Chapter Five
With a groan, Ashley stretched till her bones made a satisfying crack. The chill of the morning seeped into her clothes sending shivers through her body so she dived back into the sheets promising herself just another five minutes of warmth. Five easily turned into ten and then into twenty. Time has no meaning to those who have no objectives and squandering it has long became Ashley's favorite habit. Her days went as if in slow motion since she took her sweet time doing even the most meager tasks.
Nonetheless, today wasn't like any other. She had to make sure the pirates left, fix the guardian stone and tighten the defenses of her island. After turning over two times, Ashley took off her cover all at once, letting the cold in. A torturous but effective way to snap out of her doziness. However, Ashley can vouch that nothing was more effective than waking up in a strange place as, more than sleepiness, she could feel her soul leaving her body.
The cold seeped through her bones and they rattled inside her body. Her breathing become no more than gasps as she watched the wooden walls sway onward and then backward like angry snakes. They squeak and groan as if speaking a language of their own.
Ashley's panic went up, up, up until it reached its climax and she let a harrowing scream along with a surge of unchecked magic. The room groaned louder as if in pain when its walls cracked and splintered. By the end of her scream, her throat burned as well as every inch of her body. Her panic attack, however, seemed persisting as she could hear distort voices of footsteps, mixed with a whisper of buzzing and hissing, sometimes getting nearer and other times moving farther.
As she sat there confused, pained and on verge of passing out, the door opened with a loud bang. Someone pried her hand off her neck, which she clawed at unconsciously, and held it tightly. He called her name over and over again while asking her to look at him and to 'breathe yoi, breathe'. The panic attack lasted only ten minutes. Ten minutes that in her mind had stretched into hours.
"We're here yoi," Marco repeated while rubbing her back, "Everything is going to be okay."
"The problem is you're here," Ashley ground through clenched teeth, she dislodged their linked hands and jumped on him. They both dropped on the floor with Ashley straddling him. "Goddamn it all!" She screamed, hands balled into fists. "Where. Am. I?" Each word was followed with a punch that only hurt her joints.
His crewmates, filling the doorway, wished to intervene but with a gesture from Marco they stopped dead in their tracks. He didn't want to risk her having another panic attack, she was hurting and frightened as it was.
"On our main ship, yoi," he said, easily catching both of her fists in a loose grip, "The Moby Dick."
"Why?" She mumbled while fighting back her tears, "WHY?!" She repeated but this time the single word sounded so raw, it has no doubt burned its way up her hoarse, pained throat.
"That's for Pops to explain," Marco said after he noted that his grip on her hands was the only thing holding her upright so he assumed that the walk to the Deck could perhaps sooth her anxiety little.
"Oh God, I'm going to be sick," Ashley whispered. Her stomach roiled and revolted and as soon as she tested acid, she bounced off Marco with all the strength she had left. She stumbled out of the room, barely making it out by pushing the crowd.
She leaned against the wall of the hallway and dry heaved several times as tears burned at the corners of her eyes. Her body contracted then expanded again and again sending her nerves into a frenzy. Ashley could vaguely hear Marco's request for his crewmates to clear the hallway and for someone to bring water. "Take me to him," she hissed once her body stabilized.
Looking at the her determined eyes, Marco opted against pressing her to rest first. He nodded and made to help her get up, only for his hand to get swatted away. He sighed, thinking that this one was as stubborn as they come. "Way to go Pops," he mumbled before adding "follow me, yoi."
Her room was located just one level below Deck, so it normally won't take long to reach the Captain's seat but Marco moved slowly to match Ashley's wobbly stroll. No one approached them as Marco stopped all the ones who tried with a shake of his head and Ashley, none the wiser, kept her eyes glued on his sandals. She only looked up when the wind mischievously ruffled her hair and clothes. At last, they reach the Deck.
The cold breeze doused her feverish nerves and skin and she let a small sigh of relief. Even though she had nowhere to run, being in the open lessened her feeling of captivity.
"Aaaaash-ley!" Someone called from far away, his voice ominously bounced and echoed. Ashley couldn't tell who it was but the man was fast approaching. He made a racket by bumping into some of his crewmates and pushing others. Nothing seemed to be able to stop him as even though he tripped over a broom he got up with a nosebleed and kept running her way.
Marco almost had eyes paralysis from all the winking he did. His 'back off' signals couldn't get more obvious as he shook his head like a bobblehead figurine, crossed his index fingers in 'x' shape and even lighted his fire to read 'stop' but he was completely ignored.
When the pirate reached an arm-length distance from Ashley, she easily recognized him by his trademark stitched scar around his left eye that looked like a waxing crescent moon. Oh, here came the man, who even after he dies and reincarnates as a wild dog, she would be able to recognize. Thatch. The man who wrecked her otherwise peaceful life.
"My Love!" He cried. Ashley flinched. Thatch surged forward with open arms and pursed lips. However, before he had the chance to hug her, a ten size sandal stomped right on his face.
"This is not the time for your shenanigans," Marco said as he exerted more force on his foot, effectively bringing his brother to his knees, "So keep it down yoi."
"I'm Sow'ry," Thatch managed to brokenly say but, right when Marco removed his foot, he added "Birdbrain." which started a fight…or what looked like an unrequited bashing done by Marco's sandals with Thatch screaming that if he wasn't injured he would've cook him Medium Rare.
Ashley sighed. There goes her escort.
Though she soon discovered that she didn't need one anymore because when she peeked behind the main mast she could easily see Whitebeard sitting on what could only be called a throne with a big beer pint on one hand and gaggles of nurses surrounding him. He looked bored, with legs crossed and one hand under his cheek.
Ashley approached him while wondering how can someone who have medical tubes all over his body still look so powerful.
When Whitebeard spotted her, his eyes shone and he straightened his pose. "Ah, you're finally awake," he said, "you've missed breakfast, but Thatch can fix you something."
In her way to meet Whitebeard, Ashley visualized how their conversations will go and prepared for each of his hypothetical bullshit, an answer of her own. But the moment he smiled, the moment his harsh features softened, she mentally backtracked. The terrifying pirate she met at the island was long gone to be replaced with a warm-hearted person. His genuine demeanor sapped the fight out of her and she decided not to throw a nasty tantrum just yet.
"Why am I here?" She asked as calmly as she could manage, "What have you done to my pack?"
"No harm is done, I give you my word," he said, but how could she trust the oath of a stranger? They say a man's word is his honor and honor is perceived through his conducts and what have this man done? He kidnapped her! So what honor was there to find?
"Grey said that he always dreamed to be an alpha," Namur relayed the wolf's words when he saw mistrust clear on Ashley's face, "for eight years, you have monopolized his rightful position and now, with you gone, he can have it back.," watching her eyes go round he continued, "he also said that all is on good time since his mate, Sierra, is pupped."
She had to believe him then since they knew too much and she got a little bit sidetracked by the happy news. Alpha or not, it was but a title. What she wanted the most now was to return to her island before Sierra give birth to her pups. She wanted to be there for her.
"Then what about Loki?" This came as an afterthought since she knew the cat has an impeccable sense of self-preservation. "He's an asshole, well I guess most cats are," she said, "but I believe he won't gave me up without a fight," if only because she was technically his slave. She feed him anytime he demand it, even at 4a.m. He let her rub his fur when, and only when, he bestow his grace on her, otherwise she got scratched. He ignore her most of the time, but never when she calls him 'My lord'.
The answer to her question came in the form of an irritated mewl and Ashley turned to see Loki snuggled into Izou's arms. He has a red bow around his neck and she could swear he looked chubbier.
"Now, for the reason why you're here," Whitebeard said after he quaffed a pint of beer, "isn't it obvious?" He twirled the empty pint in his hand with a smirk of a trickster, "It's because I like you."
"Oi! Don't say it like that!" Izou, Vista and Marco screamed at the same time, which was shortly followed by Ashley's cry of outrage.
"YOU BEAST!" She cried and her magic rebelled once more. Like a child defending its mother, it snatched whatever it found and throw it Whitebeard's way. Brooms, barrels, it even tried to wrestle Curiel's bazooka out of his hand.
The poor commander find anything paranormal spooky and the moment he had his bazooka back, he sprinted down below decks mumbling 'Fuck this shit.'
"My pops is my love rival y'all!" Thatch had to add his two cents otherwise he wouldn't be Thatch. He wailed as if he just experienced a devastating emotional trauma.
As if dismissing mosquitoes, Whitebeard swatted away whatever came his way while laughing. He then grabbed a flying barrel of beer, popped it open and took a long swig. "I want you to join our crew," he said at last, "our family," he added, this time earnestly, "to be my daughter."
Hey everyone! Hope you guys are doing well. Thank you for taking time out of your day and reading this Fanfiction.
For some reason this chapter has giving me major headaches. Hopefully, Ashley's reaction to waking up in a strange place is relatable.
A special thanks to all the people who Followed/Favored this fanfiction. Your support is appreciated!
thnvnc : Thank you so much sweetie 3. When I write I'm always telling myself to hurry up because you're waiting :'D So, what do you like or dislike about this chapter? And I'm curious about who is your favorite Whitebeard pirate?
Have a blessed day everyone ! (๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑)