Robin was sitting in on them when Kidd finally stirred awake, sending limbs out to alert captain, doctor and cook, without so much as batting an eye. Kidd said nothing at first, still and quiet as he contemplated the wood textures on the ceiling above him.

Once he found the answer he was looking for - or decided the ceiling would never answer back - he looked around the room. the right side of his face was heavily bandaged, mirrored injury to (tom), killer's face tucked into his side. The stump of his left arm lifted up slightly and he aw staring down at the blond in confusion.

He wordlessly turned questioning to robin.

"We here hoping you could explain that part." was all she could offer him. there wasn't time for more because Luffy was bounding in with a "Gizao! You're awake!" only to be kicked away by Sanji - "Don't wake the kid up!" he snarled.

Kidd only looked confused - his head is still fuzzy from sleep. Chopper was climbing up into his chair by his head, "We've got some soup for you if you think you can keep it down," He explained, "But i also need to check a few things now that you're awake.

<><>

"He's got some bruising on his face," chopper explained, "and had pretty bad cut on his forehead, but it should heal up nicely. No concussion, and likely no noticeable scarring once it's healed up.

Turned out Kidd had little information on the big question. he's challenged shanks and got his crew killed. Luffy had grown quiet at that, contemplative, but offered nothing one way or the or the other.

He had no idea how Killer had gotten so small.

"He's like the day i met him.." Kidd admitted quietly, careful brushing dirty bangs away

"How old where you two them," Robin asked as Sanji dished out soup with a few extra hands.

Kidd looked contemplative, "I musta been ... 5? yeah. about 5 I think. So he'd have been 9."

Sanji handed him the bowl of soup. "drink slow- it's not going to mix well with the salt water already in your gut."

Kidd didn't move for a moment, still marveling a the tiny face under his fingers. he flexed his hand. blues... how had they ever gotten anywhere, being so very small.

Kidd had dozed off after food, waking up waking some time later once more staring up at the same wood pattern. He didn't move for a long moment before he felt tiny hands on his stump. He smiled softy looking down on Killer's tangled hair.

"Morning Kil' " he whispered, the fingers stilling on his arms before soft blue eyes peered up at him though unruly bangs. Killer's smiled uncertainly up at him.

Kidd and Nami stare each other down for a time.

Killer was napping with Zoro and Chopper, leaving the other captain unattached for the first time since he'd been rescued by the group. And he'd sought out the navigator.

"How can I help you, Captain Kidd," she tried to keep the uneasiness out of her voice

In turn, he looked no more comfortable. "I came to.. barter. I guess?"

her eyes narrowed, "What could you possibly have to barter with? and why with me?"

He glared, "My own humiliation for a few hygiene items. By no one's surprise, the men of your crew are.. lacking in that area,"

"Sanji-"

"Nope."

Nami raised an eyebrow, stepping away from the open door, "Come on in," she gestured to her and Robin's room.

Kidd chuckled at the outraged squawk coming from Blackleg as he stepping into the girls quarters. Nami gestured to Robin's desk as she sat at her own, "Okay - what's going on? Your own humiliation?"

Kidd owned nothing right now. Not even all his clothes right now - his shirt was one of Franky's old ones, his boots where an loan pair of Zoro's. Killer was in Chopper's clothes. Their family was gone. Their ship belongs to Davy Jones and their roger had been destroyed.

Yet he offered his own humiliation freely, and Nami couldn't ignore such a juicy offer

"Any thing you want about me. Unless it involves Killer."

Nami could agree to that. She might be ruthless, but bartering the story of a mute traumatized child left a bad taste in her mouth. Killer could pawn his own tales once he was talking again.

As it was, she couldn't even share the excellent blackmail photos she'd taken because advertising Killer's predicament  could put the two in very real danger, and invited that danger back to her own crew.

"And what do you want from me? That's a steep price for soap."

He sighed; he didn't sit just yet, instead pressing his forearm against her's, the pale underside up, studying them both before exhaling again. "Some concealer would be ideal, foundation would work if you don't." He stated, sitting down finally. "and some better make up remover. paint and polish too if you have it in a good colour. and some fucking eyeliner." He looked contemplative, "and an eyebrow pencil, because apparently it's freaking out Sogeking."

Whatever Nami had been expecting, none of it was Kidd's list. She studied him in the light from the window, seeing now the patchy coverage on his cheeks and chapped lips. "I didn't think you had eyebrows," she settled for in response, "like.. the goggles rubbed them off or something."

"Mostly, yeah." Kidd admitted, pushing his goggles up. Sure enough, now that Nami knew what to look for, she could see the palest wisps of brow. "It's why I gave up on the the beard; the hair my head's dark enough, but everything else.." he made a 'tch' noise, "too fine and fragile. not worth the upkeep."

She nodded, moving to get one of her make-up bags to rummage though it. She pulled some concealers out to try and colour match with it. It was a little weird, a guy being paler than her for once.

She tossed her mack up remover, "Go ahead and wash up, then we'll talk shop."

she did not expect the freckles. Kidd's face was covered in freckles. they went down his shoulders and covered his back. some places were so dense it looked like a sunburn. without his make-up and his hair ungledded he started to look like the young man he was and not the monstrous warmonger on all his posters. he still had a few years on her, but as she tested her eyebrow pencils on him... goggles gone, hair lax, eyes so very tires... she could see the fine pale hairs on his chin and lip, the long lashes, all complete invisible to the eye from a distance.

for a small time, in the shadows of her room, he was just a kid.

the concealer she ended up going with was still a little off, but the freckles vanished. He carefully darken his lashed, lined the edges with bold steady measured lines. slowly, she watched the mask go back on ad he settled comfortably behind it again.

it would take longer to find the right lipstick ad none of her nail polished were quiet right, but they found one that would work for them in the end.

Finally, Eustass Captain Kidd sat once again before her.

Now. Payment.

"Tony-Tony, you got a minute?"

Chopper lokoekd up form here he and usopp has been relaizing in the grass to where Kidd stood unesaiyl with killer balanced on his shoulders, hand wrapped around the kid's ankle, and he gestured with is elbow.

once inside Chopper climbed up into his chair expectantly, while Killer climbed down so they could fit through the door. Kidd sat on one of the beds while killer explored the room.

"How can i help you?"

"Look," Kidd tried to explain, "Out of everyone, i think killer's least afraid of you, so i need you to check on something.... as a friend."

His wording set off alarms in Chopper's head. Also, made him sad to hear killer was still uneasy around them.

"And i need you to help explain it to the others."

"Explain what, Kidd?"

"Thing is.. this is, Killer's gonna get upset. 'cause it's on his side and he not gonna wanna show you. It's just. It's just the way it is with him."

Chopper though it over, reading between the lines. "If you explain I am a docto-"

"Wont help." Kidd said sharply. Chopper didn't press it.

"You said it was on his side?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe i can look over you, show him that nothing bad will happen, if he see's you doing it, maybe he'll feel safer doing the same?"

"Is this because i wont let you check on my ribs?"

Chopper gave him his best look of innocence.

Kidd grumbled, but moved to that off his vest. with his busted ribs, it was easier enough to shrug one arm off his shoulder and stub, but he still grimaces pulling the cloth around to remove his right arm, biting back a pained noise.

Chopper moved forward to help, and the next this he knew  - Kidd's fist was inches from his face. He hadn't even seen Killer move - but the child was right in front of him - his own hand caught inside of Kidd's

Blood was also dripping from their hands.

"Killer." Kidd's voice a stern. demanded attention. Captain's voice.

Killer was only looking at Chopper - the eye he could see cold and deadly. Even more terrifying when of the face of a grinning child.

"TonyTony ain't a threat. He's not gonna hurt you, or and he's not going to hurt me. I wouldn't let him any where near us otherwise." Killer didn't look away from Chopper. Blood started to crawl down the underside of Killer's tiny arm to start dripping off his elbow.

"Killer."

Finally, the boy sagged, the tension bleeding from his tiny body. He dropped his arm, and Kidd turned his hand over to reveal one of chopper's pilfered scaples sticking out of his palm, the blade completely in-bedded in the meat of his hand.

Chopper winces, before reaching for antiseptic and bandages. the cut was deep but narrow. it would need to be carefully cleaned, but not stitches. which was good, because Chopper was not sure Killer would have *let* chopper stitch up Kidd. as it was, Kidd had pinned the boy to awkwardly to his side with his elbow and Killer was only glaring back, forever smile pitched in anger.

before allowing chopper to wrapper it up, Kidd let Killer examine his hand, tiny fingers careful as his eyebrows scrunched up in thought. once the blood started to pool up again, Killer offed Kidd's hand back to Chopper before burying his face in Kidd's side.

"Gu math, wee barra. Na gabh dragh" Kidd assured him, using his chin to tuck Killer in close as Chopper wrapped his hand. "hey, help me take my vest off," Kidd using his chin to make killer look up at him, before wiggling his elbow against killer's back. killer nods, and busies himself helping Kidd take off the cloths only to awkwardly put it on himself. he's absolutely dwarfed by it

Kidd's ribs and side are still bruised and it too all of Kidd's will power not to react again when Chopper checked him over. Killer sat tense at this side, twitching in place, clearly unhappy with the recent turn of events

Chopper didn't so much as give him a clean bill of health as agree things where at least healing the way they should and reiterated that they should be wrapped, to which Kidd only dismissed him.

"Okay, Kil-kil, your turn."

killer snarled- he still hadn't talked to them, but was at least getting more vocal in his feelings as of late. Kidd only gave him a look until the kid folded, and let Kidd's vest slip down around around his waist.

"shirt off," he tugged at the edge of Killer's shirt - one borrows from Chopper to being with - and killer put his arms up finally, letting Kidd pull it up over his head.

Chopper saw immediately what Kidd had wanted to show him; strangle long lines ran down the killer's side, two on each side running parallel. there was little ticks on each one, like bad stitch work or tattoos of barb wire... moving slowly, projecting each more, chopper moved close to study the marks.

they weren't eather; Chopper honestly had no idea what the marks where or how they got there. "Could it be something about whatever made him small?"

Kidd distracted killer from Chopper's examination by letting him looked over this bandaged palm. his face was solemn; he knew he had hurt Kidd even if he didn't understand why he'd done it.

"Those are Heat's marks." Kidd said quietly Chopper looked up in surprise. "Killer spit fire at me in the bath this morning too."

Chopper froze. "That... that's not something Killer could...?"

"No."

Chopper helped Killer pull his shirt back on before sitting back in his chair. Killer pulled his knees up to his chest and hunkered back down in Kidd's vest.

"What else?" chopper asked quietly.

"I thought the biting was just because he's tiny. But he was never like that when we were growing up; and biting was Dive's first repose to... everything really."

Killer looked up at Kidd curiously then.

"And like.. so yeah, Killer's quieter than well. me. But he's not... he's never been nonverbal. But then he moves like Wire then he's not asking for things. i dun.. I dunno. Maybe, i just miss my people - seeing them because they're..." Kidd swallowed thickly. He forced himself no to squeeze Killer's hand, mindful of the tiny bones. "I'm just... I was projecting. I knew I was just making connections what weren't there. and then..."

"And then the marks showed up."

"And he spit fire"

"And he spit fire"

"I'm not gonna make him, show anyone else. i like i said, he likes you, so" he waved his hand, "this aside, i knew he'd let you see without freaking out. I don't thin he'd be up for showing them to the others. Too many people, too many eyes looking at him...."

Most day,s killer could be convinced out of one of chopper's borrowws surgical masks, but in a room with moer than three strawhats at a time had him trying tohife.

"I can help explain the marks. Robin would be the best to ask first. or maybe Jinbe and Brooke?"

"hmmm.." Kidd sounded. he was focused on killer agab.

zoro was doing push ups on the back deck - enjoying the breeze and sun when he senses someone coming up behind him. He paused, looking over to see Kidd had approached and was watching him.

the man then proceeded to grill him on random math problems for a moment, before wandering off again.

weird.

<><>

later, Franky would open the notes to his current project to find someone had taken a clean sheet on onion skin parchment and traced over his notes with amendments of thier on. there was a carefully written note in the corner, pen heavy and slow and unfamiliar

RORONOA's MATH AGREED WITH ME.

Franky looked back at his original sketch. well damn, he had miscalculated. the new sketches cleaned up the area he's been struggling with to the point he'd forced himself to walk away.

it should surprise no one that Kidd and killer where attached at the hip. they sat at sanji's table, some of usopp's colouring supplies on the table as killer doodled.

he sat on kidd's left side, his usual place when he was feeling brave. Kidd's stub or chin alternated on resting on his head, they talked quietly in a south blue language that was completely lost to Sanji.

well, Kidd talked. killer only nodded or grunted back. occasionally twisting around to glare at kidd indignantly.