You stood at the rail and sighed gazing out over the ocean. You heard your brother come up beside you and lean on the rail next to you quietly, "What's up Sandra," he asked worriedly, "You haven't been yourself lately!" you said nothing continuing to stare out at the ocean.
"Come on Sandra, don't worry he'll be back," he said moving to gently massage your shoulders. "I don't know what you're talking about," you said airily still not looking at him. Though you'd never show it you were a tad surprised. Sanji wasn't the insightful type and you'd told him nothing about what had happened between you and Ghin. He snorted, "You know very well I'm talking about the guy you've been sulking over for the past four days!" he said slightly annoyed with you.
You just let out a sigh continuing to stare trying to pierce the dense fog that had rolled up with your eyes, "Ghin liked you a lot too Sandra," said Sanji surprisingly patient today, "He'll be back."
You turned and looked at him quietly. You could see the worry in his eyes, and instantly you felt bad. How could you make him worry about you like that? "I'm acting like a love sick school girl with her first crush," you admitted ruefully, "I'm such an idiot."
Sanji took hold of your shoulders firmly, "You're not an idiot Sandra, you just feel really strongly for Ghin and I know he feels the same way so stop worrying and come to the kitchen we'll make something nice to eat and take your mind off things." You smiled gratefully, chuckling a bit. Food, Sanji's answer to everything, "Thanks Sanji you really are the best brother a girl could ask for you know?" you told him as the two of you headed inside.
He grinned widely at you, "Of course I know. I am amazing after all!" you chuckled and hit him upside the head, "Don't go all conceited on me now!" you responded grinning and waving at all the chefs in the kitchen who seemed relieved to see you in there working again. "I could never," said Sanji feigning outrage, "Not with you around to keep me humble!" You laughed along with the rest of the crew feeling lighter than you had since Ghin had left.
You'd just set up a station, so you could start helping out, preparing orders when there was a sudden commotion in the dining room. You looked up startled from the mondu you were preparing. "DON CRIEG'S COMING!" shouted one of the diners. The knife you'd been using slipped from your fingers and clattered to the floor as you froze in utter shock.
You didn't even bother to pick it up when you came to your senses. Instead you dashed headlong out to the dining area to see what was going on, leaving your fellow cooks to stare after you in disbelief.
You took the stairs two at a time and skidded to a halt in the very back of the dining hall eyes darting frantically around the room searching for the intruder, but he was nowhere to be found.
Slowly a noise met your ears, the clomping of heavy footsteps approaching the door. You stared wide-eyed as the doors slowly began open. The first thing your eyes encountered, as the doors swung fully open was an absolutely huge man. Dressed in strange clothing with a heavily built frame. He was bigger than any man you'd ever seen, and you'd seen quite a few.
Your first reaction was to be frightened of his mammoth size and strength until you looked closer. He was absolutely limp with exhaustion his voice weak as he pleaded with the silent room for some food and water. You stared shocked, as the man crumpled to the floor unable to hold himself erect leaving the man you'd been longing to see.
Your eyes drank in the sight of him noting he still had on the bandages you'd given to him. "Someone please help?" he called into the deathly silence, "The admiral just really needs food! He's on the verge of starvation!" His pleading cut through you like a knife. You knew how much this man meant to Ghin, he was his idol.
"Patti and Carne are going to have my head for this," you said quietly. Then made your way silently to the kitchens to make a quick meal. The sight that met your eyes however made you blink in surprise. Then you grinned, of course Sanji was already there.
You fell in beside him without a word and helped chopping and peeling, frying and stirring in well practiced and familiar motions. The two of you were perfectly in synch and in perfect understanding of each other, as always when you worked together in the kitchen.
You finished in under five minutes and looked at Sanji pouring a large glass of juice for the dehydrated man. "You going to bring it to him or you want me to?" he asked placing the fried rice complete with chicken into a large bowl. "I'll do it," you volunteered quietly knowing you were about to incur the wrath of almost everyone on the ship, "Just have my back if Patti decides to shoot me?" Sanji nodded and the two of you headed down.
You walked down the stairs balancing the dish with practiced ease the cup in your other hand. "Excuse me," you said politely to Patti who was blocking the whole stairway. "SANDRA?" he shouted in surprise, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" you snorted annoyed. "If it isn't obvious Patti I might have to talk to Zeff about not hiring stupid people anymore," you said frostily.
With that you knocked him out of the way moving down the stairs head held high like the proud woman you were. You approached the two and knelt calmly in front of the posturing man setting down the bowl gently and placing the full glass beside it. "Here," you said quietly, "eat this."
"Sandra…" Ghin whispered awed and grateful. You smiled warmly at him. "THANK YOU!" shouted Crieg beginning to dig in, "Oh thank you!" you chuckled quietly and stood moving back to join your brother who was grinning proudly at you.
"SANDRA!" shouted Carne rushing down the stairs, "You take that food back right now! Don't you know what a horrible criminal he is? Haven't you heard the stories?" you shrugged uncaring, "A friend of mine admires him. I don't think he'd be very happy with me if I let him die," you said coolly shrugging in feigned indifference.
Carne sputtered angrily and began telling stories about Crieg he'd over the years. You ignored him though eyes locked on Ghin who was staring at you still, a look in his eyes that you'd only seen once before, and only in his eyes. As you continued looking at each other Sanji had taken a step forward a grin on his face as he stood and looked between the two of you.
"SANDRA ARE YOU LISTENING?" shouted Carne jolting you out of your trance, "I'm sorry Carne did you say something?" you asked still unable to take your gaze from Ghin's face. He sputtered completely nonplussed as Crieg sat down the empty glass with a loud CLANG!
He stood abruptly and threw a hard punch at your brother throwing him across the room. You whirled instinctively and jumped catching him in midair and pulling him close. "Sanji," you asked calmly as the patrons began to panic backing away, "you alright?" Sanji moaned slightly so you at least knew he was alive.
You set him down gently against the wall with a sigh. You should've known a pirate like Crieg couldn't be trusted. "THAT MAN SAVED OUR LIVES CRIEG!" shouted Ghin looking as shocked as you would've felt if you hadn't gone numb, "YOU PROMISED NOT TO HURT ANYONE IF I BROUGHT YOU HERE!" he shouted throwing a desperate glance at you as he pleaded with his captain, "YOU SAID YOU JUST WANTED A MEAL TO REGAIN YOUR STRENGTH!"
Crieg reached down and grabbed Ghin roughly, hauling him up by the shoulder. You flinched as a spasm of pain crossed his face, which he quickly concealed. "So I did Ghin," he replied his voice harsh now instead of pathetic, "And now that my strength is regained I want even more!"
You whimpered, as Crieg tightened his grip on Ghin's arm. You could hear the bone crunch and hoped against hope that it was just dislocated not broken. Then flinched as he tossed him to the ground. 'Why does he admire such a heartless man!' you thought aggravated staring worriedly at Ghin hoping he was all right.
"You have a nice place here," Crieg said smiling nastily, "I think that I'll take it." You snarled quietly, 'as if we'd let him!' you thought angrily wishing you had your pistols on you. Behind you Sanji stirred beginning to regain consciousness, "You lowlife," he said angrily as he attempted to sit up.
"Better clean up that attitude tough guy," said Crieg blowing steam from his mouth, "Because I'm taking you along as well, to serve me and my crew until you've out lived your usefulness." You stiffened angrily, there was no way he was taking your brother.
"Well you could try," you said dropping into a fighter's crouch and standing protectively in front of your brother, "But you might find that Sanji is more trouble than he's worth." Crieg glanced at you amused, but ignored you for the most part and turned to the cooks. Wasn't it just like a man to count a woman as incapable of violence?
"I have over a hundred men on my ship who still draw breath," said Crieg gesturing towards the battered wreckage that was his ship anchored outside, "They're suffering from wounds hunger and thirst. They've taken to eating their leather belts and drinking seawater. They can hardly breathe let alone run my vessel. They're on the verge of a dismal fate, but not if they get proper nourishment," he explained, "So you will give it to them.
"YOU WANT US TO MAKE FOOD FOR YOUR PIRATES?" Carne shouted in complete panic mode now, "SO THEY'LL HAVE THE STRNGTH TO COME AND TAKE OVER OUR SHIP? I REFUSE!" Crieg snarled angrily, "You refuse?" he asked blowing steam again, "Perhaps you misunderstood little man," said Crieg looking down menacingly on Carne, "You refuse a request, this was an order. OBEY IT OR I'LL HAVE YOU ALL THROWN OVERBOARD!" he yelled then began to laugh manically.
You rolled your eyes, "Good thing I took swim lessons then isn't it," you commented to your now fully awake twin. He snorted amused and rolled his eyes at your ability to make wise cracks at a time like this.
"Sanji," croaked Ghin from the floor, "Sandra," he added reverently, "I'm so sorry," he said holding his arm, "I didn't know he'd do this!" he said frustrated, angry and in pain. "YOU TWO YOU STARTED THIS WHEN YOU FIRST FED THE GUY!" shouted Patti angrily. Ghin flinched and you snapped, "SHUT THE HELL UP PATTI!" you snarled angrily.
"Oh man," said Carne staring at you worriedly, "As if we didn't have enough problems Patti now you've gone and pissed off Sandra! Everyone turned to you seeing the absolute fury on your face. "Not now Sandra," said Sanji quietly, "I know you've had a rough few days but the crap-geezer's going to be mad if you destroy the restaurant." He moved behind you and began to gently massage his shoulders like he had done to calm you down when you were young.
You took a deep breath fighting the urge to start breaking everything in sight from tables to people. It was something people generally didn't see, your temper, because through the years you'd learned to control it. However, when you snapped you really snapped. Luckily it hadn't happened for a long time, since once it did Sanji could usually calm you down. You sighed as you felt your body relax and you let out the breath you'd been holding.
"You're right not the time or the place," you replied calm once more. The chefs all let out sighs of relief. "Now are you going to help me or not?" asked Sanji moving towards the stairwell. You sighed knowing what he had in mind and followed quietly.
"And where do you think you two are going?" asked one of the cooks eyeing you two suspiciously. "To the kitchen," said Sanji as if that should be obvious, "After all," you added, "We've got a hundred meals to prepare."
"GAH!" everyone cried either in shock or horror or a mixture of the two. "YOU'RE KIDDING!" shouted the chefs in shock. "Good," said Crieg satisfied, "Get to it." You felt the hair on your neck rise and you scowled angrily. You didn't like taking orders from anyone. If he didn't clean up his condescending attitude you were going to get pissed off.
Abruptly the cooks surrounded you pointing sharp objects at you and snarling angrily, "What are you some kind of subservient dogs?" yelled one of them angrily. "If you try to get into that kitchen you're going to get it!" shouted another angrily.
In synch you and Sanji spread your arms leaving you open to attack, "Go ahead and do your worst," you said in synch. The chefs flinched it always spooked them when you did this kind of thing. "But you should know we're not feeding these pirates because we're afraid," you said sneering, "Like I would be afraid of that!"
"It's our job to feed them," Sanji explained putting a hand over your mouth before you could say something that would either anger the chefs or Crieg. You stood quietly and listened as Sanji explained how your duty was to feed the hungry not to worry about what might happen after the fact and how it was a chef's duty.
"WHACK!" Patti smacked Sanji in the back of the head sending him sprawling. You stood in shock as he went on about how you and Sanji could make your own mistakes, but not theirs. Then watched in horror as he pulled out the lobster cannon. Your brain refused to function as he leveled it at Crieg and fired. Your eyes however moved to Crieg's side where Ghin was kneeling and looking at you a kind of reverence in his eyes.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the cannon fired, and blasted Crieg dead on. "GHIN!" you shrieked unable to contain yourself as smoke from the shot billowed out and filled the room clouding your vision. You stood without moving hands clenched tightly into fists and your nails digging into your palms as you waited anxiously for the smoke to clear.
"DON!" shouted a worried voice. You let out a sigh of relief relaxing slightly, knowing he was alive, but you still peered worriedly waiting to see how much damage had been done. Though you were a tad annoyed his first concern had been for Crieg. You were disliking the Don more and more. Ignoring the conversation beside you, you were the first to see the shape emerging from the gloom.
"Oh no," you whispered horrified, as the unharmed visage of Crieg appeared from the gloom, wearing golden armor. You winced in surprise and horror, as the armor opened up revealing some heavy artillery. You gaped as he opened fire on the room. Instinctively you threw yourself at the nearest people knocking them to the floor shielding them with your body and covering your head with your hands.
"SANDRA!" called a worried voice you had to respond to. You sat up groggily taking in the damage. You could feel blood gently dripping down your cheek where a bullet had grazed you, but other than that you were okay. The restaurant wasn't though. Everywhere there were holes in the walls, tables over turned, and plates and glasses shattered on the floor.
You stood and helped Sanji and another chef to their feet, the people you'd managed to push out of the line of fire. "You alright sis?" asked Sanji worriedly eyeing the cut on your face. You grinned slightly manically touching the blood on your face then bringing the bloody finger to your lips kissing it in the promise of good health you and Sanji had learned from your mother long ago, the pirate captain Kissing Kate.
He grinned slightly at the familiar gesture and the two of you turned to Crieg who was ranting about how no one defied him. You ignored him taking stock of the room and were the only one to notice as Zeff came down the stairs a gigantic bag of food in hand.
You watched awed as he moved in front of the still ranting Crieg and tossed the bag at his feet. "Here's your food for a hundred," he said coolly, "Now stop terrorizing my crew," you grinned, that was the chef for you. Everyone let out gasps of surprise even Crieg looked shocked. "Wait," he murmured staring wide-eyed at the Chef, "I know you!"