"A Chef, A Reindeer, and a Little Robber Girl: part 2"

Vivi was awakened the next morning by a hand shaking her shoulder.

"Get up," Nami whispered from somewhere above Vivi's head. "Here's your breakfast."

"Wha -?" Vivi sat up, blinking. She looked out the porthole and gaped. The sun was already very high over the water. "Why didn't you wake me earlier?" she exclaimed, scrambling out of her blankets. Hastily, she began to dress.

"Don't be silly." Nami had moved to the dresser and begun putting some things into a bag. Her hands were relaxed and leisurely. She added, "Everything's under control. We'll leave after lunch." She continued to fill the bag quite calmly.

"After lunch!" Now Vivi was completely aghast. "But it'll be too late if we wait that long! Everyone must already be up as it is!"

Nami simply went on folding clothes and wrapping up packets. Vivi wanted to shake her. For a brief, mad moment, she wondered if Nami had somehow lost her touch. Did people lose their touch at this sort of thing? Maybe it had been a while since Nami had last had to escape from an angry mob.

Before Vivi could ask if this was the case, Nami pointed an imperious finger at the tray of food on the table. "Eat," she ordered.

Vivi went to the table meekly and picked up a spoon, not knowing what else to do if Nami would not be moved. Seeing her troubled expression, Nami finally left off packing and came to sit across from Vivi at the table.

"Do you remember," she began, "when we first met, how we all kept telling you to relax?"

"Yes?" Vivi looked at her friend warily from across a spoonful of oatmeal.

"Well, you still need to work on that," Nami said drily. She went on in a kinder tone, "Just trust us, Vivi. It's going to be all right."

Looking at Nami's calm, unperturbed face, Vivi could see even more clearly how her friend had changed during her long years at Water Seven. Ten years ago Nami would have voiced the same objections, would have demanded answers and explanations with all the lung power she possessed. This new placidity had Luffy's mark all over it, down to the way he used the mantra "It'll be all right" to override all logic and rational objections. And for some reason, Vivi felt herself relax.

She picked up her spoon again with a sigh. "What should I do?"

"Sit tight and be ready," Nami advised. "And if anybody walks by, look like you're still tied up." She pushed back her chair and stood up, brushing some wrinkles out of her skirt. "I have to go," she said apologetically. "Alvida will be wanting me soon. Pack up whatever you think you'll need - don't forget my things too - and I'll be back as soon as I can." Nami ripped off a mock-salute and, without waiting for a reply, went out the door, leaving Vivi alone.

There was nothing to do but what Nami had told her. Vivi finished her breakfast and put the plate and tray under the bedcovers in case someone walked by. She filled up the rest of the knapsacks, carefully wrapping the delicate glass vials of Nami's perfume in handkerchiefs before dropping them into the bag. She brushed out her hair and tried to arrange it so that it would not look as greasy and unwashed as it felt. She listened to the echoes of the lunch gong, and the pounding of eager, hungry feet above her on the deck. She wondered what was for lunch, and if Sanji had prepared any of it. Then, there was nothing left to do. So Vivi waited.

Some minutes after the second rush of shoes above her signaled the end of lunch, Nami slipped back into the room with a satisfied smile on her face. "It won't be long now," she said by way of a greeting. "We just have to listen for the screaming."

Vivi handed her one of the knapsacks. "Whose screaming?" she asked nervously.

"Sanji didn't say," Nami replied cheerfully. "Anybody's, I should guess."

"Listen, I do trust you," Vivi began. She could feel the worry creeping back into her voice, and tried to fight it. "And Nami, I'm so grateful for - for everything. But don't you think this is a rather important thing to know?" She locked eyes with her friend, emphasizing her point.

But Nami just laughed. "It is," she agreed, "but you know how Sanji gets. He's far too pleased with himself right now. You'll never be able to get any sense out -"

She was cut off by a bloodcurdling yell from somewhere above deck.

"Oh! That's our signal!" Nami grabbed Viv's hand and started dragging her towards the door.

"But," Vivi gasped, stumbling along behind, "that's Chopper!"

"I know, isn't that funny? But I expect it'll all work out in the end. Now move!" Hand in very shaky hand, the two of them began to run down the hall.

Earlier...

"Get under this." Sanji shoved Chopper under a wooden crate, in amongst a lot of sacks and old bits of food. "When the time comes," continued the restauranteer-merchant and temporary undercover agent, "Run out the door as fast as you can and head for the aft. Got it?"

"Head for the aft," Chopper repeated. His brow wrinkled slightly as a troubling thought latched ont his mind. "Just one thing, though," he said nervously. "How will I know when it's the right moment?"

Sanji started to stand up. "You'll just know," he reassured Chopper.

"But -" Chopper clutched at Sanji's pant leg desperately. "How will I know?"

His former cook and crewmate and longtime friend sighed. "Trust me, Chopper," Sanji said softly. "You'll just know." He stepped backwards, dropped the crate over Chopper's head, and was gone.

For a few minutes Chopper sat in the dark, trying not to breathe in too much of the dank, old-food smell. It was a bit lonely, not knowing what was going on or really where everyone was, but he was touched by Sanji's confidence in him. Sanji trusted him to 'just know'! That was the kind of intuition Chopper had always associated with cool, confident people like Sanji, and Luffy, and Robin, and Zoro...

Chopper sighed. He hadn't thought about Zoro in a while. Zoro had been good at this sort of thing, of course, knowing just what to do to without being told. Although, Chopper reflected, he had been less good at knowning what direction to do something in. In that respect, at least, Chopper had the advantage. He was going to trust his instincts, he decided, and run out exactly at the right moment, in exactly the right direction. He would do it for Zoro.

No sooner had he finished this mental dedication before the crate above him was flipped back with an explosive clatter. The little doctor leapt to his feet with a cry, barely remembering at the last second to change into his reindeer form.

"I've found him, lads!" shouted an excited, bloodthirsty, and familiar voice.

Chopper gaped up at Sanji's long legs.

There was an answering roar from the other side of the galley, and a rush of boots thudding on wood as the pirate cooks began to head towards Chopper and Sanji. "So that's where the little bastard's been hiding, eh?" one of the pirates yelled.

"Aye!" Sanji roared back. "He'll go wonderful in the stew. There'll be fresh eating tonight, lads!" As he turned around, Chopper caught a glimpse of metal and saw that Sanji was brandishing what appeared to be a very large, very sharp meat cleaver...

Chopper was out from under the crate and legging it towards the door like a shot. He didn't care if it was the right moment, or the wrong moment, or any kind of moment. All he knew was that there were a dozen knife-wielding pirates bent on carving him up for stew, and a two-faced, curly-browed chef was at the head of the gang. Chopper made for the aft deck, screaming.

"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

- - - - -
notes: The angst was too much. I had to throw in some good ol' Chopper action. Sorry this 'story' is so freaking long, but adding Sanji to the mix complicated the plot more than I'd originally thought it would. But...hooray for Sanji? In a non-dysfunctional relationship for once? Next time: 'story' concludes, Alvida returns, plot gets back on "Snow Queen" track, Vivi's luck finally takes a turn for the better.