckman! Seven hours we've been at this and I'm still starving!" He called out, grabbing at his hair in frustration. Beckman frowned at the exasperated display, not giving up his pole or spot to calm the other man down.

"Just be patient, captain." He stated easily despite the gurgling that came from his stomach. "Besides, if you hadn't lost our money and gotten us driven out of town we wouldn't even be in this mess."

The pirate captain glanced over with a pout, upset at being reminded of that fact.

"You say it like this is my fault." The other replied through his sulking expression, collapsing to the floor once again with his arms crossed.

"It is your fault, Captain Shanks."

Silence resumed once more with nothing disturbing the ambience other than a few wisps of wind. Snow flakes fluttered from their places atop trees, lazily floating through the breeze and taking up residence elsewhere.

Beckman glanced up just in time to see his captain fall backwards with a loud groan, arms spread wide and stomach growling angrily.

Just as Beckman was about to chastise the man for being such a petulant child, a tug at his fishing line nearly pulled the rod under. The pirate braced himself against the jerk, forcing the pole in the opposite direction in order to bring whatever was caught up on land. He didn't even need to call out to his captain for the man to react and before he could even think of alerting him, Shanks was behind him and helping to drag the catch up.

"That's what I'm talking about, Benny!" Shanks called out, excited to find out what was for dinner. The two worked together, straining against the force until they went stumbling back, falling over each other and collapsing to the ground. Shanks suddenly called out in excitement, pushing himself up and practically throwing his first mate to the ground as he ran to their prize. Ben Beckman also sat up, glad that they'd finally be eating something until he got a good look at what exactly they'd pulled from the river.

A little boy was lying just at the mouth of the ice hole, unmoving. Shanks didn't falter for a moment and was on the ground rolling the kid over onto his back while Beckman rushed to the scene as well. The captain pressed two fingers to the boy's neck, looking for a pulse then bent over to listen for breath.

"Alive, not breathing."

Beckman sat on his knees next to the kid and immediately began pressing his hands against his little chest, pumping quick, sharp pulses in order to relieve the water in his lungs. He paused long enough for Shanks to breathe for the kid before resuming. On the third pump, the little boy suddenly sputtered to life, coughing up quite a bit of water and heaving large breaths.

Ben Beckman and Red Hair Shanks collapsed backwards, collectively sighing in relief.

"I guess this means no dinner."

Beckman shot his captain a disapproving glance then reached over to the child who was now shaking uncontrollably with tears streaming from his eyes.

~0~

Doflamingo smashed his fist into a tree, toppling the thing over without a second thought. It fell to the ground with a loud crash, causing a few creatures in the distance to scatter from the noise and call out in confusion. The pirate captain grit his teeth when that action didn't even begin to remedy the anxiety building up stronger in his mind; he needed to find the kid quick and preferably before he leveled the whole forest in his attempt.

"We will find him, Donquixote-dono." Mihawk spoke up, coming to stand beside the captain. Doflamingo suddenly swung at the other man from his worsening temper but missed miserably when the swordsman stepped aside.

"Getting angry will do nothing but distract you." Mihawk cautioned, having to avoid the other man's foot which was sent straight for his jaw.

"Shut up!" Doflamingo shouted, deciding not to quit his attack with just a single move at a time. He closed in on the other and landed a punch in the swordsman's gut then another to his cheek. Mihawk went stumbling back just far enough for Doflamingo to swing his leg around and connect his foot with the side of the other man's head. Mihawk fell to the ground in a heap, quickly propping himself on his elbow when he got his bearings again and spat the blood that had collected in his mouth.

"This has nothing to do with you; leave now before you screw something else up." Doflamingo threatened, kicking a puff of snow in the swordsman's face. Mihawk dusted his hair off and stood, more unstable on his feet than he was earlier.

"If I understand correctly then you are blaming me for what happened to the boy."

Doflamingo rolled his eyes and turned to continue his trek downstream, throwing a very sarcastic "No shit" over his shoulder. Mihawk followed after.

"Must I remind you of how you are also at fault?" The swordsman asked, preparing for when the pirate captain lashed out once more. But Doflamingo didn't; he just continued forward as if nothing had been said. "You cannot blame others entirely for your misfortune, Donquixote-dono."

But that comment struck a nerve and Doflamingo spun on a dime, facing the other man with a terrifying glare contorting his face.

"What's it to you, fucking shrimp?" He questioned in a foreboding tone, jamming his index finger into the other man's sternum. "When did you ever get it into your head that any of this is related to you in any significant way?" Doflamingo suddenly pulled his hand away only to use both in order to secure the swordsman's collar in his grip, hoisting the smaller man from the ground and slamming him into a tree just behind.

"What are you even up to, Hawkeye? You're just some drunk who happened to get saved in a fight by a little five-year-old boy in one of the Grand Line's shittiest towns. You're nothing significant, hell, you're the very fucking reason I was distracted and couldn't yell at the brat to stay on the damned trail!" Doflamingo seethed dangerously, pressing the other further into the tree the longer he spoke. Mihawk could feel the strain against his ribs and cringed, waiting for a few to snap from the force being applied to his chest.

"You're not... the only one... worried for his safety." Mihawk managed to wheeze out. The swordsman then risked being strangled, pulling one of his hands from where it had instinctively gripped Doflamingo's wrist and slammed it straight into the other man's jaw. The pirate captain released him and took a step back, somewhat surprised at the strength the other man still had.

"I am not some useless fool, Doflamingo. Those thugs you saw were pathetic excuses for bounty hunters who have been following me around from the moment I became a pirate." Mihawk began, dusting off the snow that had coated his jacket after crashing into the tree. "I lost my title as captain after my first mate was killed and my crew abandoned me on some deserted island. I am not asking you to pity me for such a sob story, but I am asking that you realize you are not the only one who wishes to see Law-kun's safe return."

Doflamingo scoffed at the excuse he just heard.

"In other words you're clinging to the hope that your pathetic life will get better by following a child around like a lost puppy." Doflamingo laughed harshly. "You really have hit rock-bottom!"

Mihawk glared in return but managed to keep a level head.

"You would not be so quick to laugh if this were a chapter in your life." The swordsman warned, absentmindedly placing a hand on the hilt of his sword. However, the action did nothing to tame the condescending grin on the captain's features.

"I had given everything up after the people closest to me betrayed me. When I was given a second chance at life it was not something I could so easily forsaken. Have you just been so bitter throughout your life because you have never experienced what being surrounded by friends truly feels like?"

Doflamingo's smile quickly melted into a disgruntled frown just before he turned away from the other man once more. He completely brushed the swordsman off and was about to take another step when he was interrupted again.

"I shall interpret your silence as a childish attempt to both deny my statement and cease to speak to me."

The captain stopped, feeling as his rage inadvertently forced him to clench his fists but he still refused to turn around.

"Am I wrong?"

Doflamingo grit his teeth.

"I believe you were once happy, quite recently too. You had people you could trust in your life but somehow managed to lose it all."

Now Doflamingo turned which prompted the swordsman to take a step back. The captain's feral expression was fit for a gargoyle and every bit as murderous as the atmosphere made it seem.

"That's none of your concern."

"Then whose is it?" Mihawk countered, taking another step back when Doflamingo slowly advanced.

But that proclamation stopped the pirate captain in his tracks as consideration managed to relax his expression ever so slightly.

"I am aware of who you work for and what he is capable of, Donquixote-dono. He is the one you are on your way to see, no?"

Doflamingo glared and took a menacing step forward, forcing Mihawk to draw his sword before he was completely pressed against the tree behind him.

"You may say you currently have people in which you fully place your trust, but even I can see that quality is not saved for either of the men you brought along with you."

The pirate captain took another step to close in even further on the other man, the tip of the sword brushing lightly at his chest.

"Shut up; you don't know anything." Doflamingo warned. He pinched the blade of the sword threatening to stab a hole right beneath his heart between two fingers and moved it to a less damaging position. Mihawk's stare never left him for a minute.

"I do not know the details of your past but I can offer you this; with the choices you've determined in your life so far I can say with certainty that you will never truly be happy."

Doflamingo laughed mockingly; "What the hell is that supposed to even mean? !" He asked wildly, forcing Mihawk back against the tree once more. The swordsman glared up at him.

"What I am trying to say is you must determine your priorities before it is too late. I have sworn my loyalty to that child not because I am lonely and desire to be surrounded by friends, but to ensure his wellbeing even if it costs me mine."

Mihawk suddenly reclaimed the hold on his sword, thrusting it back to jab the point at the other pirate's chest and forcing him to retreat unless he wanted a stab wound decorating his torso.

"I am lecturing you now on your choices in life because you are blindly pointing fingers and blaming others for the mistakes you also take part in creating. I can only assume that you are not anymore kind to your subordinates or any bystander around if Law-kun is being threatened in any way. I can also assume with great certainty that you will continue to live in a fog that the rest of the world is more wrong than you and will blatantly ignore the consequences you will eventually have great difficulties fixing. And if I've learned anything from my short stay on this island, Kaido of the Beasts is not a forgiving creature with very little patience for what he is not in control of."

Before he could even think to react, an ominous feeling surrounded the swordsman and something as small and sharp as a paper cut nicked a fairly long line across his throat. A single small drip of blood escaped the wound and Mihawk finally noticed the sensation of being tied up with unbelievably thin wire. This situation definitely wasn't something he could easily emerge from unscathed, but nevertheless he persisted.

"Let me just say these final things." Mihawk steadily spoke, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword. "Your emotions and reckless reactions have given me all of the answers I need. If you are not ready to accept how impulsive and irrational you are then you should not be in charge of Law-kun's wellbeing."

Doflamingo suddenly constricted the lines entrapping the swordsman, but it wasn't nearly enough force to get past the wall of Armament Haki Mihawk was using to protect himself with. The pirate captain growled as his glare threatened to burn straight through the other man's forehead, however he couldn't help but contemplate what he was just told.

How could a stranger guess at and delve so far into his personal affairs that it left him speechless? Hawkeye was just some nobody less than an hour ago and now the swordsman was predicting the outcome of his life like some sort of psychic? Doflamingo narrowed his eyes, not sure how to respond and just a few seconds away from decapitating the other when something in the air caught his attention. The pirate captain perked up, turning away from the smaller man and recognizing that the thing currently distracting him was the smell of smoke. Doflamingo suddenly took to the sky, searching the area with both his eyes and Mantra for less than a minute before he found what he was looking for.

A thin trail of smoke wafted into the sky in the distance like someone had started a campfire. He didn't give so much as a warning before launching himself through the air and straight for the smoke, leaving Mihawk to trail after him as fast as he could run.

~0~

Red Haired Shanks had never been one for discomfort. He always attended social gatherings with an open mind about who he'd meet regardless whether his company was friendly or otherwise. To say he was extroverted would be an understatement but as the man stood with his first mate not even twenty feet away from an emotionally distressed child, he honestly couldn't help feeling very socially inept.

"Beckman," Shanks stated in an exaggerated whisper, looking over to the campsite they'd set up with Law sitting bundled in both of their blankets next to the fire. "What are we supposed to do?"

Ben Beckman looked no more confident about this situation than his captain, scratching at the back of his neck in contemplation.

"Well, he's obviously lost so we need to find his parents as soon as possible." The man proposed, sending a look to the other as if questioning whether this was the right approach.

"Of course we have to do that, but that's not what I'm talking about." Shanks replied, giving the man a look like he was wondering why the other hadn't figured this out already. But when Ben only returned his stare with a blank one of his own Shanks gave him an over dramatic exhale.

"I'm talking about his eyes, Benny. Those big, grey eyes that just seem like the most helpless things in the world!" He grabbed his subordinate by his shoulders, shaking him a bit. "The kid's hurting and I don't know what to do!"

Ben Beckman stared at the man as if he'd finally lost all of his senses.

"That's what you're worried about?" The first mate asked incredulously. When he wasn't given a response to his skepticism he rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, brushed the other man's hands from his shoulders and began strolling back to the campsite. Shanks made a move to protest but ended up following wearily after anyways.

The little boy sat on a log just an arm's length away from the fire, shivering lightly since his only source of heat was rather small. He was entirely cloaked in the men's blankets but after taking a swim in freezing temperatures the deep chill of the river just refused to leave him. All of his clothes were suspended on the other side of the campfire since they were useless after being soaked through on a winter island and at this point in time he felt very pitiful.

Beckman took a seat on the log next to the little boy, vaguely noticing the kid use his hand to wipe at his running nose.

"Hey, kid. How are you doing?" Beckman started, not paying attention to his captain who took a seat next to him on the ground. Law glanced up with his eyes shimmering from unshed tears and the first mate suddenly realized Shanks did indeed have a very valid point.

"I'm okay." He replied, the distraught tone in his voice practically tearing out both pirates' hearts. Beckman glanced over to his captain who returned the look with one that seemed to say 'I told you so!'. Ben Beckman cleared his throat and decided to continue the conversation.

"So, um. What's your name?" He asked, wondering what exactly people talked about with small children.

"Law." The little boy replied with a pathetic sniffle to follow.

"Well, Law. Um... Can I ask what happened?" The first mate questioned awkwardly, unsure of how to phrase everything so he didn't suddenly strike a nerve and cause an emotional breakdown. Law wiped his nose with the back of his hand once more but glanced up at the other with a confused expression.

"How did you get in the river?" He elaborated plainly, uncomfortably scratching at the back of his neck yet again.

"I fell in." The kid replied. Beckman sat with a dumbfounded expression on his face; he was about to elaborate even further but gave up before he could make a sound.

"Well, um. Where are your parents? Do you know where we can find them?" Ben asked, figuring he and Shanks could probably escort the little boy into town and get him some help before the townsfolk drove them out for a second time. Law gave the man a long and calculating stare until he finally seemed to grasp what he was asked.

"I don't have any." He answered, earning another blank look from the pirate who seemed to be digging himself into an even deeper hole. Beckman was just about to get up and leave only to be stopped when Shanks wrapped a hand around his subordinate's upper arm and stiffly yanked him closer.

"Careful, Benny." The captain warned, pulling the other in and speaking in a hushed voice. "We don't even know if his family fell in with him. For all we know they could be out to sea by now!"

Ben just about had a heart attack when he heard that last sentence and with the speed of light he shot his arm out and clamped a hand over the other man's mouth. Horror fell over his expression and the last thing Beckman wanted to do now was turn to find out exactly how much of that the kid picked up on. But when he heard a choked gasp he went against his better judgment, hesitantly turning to find exactly what he expected.

Law sat staring at the two pirates in dismay, his eyes wide and tears streaming endlessly down his cheeks. Beckman could practically feel his heart stop along with Shanks', a pit falling helplessly in his gut at the sight in front of him. However, before he had a chance to formulate a plan to save the situation Law burst into sobs, raising his fists to his eyes yet unable to stop all of the heartache spilling over his chin.

"Why would you say something like that? !" Beckman asked hysterically, removing his hand only to have Shanks clamp his own back over his mouth with his eyes impossibly wide. But the first mate ignored his captain, turning back to try and figure out what to do with the crying child beside him.

Hiccups proceeded to make the situation all the more pathetic, forcing the pirate to seriously rethink his planned attempts and wondering how exactly a person is capable of calming an distressed kid of this magnitude. He awkwardly held up his hands, considering whether it was alright or not to make contact but ultimately made the decision to go for it. Beckman hesitantly rested each of his hands on the kid's shoulders, stifly holding them there and hoping to everything this wasn't making the situation worse. Law just continued to cry at the same volume however, but also made no attempt to push the other way. Beckman saw this lack of refusal as an invitation to try a little better and pressed on in hopes of doing so.

"Hey, hey kid. Don't cry; please don't cry!" The first mate began, gently wrapping his arms around the little boy's shoulders and patting his back. "Shanks didn't mean it like that, honest he didn't."

Law soon calmed his helpless grieving, pressing his face into the man's shirt and quickly leaving a rather large soaked patch. But regardless of the absense of distraught cries, the little boy was still shaking uncontrollably with large tear drops rolling over his cheeks. Beckman pulled the kid in even closer until he was sitting on the man's lap and began softly swaying back and forth. He quietly hummed a little tune in order to lighten the mood and after a while his actions seemed to be paying off.

Just as he thought he had the whole situation under control, Shanks plopped down on the log right where Law had previously been sitting. The captain then removed his treasured straw hat and placed it on top of the kid's head with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Hey, sorry for what I said, kid." Shanks stated when he caught the little boy's confused look. Law used a corner of one of his blankets to mop up his face, his tears now stopped. "I'm sure your family's alright; in fact, they're probably looking for you now."

Law perked up at that, suddenly glancing from one side to the other in his attempt to locate a certain familiar pink feather jacket. Beckman gave his captain a skeptical look at that, wondering if they should raise the kid's hopes when the truth might be less than desirable.

"Yeah, I'm sure of it. And since we've got this fire going they're probably heading here right this minute."

And suddenly Beckman knew what the other was a refering to. A large and ominous presense was beginning to show itself, coming closer with every second and the first mate couldn't help but internally question exactly whose kid was sitting on his lap.

A soft crunch landed behind the two pirates but they weren't surprised in the least. Ben Beckman glanced over his shoulder when his captain turned and cocked an eyebrow, baffled at who he found striding purposefully towards their little camp.

"Donquixote Doflamingo. What do I have the pleasure of meeting you here today for?" Red Hair Shanks asked politely, standing and stepping around the log in order to greet the other. But he was just ignored like he didn't even exist and Doflamingo went straight for the first mate. Beckman could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins, anticipating a fight since he didn't even think for a moment this man with such a bloodthirsty reputation would have a child on his crew. However, when Beckman attempted to move he found that he was being held in place by some unseen force. Shanks was even held in midstride with an expression of panicked confusion on his face from the helplessness of his situation. Doflamingo walked right past the captain, stopping just two steps away from Ben Beckman and causing both pirates to think a mile a minute on how to get out of this worsening situation.

That is, until Law spoke up.

"Doffu!" The little boy called out excitedly with the biggest and brightest smile the blonde captain had ever seen on his face. Doflamingo couldn't help his resulting grin which immediately tugged at his lips as he reached down and grabbed the kid underneath is outstretched arms, standing soon after and tossing him up in the air. The straw hat fell off from the breeze, tumbling around a bit until it landed in the snow. Law called out happily, laughing all the way back down into the pirate captain's awaiting hands and giggling again when Doflamingo spun in a circle on his heel. He also wrapped his arms around the man's neck when he was close enough, burying his face underneath the pirate's chin. Doflamingo returned the gesture, holding the little boy tight as he left a kiss on top of his head and another on his cheek for good measure.

The blonde captain's Devil Fruit powers were completely forgotten, but when Shanks and Beckman were free all they could do was gawk at the scene in front of them. While the odd duo was only left cuddling, the captain and first mate sent each other a look that seemed to ask what the hell is going on…?

More crunching footsteps came from where Doflamingo had wandered in from and the four were met with Dracule Mihawk who immediately located who he was searching for. He let out a heavy breath, satisfied that little Law was alright. The swordsman approached the two other men who looked star struck from everything that had transpired in the past several minutes alone. Mihawk bowed politely before he spoke.

"Thank you for ensuring Law-kun's safe return, you have my deepest gratitude." He stated sincerely. Beckman and Shanks stood in silence a moment until they suddenly came to terms that they were not, in fact, lost in some bizarre dream. The two coughed wildly and fidgeted awkwardly in their places.

"It was noting. Don't mention it." Both pirates stated at the same time, glancing away bashfully as if embarrassed over the praise. Mihawk didn't seem to notice it though and turned to approach Doflamingo and Law. However, when the swordsman took a single step towards the two, Doflamingo turned away defensively.

"Get lost, bean sprout. I'm in a good mood for once; don't ruin that for me." The pirate captain stated dangerously, running his hand through the little boy's hair once more. Law sat up in the man's arm, giving a questioning expression about what was going on but smiling again when Doflamingo caught a stray tear with his thumb.

"Are you alright?" He asked in a much calmer tone.

"I'm okay." Law replied delightedly just before he wrapped his arms around the other's neck for another hug.

"Well, I'm glad this situation managed to work itself out." Shanks began, breaking the silence. Mihawk glanced over at the pirate with a look that seemed to convey how wrong he unintentionally was. But with that being said, Doflamingo turned and began heading up the mountain once more. Mihawk stepped in his way, causing the pirate captain to stop.

It was a standoff between the two with both equally ready to rip each other's head off at how stubborn the other was.

Strangely enough though, Doflamingo was the first to break.

"Don't even start with that fortune telling shit again, Hawkeye." The pirate captain growled, the atmosphere around him no less murderous than all of their other encounters. "If you're not at my ship by the time I'm ready to castoff then I'm leaving without you."

And with that, Doflamingo strode past the man. Mihawk stood still for a moment, briefly understanding that his earlier words seemed to be leaving an impression on the man, regardless of how minuscule. He turned to look over his shoulder, feeling as the man pulsed a wave of Haki in order to alert his two subordinates he'd found the kid.

Something was suddenly tossed to the swordsman and he easily caught it, glancing at his hand and finding a wad of cash sitting in it.

"Do me a favor and share that with our noble saviors." The pirate captain called out behind him, not even bothering to turn around. Law peeked at the slowly receding men, waving at the two pirates who'd saved his life.

"Doffu?" Law suddenly asked, sitting up and looking at the man. "Why are we leaving Mihawk?"

Two pairs of footsteps suddenly fell in line behind the captain but he didn't even bother greeting Vergo or Charles.

"Do you remember who we're here to visit?" Doflamingo asked, waiting a moment until the kid nodded his head. However, the pirate captain didn't expand any further on that question which left Law answering it instead.

He could only imagine what kind of a person he was about to meet as he rested his head against Doflamingo's shoulder again and in none of those instances did his imagination leave him with a kind perception of Kaido the King of Beasts.

~0~

AN: let me just say that this idea was supposed to be like, chapter 15. maybe even sooner. i just kept thinking "ooo, this other thing would be cute! i'll put shanks in later!" and with like, 30,000 words later that finally came true... oh well, more plot! sorry for the delay, for some reason i threw up over 18,000 words into "Brothers" in the span of 2 weeks after not touching it in 6 months so that was pretty exciting.

let me know if this is confusing in anyway because i kept staring at the part between doffu and mihawk for over a month wondering where i was going wrong

and i've developed my very own drinking game! every time i over use the words Had, As, That, Cause, Currently, Before and Again, take a shot of whiskey because sometimes i wonder if i wrote things drunk