Nami straightened the skirt of the nursing outfit she was wearing while she waited for the head nurse at the desk to turn around so she could sneak by. Nami wasn't in the mood for a confrontation right now, she just wanted to get in, get her work done, and go home – hopefully with a fat paycheck in hand. If she could do that, she could call it a good day, but if the head nurse stopped her, it would really ruin her morning.
Her patience paid off when the head nurse finally turned away from the desk and popped her head into a filing cabinet. Nami didn't waste a second in dashing across the lobby, raising a couple of eyebrows as she went but paying them no heed. The hallway ahead led to patient rooms and specific wards for the sick and injured, and all she had to do was reach it before the woman in charge turned back around and caught her.
Nami didn't look back until she was safely down the hallway, out of view from the open lobby. Once she was sure she was in the clear she paused to straighten her skirt again, pulling it down where it had ridden up slightly. The light pink uniform only came midway down her thighs, much shorter than was probably acceptable by this staff, but it served it's purpose well. Sighing a final breath, she clutched her clipboard closer to her and made her way down the hallway in quick, purposeful strides.
"Good morning, Mr. Michaels," she greeted warmly, as she entered her patient's room. "How are you today?"
"Better now that you're here," the older man responded from the bed. Nami smiled at him for his flattering remark and moved towards the window to open the curtains.
She could feel his eyes on every inch of her while she moved, and had to suppress the feeling of revulsion his attention gave her. Setting the clipboard aside, she was painfully aware of how her dress rode up when she reached to pull back the dark blue curtains. Bright, early morning sunrise streamed in through the clear window and momentarily blinded the man lying in the bed. She smirked, but hid it quickly beneath an expression of concern.
"I'm sorry!" She expressed her apology. "Should I keep these closed?"
She watched as the old man blinked a couple of times, his eyes adjusting to the brightness of sun. Those watery old eyes settled on her, taking in her figure as she stood in the light.
"No, no," he smiled. "A lovely creature such as yourself should be shown in the best lighting."
"Oh you flatterer you," she giggled playfully.
"I truly mean it, my dear." Despite his lecherous gaze, his smile was genuine. "You've brought such joy to me during my stay here. You, like the sun, have lit up the remainder of my life."
"Don't talk like that," she chastised gently. "Your condition is stable; you have plenty of time left."
Mr. Michaels snorted. "As much time as a dying man has left, you mean."
She pursed her lips, unwilling to answer. It was true Mr. Michaels wasn't healthy, and though his condition was currently stable and well monitored, he wouldn't be that way forever.
Fortunately, the old man didn't seem to be looking for a response, and he continued. "You've tended to me and spent more time with me than even my own family, and I have something to show to you."
From under his bed sheets, he withdrew a folded stack of papers. With frail, clumsy hands that were weakened with age and disease, he unfolded the papers, showing her the contents of the pages. Nami looked them over, knowing from the very first page what she was looking at.
"Mr. Michaels," she gasped in awe, looking at him in shock. "You can't…"
"I can and I did. Ms. Nami Mikan is to be the soul inheritor of my wealth and estate." He smiled broadly.
"B-but your family!" She exclaimed in protest. "Surely you would rather-"
"Those people are after my money and care nothing about me or my well-being." The old man spoke as if the words left a sickening taste in his mouth. "You, on the other hand, have shown me nothing but kindness and care since the moment I met you." He collected her hand in his. "There is no one more worthy of my fortune than you, my dear."
"I'm flattered," Nami replied, embarrassed.
The old man chuckled and released her hand. She stood straight again, turning to glance at the clock on the wall. She had five minutes.
"I should go get the doctor and make my rounds, I'll come see you again later, Mr. Michaels." She smiled to the old man, gathering up her clipboard and heading for the door.
"Wait!" Mr. Michaels called after her. "Take these." He waved the folded papers in her direction. "It's just a copy of the original will, but I want you to have it in case my family tries to give you any troubles."
She turned back, snagging the papers from his hand and pressing a quick kiss to his forehead. "Thank you, Mr. Michaels."
A glowing smile remained on his face as she left.
The streets in this part of the city were dangerous for anyone to travel down alone and unawares, and Nami was happy she had the forethought to change her clothes before heading home. To outsiders, these were the slums; the dark side of the city where the streets were rife with crime and the people were low lives and thieves. It was true this side of the city was dangerous, and that there were plenty of illegal activities taking place at every turn, but it wasn't like the people here asked for this. Not everyone was born with a silver spoon in their mouth.
Nami walked quickly past the shady alleys, ignoring the hungry look their inhabitants were giving her. She wasn't afraid of them, the three piece baton she kept strapped to her leg was a more than effective weapon against scum like that, but it was best not to invite trouble for herself either, especially not when she was having such a good day.
She climbed two sets of rickety steps that creaked fitfully under her weight. One day she expected they would cave from beneath her, but fortunately today was not that day. She reached her destination and slid her key into the lock, twisting it before pushing inside through the peeling door.
Nojiko looked up from her afternoon coffee. "Well someone had a good day," she commented upon seeing Nami's face.
"Better than good." Nami threw the folded papers onto the table in front of her sister. "I made us rich!"
"Oh?" Nojiko flipped quickly through the paperwork in front of her. "Mr. Michaels finally gave in, huh?"
"The entirety of his wealth and estate!" Nami squealed.
"Really?" Nojiko's eyes widened. "This is amazing Nami! Does that mean you're done with this job?"
Nami paused midway through folding her nurse's costume. "Yeah but… I think I'll go back a few more times, at least."
"Why?" Nojiko asked, crinkling her nose. "You always complain about what a pervert he is."
"Well, he is a pervert." Nami nodded, setting the clothing aside and picking up Mr. Michaels' will once more. "But I feel sorry for him. He's really lonely. His own family won't visit him. He just sits in his room, waiting to die."
"That happens to a lot of people, Nami," Nojiko pointed out, her voice soft and sympathetic.
"Yeah," Nami sighed, sadly. "But it's the least I can do for him."
There was a pause of silence between them. Nami knew Nojiko didn't always approve of her job or the methods she employed to do that job, but even Nojiko couldn't argue with the results. Nami flipped open the will in her hands to the estimation of the estate and changed the subject.
"His home alone is worth a few million," she said, a broad smile on her face. "How long do you think that will keep Arlong off our backs for? We might even be able to pay him off for good!"
Nojiko winced. "Ah, about that."
She pulled a letter out of her pocket. It had obviously been folded and unfolded many times; the paper was tearing in places and weak along the creases. It looked like it was several weeks old, and well-read during that time. Nami took it from her, unfolding it carefully to keep from ripping it in two as she did so.
She could see why her sister had chosen not to show her the letter sooner from the moment she opened it.
"He's raising the interest again?!" Nami shouted, slamming the letter against the table. "That bastard," she spat through gritted teeth.
"I'm sorry, Nami," Nojiko sighed. She leaned onto the table, resting her chin in her hand. "I guess the old man's money isn't going to get us too far after all."
Nami looked in dismay from the letter in her hands to the copy of the will Mr. Michaels had handed her just that morning. She had thought there would be enough to finally pay off their debt, but it seemed not. How many more jobs would it take? How many people would she have to con, steal from, and lie to before she and Nojiko would finally have some freedom? She could feel anger building up in her gut, but its effects were tampered out by the sensation of hopelessness that drained the feelings from her limbs and made her legs give out. She landed heavily on the kitchen chair, causing the old wood groan in complaint.
"Nami…" Nojiko spoke softly, rattling Nami from her thoughts. Her sister was looking at her with a mixture of pity and concern. Nami was quick to fix a smile back onto her face.
"Well, that just means I'll have more work to do." Nami shrugged. "But it doesn't mean we can't have a big feast on that day! What do you think? What about roast duck? It's your favorite right? And we can buy as many oranges as we want! Ooh! What about an orange sauce? That would be so fancy. What do you say?"
Nojiko sighed. "Roast duck is your favorite." She spared Nami a look that suggested she didn't buy the act for one moment before shrugging. "But alright. When that old man kicks the bucket, we'll celebrate with roast duck."
Nami grimaced. "Don't word it that way."
"Sorry." Nojiko pushed herself away from the table, moving to the sink to rinse out her mug. She paused before turning the water on. "Listen, Nami." She didn't turn around, and instead fixed her gaze on the mug in her hand. "Maybe I should get a different job."
"Why would you do that?" Nami asked. "I thought you loved working at the nursery. You said working with the plants reminded you of mom."
"It does," Nojiko agreed, "but it doesn't pay much either."
"It pays enough to cover the rent and buy us food," Nami said. She knew what her sister was getting at, but she refused to go in that direction.
"But it doesn't help with the debt at all." Nojiko turned away from the sink, looking her sister in the eye. "If I did what you do instead then maybe…"
"No way." Nami pushed herself up from the table. "How would we pay rent? It's not like I have the most regular income. Your job keeps a roof over our heads and mine pays down what we owe, and that's always been the deal." Her tone was firm and matter of fact.
With that said, she spun around and headed for the door. She needed to evacuate the room before the argument got any more intense. She and Nojiko were unpopular enough with the neighbors as is.
"I'm gonna go for a walk!" She called back as she headed through the door.
"Nami, wait!" She heard Nojiko call out behind her, but Nami pretended she was already out of earshot and took off down the rickety steps with more speed than was advisable.
Nami and Nojiko were not really sisters. They were just two girls who happened to have been abandoned in the same neighborhood around the same time. Nami had barely been able to walk at the time, she was so young, and so she couldn't remember her previous family at all. When she asked Nojiko, her sister shrugged and admitted she only kind of remembered her parents. Nami assumed their families had been like any other family around these parts; too poor to even so much as feed themselves, let alone raise a child. The orphanages were overcrowded and provided poor living conditions, and in the end, children left to fend for themselves on the street might be better off.
Nojiko had found Nami, and though she couldn't have been more than four or five at the time, she let Nami follow her around and helped to take care of her. Nami, in a big way, owed Nojiko her life. Without her sister's help, Nami probably would have died on the streets within a week. Nojiko made sure Nami had some food, even if there wasn't much to be had, and that she and Nami would have shelter from the worst of the elements.
Living on the streets was not kind, however, particularly not to children. Nami was glad she was so young at the time. The sensation of starving and the dying need for water haunted her enough as is, though her memories from that time in her life were dulled. Sometimes Nojiko still got a haunted look in her eye and always made sure to provide beggar kids with some kind of nourishment before sending them on their way. Nami supposed it was Nojiko's instinct. She hadn't let Nami starve, and she wouldn't let other kids starve either.
Then one day, they met Bellemere. Bellemere had been a police officer at the time, which never made sense to Nami since the Bellemere that Nami had known had always been fairly rebellious and independent. She couldn't imagine Bellemere working for the police force and taking orders, but Nami's life was proof that she had. Bellemere often told them exciting stories from her time with the police, and apparently she had been well respected for her bravery. Bellemere wasn't afraid to gamble her life and jump into the thickest situations. The younger officers revered her as a kind of a hero, but her superiors were usually angry with her. Nami wondered if Bellemere hadn't joined the police force just because she was bored.
Bellemere had been answering a call from a local restaurant owner complaining about the homeless raiding his garbage. It was what Bellemere had referred to as a "routine call," which meant she found it boring but her superiors made her take it. She had pulled up to the restaurant, expecting to find an old man seeking out a meal. She'd give him a slap on the wrist and send him on his way. Without a doubt he'd be back in a few days looking for food again. It was a pointless exercise, but she wasn't about to shoot a man for trying to fill his stomach and if she hauled every homeless person off to jail she'd fill all the cells in a day.
She was surprised when she rounded the corner to the alley where the restaurant kept their dumpster and found two small children looting through the trash. She watched them for a moment, hidden from their view. She watched them work together to climb into the dumpster, and she watched Nojiko give Nami the best left overs, keeping the less savory ones for herself. She watched Nami bite into an old scrap of dried meat and smile as if it were the most gourmet and delicious food in the world.
According to Bellemere, her heart broke and rebuilt itself entirely that day. By evening she found herself with two little girls, unofficially adopted as her own, and by the next afternoon she had quit her job at the police station and taken her new family out of the city entirely, moving them to the outskirts of a small village. It took a couple of years of odd jobs and hard work, but Bellemere steadily built herself a new life with her family. She turned the land around their small house into an orange grove, and by the time Nami was seven, Bellemere made a humble living off their fruit. Oranges had been the best idea, Bellemere had told them, because even if they had no money, they would never starve. For Nami and Nojiko, that sounded perfect.
Nami smiled fondly at the memory of her mother. Though none of them were truly related by blood, Nami had never known any other family. She didn't want to. All of her best memories were of the three of them: Nami, her mother, and her sister, living together on a small orange grove.
Nami's memories turned dark as she approached a large warehouse. She stood in the shadow of the building, glaring up at its broken windows and damaged bricks.
Though the memories of those days with her family with Nami's happiest, those years were short lived. Though the oranges Bellemere harvested every year provided them with food and a small income, it was never enough. Nami and Nojiko didn't mind, they were used to having much less, and Bellemere always did the best she could to provide for her daughters, but that was all she could do.
When a man dressed in fancy clothing came to the door the first time, Bellemere ordered Nami and Nojiko away. Neither of them were very obedient, however, and both of them had hung around just out of view to listen to what the fancy man had to say.
At the time, Nami was too young to understand. Nojiko understood it better, but not by much. Nami supposed the full effect of what they had heard that day wouldn't hit either of them until many years later when they had a better understanding of how the world worked.
The man was a lawyer. He'd been sent to investigate the property and Bellemere's business. No taxes had ever been paid for either, he had discovered, and on top of that, Bellemere had adopted two girls unofficially. It was an act that, while generous, could not be held legally.
The lawyer told Bellemere he would have to take Nami and Nojiko from her. She could adopt them back later, of course, when she had the adoption fee ready, but only after the years of backed taxes had been paid off. The sum was impossible, especially on Bellemere's small budget.
Nami had learned these details much later. As a child, she only knew something was wrong because Bellemere's temper was much shorter and she spent a lot of time sitting at their kitchen table with her face buried in her hands. Nami was old enough to understand that something was wrong, but not to understand what was happening.
A few days later, Bellemere had come home from a trip into the city in a much better mood. She promised Nami and Nojiko that everything would be alright, and cooked them a large meal that would normally have been out of their price range, but Bellemere promised they could afford it. Things were okay again; what sadness had tainted the air that week cleared away in a single day, and everything went back to the way it was before the lawyer had come to their house. Bellemere's mood picked up, and they worked in the orange grove as if everything were normal again.
They had one more good year. One more year together, happy, as a family. Their oranges were doing well that year, and Bellemere was making plans for the harvest. Things were so normal; Nami and Nojiko could never have guessed what would happen. There were no signs to warn them, no hints given. Bellemere kissed them both goodnight, and the next morning she was gone.
Nami passed by the obvious docking doors, making instead for the small service entrance on the side of the building.
"Nami! Hey!" A boisterous, loud voice greeted her. "Long time no see."
"Shut it, Hachi," she snapped. "Where's Arlong?"
"Hey, don't be like that!" Hachi frowned. "We haven't seen each other in forever."
"We're not friends, Hachi," she rounded on him. "Now, tell me where Arlong is or I'll find him myself."
Hachi deflated a little. She would almost have felt bad for him, had her mood not been so sour. Hachi, as far as gang members went, was unusually friendly and a generally nice guy. Had she known him in any other circumstances, she might have liked him, but as is, she couldn't afford to get to close.
"Arlong is in there." Hachi pointed his thumb towards a door leading into the building. "He's got a meeting in about half an hour, so whatever you're here for, make it quick."
Nami clicked her tongue. She didn't give a damn about Arlong's other meetings. If she said that to Hachi though, he might not let her in, so she bit her tongue and stomped through the door Hachi had pointed to. Her fingers danced reassuringly on her three-piece baton as she went. Insurance in case something happened.
"Is that Nami?" A sickening, familiar voice greeted her as she entered the main body of the warehouse. Arlong's men were scattered throughout, and almost all heads turned in her direction as the door fell shut behind her.
Arlong himself sat at the front of the building on a makeshift stage. His chair was large and ornate, and she bet he imagined that it was some kind of throne. He seemed to believe himself to be some kind of super human, better than the others, but she supposed when you became someone of his level of power, you could get away with that.
"What brings the finest con-artist in the city here?" He asked her as she approached. "Have you reconsidered my offer about joining me?"
"What the hell is this?" She pulled the envelope from her pocket, waving it in his direction.
"I see you finally got my letter. I sent that out three weeks ago you know."
"I didn't ask you when you sent it," she spat. She threw the letter to the ground and smashed it under one sandaled foot. "I asked you what the hell it is!"
"I thought the meaning was pretty clear." Alrong shrugged. "I raised the interest on your loan again. Of course, I had to raise it on your back payments too, it's only fair."
Nami gritted her teeth. "I was going to pay you off in the next couple months," she ground out.
"Were you?" Arlong asked. "That's a shame."
Nami and Nojiko learned what had happened to Bellemere a week later.
With little to no options left to her, Bellemere used an old connection she knew from her days on the police force. He wasn't a good guy. In fact, she'd been part of a division that was set on bringing him down before the division changed hands and her new boss called off the chase. Arlong was his name, and he ran most of the city from the underground. Illegal operations were his expertise. No bank or loan service would lend money to her, Bellemere had exhausted all her legal options. In danger of losing her home and her children, she turned to her last resort.
Arlong was happy to loan Bellemere the money. He gave her more than enough to cover her past taxes and legally adopt her children. She would have to pay him back of course, but he promised her he'd be flexible and allow her to pay in payments. Nami learned all of this because Arlong told her, both her and Nojiko, when he paid them a visit a week after Bellemere disappeared. He also explained that her debt would fall on to them, and unless they truly wanted to find out what happened to their mother, they'd find a way to pay him back.
Nami never asked for details about what happened to Bellemere. She had nightmares about the possibilities sometimes, but she was better off not knowing.
They were still only children when Bellemere had disappeared, but both Nami and Nojiko set to work, trying to keep their orchard alive and in condition to continue their business. They had learned enough from Bellemere to know how to take care of their trees, but the weather turned against them after a few years, and most of their grove was lost to drought.
With no way to keep their home and pay Arlong, they gave up Bellemere's orchard and their home and moved back to the city, into the grungy little apartment they still shared. They sought jobs elsewhere, wherever they could find them. It was around this time that Nami learned she had a true skill for tricking people out of their money, and she was quick to put that skill to good use.
This wasn't the first time they had gotten close to paying off Bellemere's debt, only to have Arlong raise the rates. Nami knew he was doing it on purpose, to keep both her and Nojiko in debt until they were dead, and she hated him for it.
"You can't do that!" Nami shouted at him, her hate for him fueling her words.
"Of course I can."
"It's not fair! We've already paid you three times what my mother borrowed!" She knew it was a hopeless argument, but she couldn't stop herself.
"That's how interest works." Arlong grinned. His smile was wicked and sadistic. "Perhaps you'd like another business lesson?"
Nami blanched. "No," she said.
"Then I don't think we have anything more to discuss," Arlong said. "You should be on your way now."
Nami felt her shoulders sag. Defeat weighed in her limbs and threatened to suffocate her lungs. She didn't move, not because she didn't want to, but because she couldn't bring herself to.
"I'll make you a deal," Arlong said after a long pause. "If you join me, I'll forget your debt. I could use a girl of your skills on my side. Work for me and your mother's debt will be forgiven entirely. You and your sister will be free."
Nami knew Arlong's definition of "free" was skewed. Chances were she'd become something of a slave to him, doing his every bidding without the luxury of free will. Nojiko might be free though, and that thought was tempting. Even if it cost her own freedom, Nojiko would be safe.
But Nami couldn't stomach the idea. It was selfish, prideful, and probably stupid, but the idea of working for Arlong made her insides revolt. She couldn't do it.
"Not a chance," she spat, turning on heel and heading back the way she came. "I'll get you your damn money."
"I'm looking forward to it," were his parting words to her as she left the building.
A/N: Hiii. Another new multichapter for you. This idea has been ruminating in my head for a long time, like almost a year now, and I kept putting it off and putting it off, finding some excuse or another to not get started on it. I still have a lot of other fics I have to do and a lot of projects besides, but I decided I put this one off long enough. The NamiVivi fandom needs more fics and I wanted to be apart of that. So, I hope you enjoyed and look forward to more!