-):(-

A little black bird zipped through the air in search of her home. It was dark now and being a diurnal animal she couldn't see very well. She sang on the top of her lungs trying to get a reply from her little hatchling who resided in a short tree next to the road. A small chirping sound pierced through the air undetectable by anything but the mother. She was almost home. She swooped down and on her way she could see her young hatchling.

But she had swooped down too low and failed to notice two bright lights heading her way. Something large hit her and her world went black.

Her little baby had watched it all.

-):(-

Shira didn't hear the jingling of keys outside the front door. But what she did hear was a faint grumble.

"Fuckin' hell... Retarded bird. Damned thing almost killed me!" The sound of some keys dropping to the ground and another curse came through the door.

She scurried around the kitchen to place the meal she had prepared earlier in place. It was heated and the dullest utensils were set beside it with a glass of water with precisely three ice cubes, just the way he demanded it to be.

She looked at the clock.

2:33 a.m.

He was early. Thirty minutes early. That meant the pain killers she took wouldn't start to work for another fifteen minutes.

But she could handle it. For Sanji she would endure the pain with a big grin.

She smiled softly remembering their conversation today before he went to bed. He had told her about a boy who he played with that day in kindergarten. How he had green hair that Sanji made fun of him for and how the other kid whose name Sanji couldn't remember so he replaced it with Marimo, retorted about his eyebrows calling him swirly. He didn't know it but it sounded like her sunflower had his first crush. She was happy that her baby was going to live a normal and perfect life.

Oblivious to the horrid home environment he lived in.

She did her best as a mom. Made him food, help with homework, treated his booboos. She made sure he smiled as she tucked him it at night.

Sanji was her happiness. Her reason to keep living. And she knew that tomorrow was the day. The day that she would run away from her husband and take her son with her.

All she needed to do is to get through one more night. Sanji would never know what a horrible father he had.

"M-mommy?" A blonde head peeked from the corner of her eye.

"Sanji?! Why are you still awake?" It was hard to keep her usual calm composure under such dire situations. Her husband was almost through the door and her son was awake to see the commotion he would cause.

"Mommy? Are you okay? What's wro-" She pressed a gentle index finger over his mouth and stared right into both of his eyes.

"Shh... Honey," she whispered urgently, "I need you to got to you room and cover your ears. Don't come out no matter what." She nudged him off just in time to turn and see a drunken man stumble in.

"Welcome home, Eisen dear!" She smiled sweetly to her husband hoping he wouldn't notice she was not sitting in her designated seat.

But he did notice. At first he just stood there staring at her waiting for his mind to sober up a bit. But then he realized something through his cloudy mind.

He realized that he was angry. Very, very angry.

He stalked over as fast as a sobering drunk man could and grabbed a fist full of her pink hair, yanking her head down below him.

At the same time Sanji, who was in his room, lifted his hands from his ears to pull the covers over him. And the second he did so he heard yelling. He remembered that mommy told him to cover his ears and go to his room but what if she was hurt?

He mentally debated a bit before deciding to go see what was happening. Mommy was nice and she would forgive him. Right?

"Don't you dare call me Eisen you fucking bitch!" Eisen threw her to the ground. "I told you that you can only call me Mr. Fullbody. Or is that to hard for you, you whore?" The man waited for a reply. But a few seconds was too long for him.

He kicked her in the stomach. He remembered that the past few days he had been focusing on attacking that particular area of her. "Answer me whore!"

Shira coughed up some red liquid. Her stomach had been damaged in the previous days. It didn't take much for the internal wounds to reopen. "N-no..." She whispered.

It wasn't loud enough for him. He wanted a solid reply.

"What was that?! I can't hear you bitch!" She felt herself be pulled up harshly by her right arm with such a force she was sure she'd have red, angry bruises tomorrow. Hot booze smelling breath crashed against her nostrils. Her stomach churned in disgust and pain from the earlier kick. "Bitch! Look me in the fucking eye!"

She did so reluctantly. "No it is not hard, Mr. Fullbody."

Eisen chuckled darkly. "Oh trust me, it will be soon... And you'll enjoy every moment won't you bitch? You'll be begging like the pathetic women you are."

All Shira could think of was Sanji. She really hoped he did as he was told. And she knew that if she didn't comply in just the way this man wanted her to, he'd go after her son.

"Yes, Mr. Fullbody, I will." She lied through her teeth.

"You know your status don't you? Tell me. Make it clear to me that you know what you are."

Eisen yanked her onto her feet roughly. "I guess a stupid whore like you wouldn't know would you?" He raised his arm high above his head causing the women to flinch. It was only a threat but he caught the tiny action.

He couldn't believe this women. She wasn't allowed to flinch. He taught her that on the first night he raped her.

He slapped her with the back of his hand. Hard. "So you're gonna flinch?! I'll give you a fucking reason to flinch!" He was yelling now.

"I'm... I'm sorry..."

"Sorry ain't gonna cut it you bitch! You're a stupid bitch! That's what you are! A BITCH!" To stress that last word he hit her in the head nearly knocking her out when she fell to the ground, but she kept herself conscious. He threatened that he'd kill her and her son if she passed out ever again after the first time.

She got up slowly and closed her eyes. The pills would set in soon. She knew it.

"I'm a bitch, Mr. Fullbody." She didn't have a clue why but this man loved calling her that. Bitch and whore were the only things her referred to her as.

"Are you sure? Why don't you say it a few more times..." He pulled her closer and shoved her hands down his pants in between his jeans and boxers. "Rub me nice and good while you say it."

She could feel his anger simmer down. But at the same time she knew what was coming was way worse than a beating.

Dissatisfied with the lack of movement he moved her arms to show her how he wanted it. "I said rub and tell me what you are you whore."

She felt his body temperature heating up. If she didn't do something now she would be in for a whole new world of hurt.

"A bitch. I'm a bitch. Mr. Fullbody, I am a bitch like you say. A defenseless and weak... bitch..." With each word that rolled off her tongue she felt the mans shaft harden. Soon the underwear was damp with his vile precum.

The abusive man smiled. "Good good... Now exactly whose bitch are you?" He grabbed her breast with one hand and started to grope. The other hand made it's way down to her skirt, ripping the material slow and loudly.

A tear rolled from one of her closed eyelids down her cheek. She opened her mouth to say the horrible lie but a quiet sniffle stopped her. She opened her eyes.

Sanji!

The little blonde stood in the empty hallway leading from the kitchen to his bedroom. He was crying and trying his best not to make a sound. He was covering his ears like she asked but from this distance it was futile.

The ripping stopped.

Eisen turned his head to see where the sniffle came from. He was furious to be interrupted. But the anger faded when he saw who was there.

Sanji. The snot that his bitch loved so much. He would defiantly use him as another punishment for the bitch.

He slid the hands from his jeans and walked slowly to the kid. He raised his arm high above his head and clenched his fist.

The child was petrified. Perfect. He didn't like moving targets.

He was about to deliver his blow when a weight stopped him.

"SANJI RUN!" Shira tackled Eisen to the ground. Sanji was shaken from his trance. He stumbled backwards.

"B-b-but... M-mommy... I-"

"-JUST GO! RUN! As far as you can! NOW!" She screamed as loud as she could. A newfound strength made it way into her at the situation of her son being in danger.

Sanji scrambled to the door. He barley had enough time to dive and grab his shoes before he dashed out into the cold night.

Shira was able to hold down Eisen for a good minute before he flung her off. He decided he'd deal with her later. Just before running out the door he spat on the women and stomped on her right hand several times until it was satisfyingly useless. It'll teach her to step out of line again.

Shira got up a few moments after ignoring the pain and formulating a plan. The plan wasn't perfect, but it would help her baby.

She concluded that tonight was going to be her last night if she wanted to get her son free. She hurriedly grabbed a paper towel and a pen, dashing to Sanji's bedroom. She scribbled down her message, tucked the paper into his favorite book, and ran out the door as fast as she could. She didn't even take the time to put on any footwear. It wasn't important enough to waste precious time on.

All that was important to her now was her baby.

-):(-

She had always been a fast runner. That was her natural gift. Her legs were the most powerful that she'd ever seen. And right now she couldn't have been more thankful for that gift.

Because she knew that her son also had that gift. Ever since he was a toddler he'd been an amazing runner. The most agile and fastest that any toddler could physically be.

She knew for a fact her son was faster than the wretched man chasing him. But he would still need help escaping becuase he was just a kid.

And that would be the last thing that she would do. She was willing to give her life up for it.

The rocky ground tore her feet as she sprinted around looking for her son. All she needed was to find a head of gold in the dark landscape.

Seconds felt like hours to her. As time passed she panicked more and more. The adrenaline was really pumping through her.

There!

She saw a young boy running towards her. There was also a man a few meters behind him.

Harder than she ever though she could, she ran head first collided with Eisen, knocking him over. He should have died from the fall back but as fate would have it he fell into some bushes.

She got up and scrambled to her son who watched the whole ordeal. She lifted him up and put him on her back. Then she ran like hell. Again.

When they finally made it to an alleyway she put him down.

"Sanji. I need you to listen to me."

"Bu-" Sanji's filled up with tears. He pointed to his mother's hand.

"Shhh... I know hun..."

"I-it's b-broken!" He broke down.

Indeed Shira's hand was twisted and crippled in ways that would make the toughest men cringe looking at it.

"Sanji... My baby. It's okay..." She used her good hand to wipe his tears away. "Don't cry, mommy's got you. Okay? Everything is fine. You'll live on. Promise me you'll live no matter what."

Sanji nodded rigorously sucking in his tears and boogers.

"Good, good. Now. My little sunflower, I have something important to tell you. There is a restaurant called the Baratie. The Baratie okay?" She waited for Sanji to repeat the name.

"Baratie..." He whispered.

Shira smiled warmly. She was so proud her son was so strong. "There is a man named Zeff there. Tell him I'm your mom. While Fullbody is at court tell him to take you to your room okay? Look inside your favorite book and read the note in it okay? There is a key on your window. Now repeat."

Sanji looked in his moms blue eyes. "In the Baratie, there is a man. He has to take me home when that mean man is in court. The key is on my window. Then I get All Blue and look for a paper?"

The women was so happy. She kissed her son on the forehead. "Precisely. You are so smart. I couldn't have asked for a better little gentleman. Now remember the things I have taught you up until now. Because I can't remind you anymore. I have to go now."

Sanji panicked a little. "Go where?! When will you get back?"

Shira shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry sunshine... You won't see me again. Tell that Marimo-boy I said to take care of my swirly too." She stuck her tongue out playfully.

The kindergartener seemed to understand what she meant when she said she wasn't coming back. Ignoring her attempt at making light of the situation, he hugged her tightly.

"I love you mommy."

"I love you too." They held that hug as long as they could before a deep voice inturrupted them.

"There you are." A long shadow cascaded over them.

Shira kissed her child on the cheek before letting go. She rose with a determined look in her eyes. She would make sure her son made it out safely. That was a fact.

And she would do precisely that by being the scapegoat for Eisen Fullbody's anger.

"There you are bitch. Come 'ere." A muscled arm pulled her by her collar. "That wasn't a nice stunt you did out there. When a bitch steps out of line they have to be punished." He slapped her and searched her face for a pained expression.

None ever came.

"Well I guess it's too bad I'm not a bitch!" Shira spat in the man's face. For this action she was thrown down and slammed onto the ground with a boot on top of her.

From the floor she looked up and met her son's gaze.

Go!

Sanji nodded and backed away slowly not to attract any attention. He was crying on the inside, but he wasn't strong enough to do anything. If he tried to help it would just make his mom's sacrifice futile. Even at his young age he understood that.

Eisen saw him leave but by the time he made his way out of the alley dragging the mother out with him, Sanji vanished. The no longer drunk but furious man took his anger out on the women in his arms, fulfilling her plans perfectly.

Well, almost perfectly.

Sanji hid inside some bushes nearby instead of running away completely like he should have.

He watched his mom get beaten to death with a big grin on her face knowing that she saved her precious baby whose beauty and brightness rivaled the sun.

Her sunshine. Her sunflower.