Chapter 11
As yes... Kate's little error of the name- sorry about that folks. I went to several different websites to try and confirm the correct spelling-
Looks like I went to all the wrong ones ; Or at least three out of the five I went to had it spelt wrong. I suppose I could have just watched the episode where Zoro has his flashback... but I don't have that much free time ( Thank you for all the reviews noting the error- I'll fix that shortly.
To those who do not know what the hell I'm talking about- never mind and just read on my friend! I am also very amazed at the amount responses and reviews I have been getting- All I can say is THANK YOU! And enjoy the next chapter!
-
Nami had left the kitchen swiftly after handing the baby off to the confused and wide-eyed swordsman. In his strong and often times deadly arms, he held the small child as if he was almost afraid of breaking him. It wasn't too long till the man relaxed a bit as the baby pulled at his off white shirt while it continued to murmur in it's baby jargon. Apparently, the black bandana that adorned his arm above the elbow possessed a special attraction to the child.
After a few minutes of uncharacteristic silence from the usually bickering men, Sanji finished chopping the vegetables for the stew. Transferring them over to a pot on the stove, Sanji smiled seeing the baby gurgle happily in the other man's arms off to the side.
"You do know once we get to this island, you'll have to give him up." Zoro finally said breaking the silence in the room with his deep voice. Shifting the baby so it was no longer drooling all over his shirt, Zoro looked up and over to the silent cook. Another silence hung in the air as his statement mulled inside Sanji's head. Neither knew what to say, and Sanji just remained silent knowing that Zoro's eyes were staring at the back of his head.
"So what do you intend to do?" The pirate hunter questioned and finally got the cook to stop mixing and stirring or whatever the cook had busied himself with doing. With a sigh, Sanji turned and looked Zoro straight in the eyes.
"I'm a little concerned. Usually you do not give a damn about others, especially me. So why now all the concern?"
"You forget that this does concern me... you can't raise a baby on a ship... especially this ship- it's not fair to you and it's not fair to him." Zoro said motioning to the innocently playing baby.
"I know." Sanji said quickly. 'God what I wouldn't give for a pack of smokes right now...' He mumbled to himself becoming fidgety without his stress relievers. His Nami-san had confiscated them at the moment saying that it was a dirty habit and especially harmful to children. "I realize that and I just want to have a relationship with my son, if he really is..."
"So you're not even sure?"
"I don't know. I'm struggling to accept all this too you know." Sanji said before returning to stir the stew.
"Does she know all this?" Zoro continued as he thought of having to deal with an even bitchier Nami after they left the baby behind on Niku Island because she had become attached to it. Zoro knew that women could be tricky and very emotional creatures... especially around babies. Nami was a woman after all, and she did seem to have a strong bond with this child already.
"We've not yet talked about it... but..."
"You dumb ass cook!" Zoro began. "Why did both of you become so attached to it?"
"Because it's a child Zoro. Yuiko's not an 'it.' He cries, he feels, he sleeps and all he wants and needs is a family."
"But you're going to have to deal with giving him up and soon. Don't get too attached." That had been Zoro's motto; he stuck with that saying for the majority of his life and he was doing fine so far.
The kitchen once again returned to the silence of before. However this time a tension was building like normally would when the two fighters squared off. It was then that Nami returned. Entering the room, she had not left but a moment ago and found the two men sitting in a brooding silence. Zoro surely did not look happy, but then again did he ever? At lest the baby was all right.
"We're about a good four days out." Nami smiled as she sat down on the bench next to Zoro and began to play with the baby. Taking one of her own handkerchiefs out of her short skirt pocket, she wiped the water that ran from the baby's mouth.
"Here." Zoro handed her Yuiko back and looked harshly back over to the blonde cook. "I got things I need to do." He muttered as he left the kitchen.
"Ah, did you scare Uncle Zoro off?" Nami cooed and smiled widely at the baby. This only got a large toothless grin from the baby as his clubby little hands clapped together. Nami resituated the baby comfortably on her lap once again and wrapped her arms around little Yuiko.
"Luffy's excited about getting this so called mountain of meat. I can't believe we're going on such a side tracked adventure." She mentioned almost wanting to get a conversations going. It was awkward having some of these long periods of silence. Moreover, she wanted to know what exactly the two had discussed. There was obvious tension in the room when she returned- more so than usual.
"Nami-san..."Sanji began sounding serious and a little bit scared almost. "Nami-san, I...I want to thank you for helping with Yuiko and everything..."
"It's alright Sanji-kun. I don't actually mind it so much...in fact I kind of enjoy it at times- having someone to look out after... family..."
"It's not that... it's not that I don't like you helping me with this new responsibility, but I can't help but worry about his well being..." He started out vaguely. In his mind he knew what he wanted to tell her, however being able to verbalize it was another. He could see by the look on her face she was lost.
"Sanji-kun, what are you talking about?" She asked not wanting to fully meet his eyes.
"I can't keep him here to grow up onboard the Going Merry." Sanji sighed trying to get right to the point. "And I want to be a part of his life..."
"Sanji?"
"I know I need more time to think this through, but I was actually thinking of lea..." Sanji was about to continue on trying to explain himself and his mess of emotions he would rather have not brought into the open. Over the last two days, Sanji had run the gamut of emotions and new experiences. They had brought some of the happiest and most emotionally wracking ones of his life.
However, before he could even finish his thought, the couple in the kitchen became interrupted once again. This time the interruptions came from Sanji's two most frequent customers on the small pirate ship.
The noise that the rubber man and the long nosed liar made as they both tried to enter the small doorway was hilarious, well at least to a little baby it was.
"What are you idiots doing? Supper is not done yet." Sanji changed topics effortlessly turning his gaze away from Nami and towards the people stuck in his kitchen's doorway. The cook and navigator could only shake their heads at their pathetic crewmates. At times the two of them acted like little kids, not too much older than Yuiko.
Once the two finally figured a way into the kitchen, the duo went straight for the little baby happily amused with all the confusion and commotion of the room.
"I made him the best toy ever!" Ussop beamed proudly. "The great Captain Ussop does it again! Another masterpiece!"
"It's really really cool! Come on Nami!" Luffy grinned taking off his hat and placing it on Nami's head for safekeeping, as he had done numerous times in the past. "Sanji Jr. is going to love this!" The rubber man said slipping the baby out of Nami's arms. The baby squealed with delight as he was put to sit on Luffy's shoulders, resting between the back of Luffy's head and a strong arms holding the baby in place as they ran out of the room and jumped over the railing to the front of the ship.
"WEEEE!" Luffy laughed as Ussop scrambled to catch up and meet the captain on deck.
Nami smiled at Luffy's excitement. The baby seemed to enjoy it as well. Looking up at Sanji, he gave her a nod that told her to check out whatever the new device was. Nami also knew that look meant they would continue their conversation later, because it was far from over...
As yes... Kate's little error of the name- sorry about that folks. I went to several different websites to try and confirm the correct spelling-
Looks like I went to all the wrong ones ; Or at least three out of the five I went to had it spelt wrong. I suppose I could have just watched the episode where Zoro has his flashback... but I don't have that much free time ( Thank you for all the reviews noting the error- I'll fix that shortly.
To those who do not know what the hell I'm talking about- never mind and just read on my friend! I am also very amazed at the amount responses and reviews I have been getting- All I can say is THANK YOU! And enjoy the next chapter!
-
Nami had left the kitchen swiftly after handing the baby off to the confused and wide-eyed swordsman. In his strong and often times deadly arms, he held the small child as if he was almost afraid of breaking him. It wasn't too long till the man relaxed a bit as the baby pulled at his off white shirt while it continued to murmur in it's baby jargon. Apparently, the black bandana that adorned his arm above the elbow possessed a special attraction to the child.
After a few minutes of uncharacteristic silence from the usually bickering men, Sanji finished chopping the vegetables for the stew. Transferring them over to a pot on the stove, Sanji smiled seeing the baby gurgle happily in the other man's arms off to the side.
"You do know once we get to this island, you'll have to give him up." Zoro finally said breaking the silence in the room with his deep voice. Shifting the baby so it was no longer drooling all over his shirt, Zoro looked up and over to the silent cook. Another silence hung in the air as his statement mulled inside Sanji's head. Neither knew what to say, and Sanji just remained silent knowing that Zoro's eyes were staring at the back of his head.
"So what do you intend to do?" The pirate hunter questioned and finally got the cook to stop mixing and stirring or whatever the cook had busied himself with doing. With a sigh, Sanji turned and looked Zoro straight in the eyes.
"I'm a little concerned. Usually you do not give a damn about others, especially me. So why now all the concern?"
"You forget that this does concern me... you can't raise a baby on a ship... especially this ship- it's not fair to you and it's not fair to him." Zoro said motioning to the innocently playing baby.
"I know." Sanji said quickly. 'God what I wouldn't give for a pack of smokes right now...' He mumbled to himself becoming fidgety without his stress relievers. His Nami-san had confiscated them at the moment saying that it was a dirty habit and especially harmful to children. "I realize that and I just want to have a relationship with my son, if he really is..."
"So you're not even sure?"
"I don't know. I'm struggling to accept all this too you know." Sanji said before returning to stir the stew.
"Does she know all this?" Zoro continued as he thought of having to deal with an even bitchier Nami after they left the baby behind on Niku Island because she had become attached to it. Zoro knew that women could be tricky and very emotional creatures... especially around babies. Nami was a woman after all, and she did seem to have a strong bond with this child already.
"We've not yet talked about it... but..."
"You dumb ass cook!" Zoro began. "Why did both of you become so attached to it?"
"Because it's a child Zoro. Yuiko's not an 'it.' He cries, he feels, he sleeps and all he wants and needs is a family."
"But you're going to have to deal with giving him up and soon. Don't get too attached." That had been Zoro's motto; he stuck with that saying for the majority of his life and he was doing fine so far.
The kitchen once again returned to the silence of before. However this time a tension was building like normally would when the two fighters squared off. It was then that Nami returned. Entering the room, she had not left but a moment ago and found the two men sitting in a brooding silence. Zoro surely did not look happy, but then again did he ever? At lest the baby was all right.
"We're about a good four days out." Nami smiled as she sat down on the bench next to Zoro and began to play with the baby. Taking one of her own handkerchiefs out of her short skirt pocket, she wiped the water that ran from the baby's mouth.
"Here." Zoro handed her Yuiko back and looked harshly back over to the blonde cook. "I got things I need to do." He muttered as he left the kitchen.
"Ah, did you scare Uncle Zoro off?" Nami cooed and smiled widely at the baby. This only got a large toothless grin from the baby as his clubby little hands clapped together. Nami resituated the baby comfortably on her lap once again and wrapped her arms around little Yuiko.
"Luffy's excited about getting this so called mountain of meat. I can't believe we're going on such a side tracked adventure." She mentioned almost wanting to get a conversations going. It was awkward having some of these long periods of silence. Moreover, she wanted to know what exactly the two had discussed. There was obvious tension in the room when she returned- more so than usual.
"Nami-san..."Sanji began sounding serious and a little bit scared almost. "Nami-san, I...I want to thank you for helping with Yuiko and everything..."
"It's alright Sanji-kun. I don't actually mind it so much...in fact I kind of enjoy it at times- having someone to look out after... family..."
"It's not that... it's not that I don't like you helping me with this new responsibility, but I can't help but worry about his well being..." He started out vaguely. In his mind he knew what he wanted to tell her, however being able to verbalize it was another. He could see by the look on her face she was lost.
"Sanji-kun, what are you talking about?" She asked not wanting to fully meet his eyes.
"I can't keep him here to grow up onboard the Going Merry." Sanji sighed trying to get right to the point. "And I want to be a part of his life..."
"Sanji?"
"I know I need more time to think this through, but I was actually thinking of lea..." Sanji was about to continue on trying to explain himself and his mess of emotions he would rather have not brought into the open. Over the last two days, Sanji had run the gamut of emotions and new experiences. They had brought some of the happiest and most emotionally wracking ones of his life.
However, before he could even finish his thought, the couple in the kitchen became interrupted once again. This time the interruptions came from Sanji's two most frequent customers on the small pirate ship.
The noise that the rubber man and the long nosed liar made as they both tried to enter the small doorway was hilarious, well at least to a little baby it was.
"What are you idiots doing? Supper is not done yet." Sanji changed topics effortlessly turning his gaze away from Nami and towards the people stuck in his kitchen's doorway. The cook and navigator could only shake their heads at their pathetic crewmates. At times the two of them acted like little kids, not too much older than Yuiko.
Once the two finally figured a way into the kitchen, the duo went straight for the little baby happily amused with all the confusion and commotion of the room.
"I made him the best toy ever!" Ussop beamed proudly. "The great Captain Ussop does it again! Another masterpiece!"
"It's really really cool! Come on Nami!" Luffy grinned taking off his hat and placing it on Nami's head for safekeeping, as he had done numerous times in the past. "Sanji Jr. is going to love this!" The rubber man said slipping the baby out of Nami's arms. The baby squealed with delight as he was put to sit on Luffy's shoulders, resting between the back of Luffy's head and a strong arms holding the baby in place as they ran out of the room and jumped over the railing to the front of the ship.
"WEEEE!" Luffy laughed as Ussop scrambled to catch up and meet the captain on deck.
Nami smiled at Luffy's excitement. The baby seemed to enjoy it as well. Looking up at Sanji, he gave her a nod that told her to check out whatever the new device was. Nami also knew that look meant they would continue their conversation later, because it was far from over...