Hello! Hope everyone is having a great day. Welcome to the start of the second series of Iced Coffee. A few things I'd like to touch on.
First of all, thank you so much for the support of the last chapter. It really means a lot.
Second of all... This series will have plenty of explicit chapters as it will focus on their relationship building as well as the humor and drama around them. Because of the rules of fanfiction, I will try to do two things. Write a not so detailed version to place in the chapters and write an explicit version to be posted somewhere else. Not sure where that place might be but will let you guys know when I find it. I will still keep this mature for the violence, language, and suggestive themes. Thanks again and enjoy!
Back at the hospital, the sterile air was thick and stuffy. R had entered the room and was surprised to see his little sister lying in bed, silently. Her small frame remained unmoved. The doctors prepped him and ultimately took what they needed. This wasn't supposed to be how they met for the first time in six years. Of course, the two of them wrote each other and often sent pictures. It wasn't like he wasn't up to speed with what was going on; the problem was the captain wanted to meet her in private before his promotion party.
The rather large marine pulled up a seat next to the bed. Enormous hands let down the side railing and R leaned on the edge. He placed one of his mitts under his chin while the other petted the top of Katie's head. Her thick mocha colored strands slipped through his fingers. The marine began to wonder why she didn't get any bigger. Their mother was slightly smaller in height but roughly the same frame, build, and look. Though to him, she also inherited their father's smile; something he would have given his right arm to have.
The beeps and other sounds in the room left an eerie impression. One that he didn't like at all. The large male swallowed hard before taking off his marine cap and putting it on her head. He knew how much she wanted to be like Garp and Sengoku. She was just as tough, if not tougher than a lot of marines out there but seeing her like this nearly killed him. Speaking of the two old geezers, he wondered where they were.
"Garp! You know better than too…", Sengoku's voice traveled through the entire hospital before a mousey grey haired man stepped in but not after ducking through the door.
"Yo! How's she doing", the old hero asked without his trademark grin. R couldn't even begin to convey how badly he wanted to see that smile. Even to hear the man's laughter would have lifted the heavy weight off his broad shoulders.
The younger marine who was a half foot taller than Garp, frowned. A gentle shake of the head earned a hard slap to the back of his shoulder by the vice-admiral in his white uniform. "She'll be fine", he said in a decisive manner. The man's blue hues settled on his granddaughter's sleeping figure. Her pale skin and dark rings under her eyes even gave him a bit of worry. A deep resonating grunt escaped his chest before he grabbed a chair from the hallway.
R massaged his shoulder before leaning back in his own seat. He turned his head just in time to see fleet admiral Sengoku walk in. He was still wearing his brilliant white uniform with a seagull perched on top of his hat. The soon to be promoted rear-admiral went to stand to his feet but the older officer waved him back down. "Not now… We're family… How are you holding up", the higher ranking officer asked with concern in his voice.
"I'm ok", the younger marine tried to smile. "I just got in today and first thing I hear is my sister needs a blood transfusion." As R explained, he rubbed his eyes. Clearly, the twenty-five year old was in need of some sleep. "I rushed over."
"I'm sorry, I couldn't protect her. This is my…", Sengoku's words stuck as he heard a tiny growl from the direction of the hospital bed. His eyes shifted to see a little Katie in blue hospital scrubs and a pink cast around her right hand. Her arms reached out. The fleet admiral smiled and went to pick her up before Garp cut in and scooped the little woman up instead.
"If you two start fighting, I'm going to have R kick you both out", the brunette warned with a groggy gruff tone. Garp gave Sengoku the thumbs up with a wide canary grin. The marine scowled back as he crossed his arms. "Grandpa smells like dust and plaster", she coughed before leaning back and reaching for the afro styled officer. The man chuckled as he received his granddaughter.
The large, broad hero laughed in response. "I took a short cut", he proudly said before taking his seat and pulling out a small bag of doughnuts.
"Grandpa, you can't just go through walls", Katie muttered as she buried her nose into the high collar of Sengoku's uniform. Her small arms wrapped around his neck as he sat on the floor. His back leaned against the bed. His dark eyes following the tubes that led from her arm to the bags. One being a blood transfer and the other an IV. She wasn't out of danger just yet and it sorely bothered him.
"Katie dear… I think you need to go back to bed", the fleet admiral suggested.
"No way", she snapped back. "My grandpa…", the young woman continued through muffled tones.
The three men gave each other an odd look before realizing she had gone back to sleep. "She's dreaming", Garp stated before popping another small doughnut into his mouth. The older vice-admiral was all grins now. To see her up and being feisty relieved much of the stress in his shoulders. The man couldn't even begin to explain the pain in his stomach when he heard the news. His grandkids were the marine's world. Katie and R were no exception. He loved them as much as he loved Luffy and Ace. The man knew his long time friend was the same.
Sengoku was having a late night with one of the Shichibukai until Garp came and informed him of Katie's status. Without hesitation, the fleet-admiral got up and walked out. There would only be three reasons for that man to put off his duty. Orders from the World Government, an absolute emergency against Marineford, or the critical status of his granddaughter.
"Rosi… You jerk face. I'm gonna tell mom…", Katie muttered in her slumber. "Luffy… Don't spit seeds like that", she scolded before quieting down. Garp couldn't help but loudly laugh, nearly filling the entire hospital.
"She still calls you names, huh", he pointed to the third party in the room. The vice admiral's trademark smile ever present. R rubbed the back of his neck with heat traveling to his cheeks. It was odd having one grandfather who was very animated and loved to laugh while the other was usually serious about everything except in moments like this one. Sengoku's head had whipped back as he began to join Garp in his humor. As older men, the soon to be rear-admiral bet they thought it funny that a twenty-five year old man was still called jerk face. Well to him what was amusing was a woman the size of a child, compared to the fleet admiral she was in the arms of, was twenty-three and using childish terms.
A red headed nurse with a bob hair cut and slim features, walked in but quickly stopped at the door frame. "Uh… Please… Our patient needs to be resting. She can't be moving about."
Katie's head lifted. A sleepy, cloudy gaze over her blue hues made her rub them followed by a large yawn and smacking lips. "I know you… How's the coffee I left at the desk", she mumbled while sniffing the air.
The nurse smiled. "I'm sorry… I think you're mistaken. I don't work at any desk. I work here", the woman in white gingerly corrected.
"Oh… Odd… I thought I've met you before. Maybe my nose is playing tricks on me", Katie admitted.
"No", there was a stern chilling tone from behind the woman. "I'm quite sure I've seen you at the greeting desk", the tall shadowed figure bent over with sharp accusing eyes. The air grew cold with the sound of ice slowly reaching across the floor like a creeping death. Aokiji had been standing around the corner, giving the family private time among themselves when he recognized the nurse.
The woman threw up her hands in a defensive fashion while trying to continue to smile. "I… I don't know what to say to that except I think you've mistaken me for my sister", she added. "I… I'm going to reach for my locket."
The admiral nodded and carefully watched the young woman reach for the golden oval shaped adornment around her neck. Once opened it revealed two red headed twin sisters in their much earlier years. "Oh my…" He stood up straight and rubbed the back of his neck. "Twins. Sorry. Just a bit on edge here." The man gave an apologetic expression but deep down he had felt that Katie had dodged a bullet somewhere. Things were too convenient. Moreover, the admiral trusted the little woman's nose.
"Young lady… I think under the circumstances it's safe to say the only people authorized to go in or out of this room, is us four and the doctor", Sengoku added while he had stood to put his granddaughter to bed. His tender smile left no room for the nurse to argue. She nodded and quickly left down the hall.
"Aokiji, come join us", Garp waved him in. "Besides don't think we're dumb enough to not know how close you two are", he laughed. It was a tease but the admiral didn't like how close to the truth he was. A single misstep and the hospital could ironically be his grave.
The marine stepped away briefly only to return with two more chairs from the hallway. The fleet-admiral had thanked him while he took his own seat. With the four of them in the smaller room, there was no extra space for any staff. It was a strange feeling once he realized that the petite female, whom was struggling in the hospital, had now become the most protected treasure in the world. Even a world noble couldn't buy this kind of security, not at once at least.
There was the fleet-admiral known as Sengoku the Buddha; the world renown hero Monkey D. Garp who personally took an admiral under his wing during his career years. Then there was R, the youngest rear-admiral in the history of the Marines; he was personally trained and raised by the hero's right hand man Bogard, who was absolutely no light weight. Furthermore…, finally there was himself. One of the three admirals.
Kuzan's thoughts brought him to wonder just how incredible her parents must have been. To gather the marine's finest in one room, at the same time, and without asking. Strangely though the man had to admit, this didn't feel like the meeting of the greatest but rather a family reunion. The three were starting to speak about R's younger years in training and comparing them to some of Katie's experiences. Though to a degree he felt like an outsider, the admiral also received the feeling of acceptance. Which he could bet his life's savings on that not many had such an honor.