The bright overhead light in the little doctors office was playing havoc with Kaede's tired eyes, and it was all she could do to hold back that impulsive tongue of hers as chopper continued her physical exam. She hadn't wanted one and had politely declined twice before succumbing to those ridiculously adorable, pleading eyes.

As far as doctors went, Chopper was the most professional and attentive she had ever had the privilege of meeting. He had listened intently as Kaede recollected parts of her and her siblings past, remaining composed when her emotions had forgotten their place within her and slipped free. A compassionate hoof rested gently on her thigh, the occasional offer of tissue paper greatly appreciated as – for the first time in her life – she bared herself so completely.

Fully intending on leaving out anything unnecessary that may have contributed to Akira's current state, Kaede found herself unable to hold back, the years worth of brutal, pent up rage and sorrow that spilled out of her uncontrollably. At times, she could see the small reindeers composure waver ever so as he too struggled with feelings she had unwittingly thrust upon him in her vulnerable state. Now, eyes red and still a little weepy, Kaede was nursing a headache and overwhelming tiredness as the emotional trauma, long forgotten, took its toll on her.

Concluding that she was in perfectly good physical health, considering her past inflictions at the hands of others, chopper held out a little trotter and pulled her to her feet. He had suggested various breathing techniques, meditation and a journal for her obvious anxiety and – now diagnosed – PTSD when she had stubbornly refused his offer of medication. It was sweet really, but given that she had gone this long without she was arrogantly sure she would be okay to continue, or that was the reason she had given him anyway. He wasn't happy about it, but she would much rather take a quick scolding than endure the utter humiliation of admitting verbally that, as long as Ace was with her, Kaede felt she could overcome anything.

'Stop it. He's irritating and arrogant and heinously handsome. We hate him!' Even as she told herself that, Kaede smiled warmly as she remembered how he had traced patterns in her skin earlier that evening.

"Can I ask about Ace?" The doctor asked, cheeks a little pink as he awaited her response. Not sure she even had an answer, Kaede simply raised an eye brow at him. "I mean, you were holding his hand earlier, and he only let you go when he thought you could get hurt." He continued, swaying side to side as he twirled his hooves around one another.

Kaede let herself drop to kneel in front of the doctor, her delicate hand stroking through the fur of his cheek as she contemplated his question, and what answer she could possibly give.

"It's a little more complicated than that, Chopper." Hearing the undertones of hopelessness in her own voice, Kaede inwardly cringed. God, when had she become so pathetic?

"Why's that? I can tell he likes you."

"So can I," She shared a genuine smile with the little reindeer before falling back into her usual, seemingly logical thought process, "but given everything you know now, do you think getting emotionally involved is a wise decision?"

"Well, strictly speaking from a medical point of view, I'd say that opening yourself to new experiences and to the possibility of happiness is a very good thing." The overwhelmingly excited grin, Chopper currently possessed told, Kaede that he meant that also as Ace's friend, possibly hers now too.

She knew with every fiber of her being that he was right, that Koji was right and so was Ace, but her mind wouldn't allow it. There were always feebly thought out excuses and fabricated scenarios that, every time she thought she could, every time she decided she wanted to make her life a thoroughly lived one, would beat her down until she were a trembling mess of haunted memories.

Rendered speechless by the wise beyond his years teen, Kaede smiled and sniffed back what remained of her uncharacteristic openness.

"We should head back, Ace will be worried and I can smell food. That means the others are back." He told her as she unbent herself before him.

"The others? Oh, grand." She said sarcastically, Chopper chuckling at her displeasure as he tugged her gently from the sick bay.

They made their way back to the Galley where, sure enough there were three more Straw Hats, and a humorously tired looking Ace. They sat crowded around the table, laden with steaming plates of food, everything from sushi to spaghetti, and fresh salad. In the centre stood various bottles of alcohol and juice drinks that everyone was happily helping themselves to, Luffy more enthusiastically than the others.

The glorious spread caused her stomach to growl loudly, her mouth salivating as a wide rage of delicious smells graced her senses.

"Oh?" A blonde man muttered, turning away from the table to face her. "Another beautiful lady to feed!" He sang, droplets of blood trickling over his top lip as he bounded towards her. Much like a puppy she noted, side stepping and tripping him as his arms opened expectantly.

"Kaede. Nice to meet you." She stepped carefully over the desperate man now laying face down at her feet.

A booming laugh rang loudly across the small room.

"I told you she broke my nose, Sanji. You'd do well to take it easy around this one."

"And I'd do it again, Fire Fist." She retorted unable to refrain from smiling, only a little at the drowsy freckled man situated before her.

She stood behind his chair for a moment, expecting Ace to introduce her as was – she assumed – the polite thing to do in a situation where one wasn't familiar with everyone in the room. Much to her dismay, however Ace, apparently had more important things to tend to, his greasy hands wrist deep in a plate of assorted meats as he threw daggers at his younger brother. She then expected Robin to jump in, but she was completely absorbed in little Chopper who had dove immediately onto her lap.

"Excuse me, Miss… Kaede, was it?" Turning ever so she locked eyes – or eye sockets – with a skeleton. A very tall, very well dressed skeleton, his boney hand extended elegantly towards her.

"Yes," She answered, a sweet smile gracing her lips as she extended her own hand, "and you are?"

"My name is Brook, and my you are truly a sight to behold."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Brook." He bent to kiss her hand, and that was no easy task for a man of his height considering her five-foot and barely a half self.

"May I ask something of you? If it's not too much trouble that is," The room fell silent "may I… see your panties?"

It took her a moment to completely comprehend what he had asked her, and though she was fully aware the crew behind her were on full alert, expecting this proposition to, perhaps cause a lapse in her calm state, Kaede laughed.

Kaede laughed so hard she feared she may have popped a blood vessel. Not that she couldn't have fixed that.

"Oh my, did I break her?" Came the concerned voice of the gentlemanly stack of bones.

"You know – god… hold – give me a minute." She heaved between bursts of hysteria.

She heard a number of crew members chuckling along. Robin, behind that hand of hers, Nami, not so gracefully and the captain himself. Briefly she caught sight of Ace as she threw her head forward, holding on to the back of his chair for dear life. His smile was beaming, that boy-ish smile that did horrible things to her insides.

"You know," she tried again after calming herself somewhat, "you asked with such courtesy, Skeleton I've half a mind to actually show you."

"You will not."

"Oh my!"

The two responses came simultaneously, shrouded by a new wave of short lived laughter, Brook immediately fainting once the words chattered through his teeth. Kaede wasn't aware skeletons could faint, not that she had been aware that they were even walking talking, ask- to-see-your-panties things mere moments ago.

"He's fine, just give hi – " Chopper began.

"Yohohohohohoho!" He laughed, shooting back into the air as quickly as he had fallen.

Kaede took possession of the chair beside Ace, the whole crew was now seated and enjoying their evening meal, the conversation quickly shifting. She had to admit the atmosphere was something she found lacking in her own life, care free and void of any strenuous emotion. Kaede would give anything to allow herself this. This was what life should be and it was everything hers was not.

Once she had been introduced to the remaining Straw Hat, a quaking man with a sling shot and unfortunate facial structure, Kaede found herself almost completely at ease.

"I don't know where you get off thinking it acceptable to tell me who I can and cannot show my panties to, Fire Fist." Kaede quipped in a hushed voice, side glancing Ace.

The brief smugness she had felt, certain this would make him uncomfortable quickly diminished when his reply came in the form of, not words, but a devilish grin as he slid his arm around her. The rest of the crew seemingly clueless as his fingers worked skillfully, massaging the skin of her lower back. The feel of his finger tips upon her was not something she was unfamiliar with at this point, they had done well to quell her anxieties through this ordeal. What she wasn't used to was them being pressed so firmly into her and the feeling of intimacy the action brought.

Her breath hitched, a barely audible exhale slipping past her lips for Ace's ears only. The freckled man reacted immediately to her minor slip in façade, both physically and emotionally. Kaede could sense it, feel his heart slamming forcefully into his ribcage, his blood flowing hot through his veins. She let her eyes follow the pink hue befalling Ace, from the tips of his ears all the way down to the waist band of his shorts.

The deepest, most sordid parts of her mind wondered what it would be like to delve beneath the material, to take everything he had to offer and revel in it. That one, tiny thought drew unsteady breath from her, and she noticed, Ace too as he watched her hungrily. The mayhem that was meal time on the Sunny fell away around her, leaving only the two of them. Her devil fruit ceased to exist, her own want overriding it as her body reacted in ways it never had before. Rational thought was but a distant memory as she inched toward him, his finger tips increasing pressure encouraging her.

"Uh, are you guys okay?" Luffy asked, his neck snaked around Ace, face jutted awkwardly between them.

Kaede pulled herself rapidly away from temptation, yelping in response to the captains invasion. The room was eerily quiet and she was mortified. She had willingly thrown her inhibitions aside and succumbed to feelings she didn't want. In a stranger filled room at that, with a man she was trying her hardest to dislike.

She was a walking contradiction and an idiot.

"Fine." Ace answered quickly, clearing his throat.

"Yes, fine," Kaede continued, offering a little more in the way of an explanation, "Fire Fist had something in his eye." A feeble attempt she knew.

Luffy contemplated her answer, his dark brows drawing together.

"Was it hard work? You both seemed to be out of bre – "

"Let's clear the table shall we, Captain? "

With that, Luffy groaned, but dragged himself away nonetheless. Kaede shot a grateful look towards Robin, who nodded in response as she ushered some more of them together to help with clean up.

"Shall we fetch Akira?" The ever delightful doctor asked. Kaede nodded her response, still unable to find her words after her most recent social failing.

"Come on," Ace guided her body to stand, turning as he did to address the archeologist, "Robin, are you okay to fill them in while I give Chopper a hand?"

"Of course. We'll meet back here once Akira is comfortable."

Kaede led the way, trailed closely by Ace and Chopper, who had taken on a new form. Heavy point, she believed he had called it. In this form she was sure he wouldn't need Koji's help, or even Ace's in moving her sister. He was huge, he had muscles that bulged like none she has seen before, his arms made Fire Fists look like tooth picks and he was taller too.

'What a peculiar bunch.' She mused as she climbed aboard her own ship, fully expecting what awaited her.

As was suspected on deck stood Koji, arms folded over his chest, expression unamused as she hopped over the railing. His foot tapped impatiently as she came to stand before him.

"Where the hell have you been? I've been worried si – ," his emerald eyes widened, his face overcome with disbelief as he caught site of chopper, "What – who – what is that?!" He stammered, voice higher than that if any young man.

"Mind your manners, Koji," She warned sternly, "this is the very lovely, very talented Doctor Tony Chopper, physician of the Straw Hat Pirates, and he is here to help Akira."

The boy stood silently as his large eyes worked hard to process what he was seeing, his mouth agape and Kaede chuckled inwardly at what his reaction may be to Brook or Franky.

"Koji, introduce yourself, "Ace told him, clapping him hard on the back, "you've got a cyborg, a skeleton and rubber man to meet yet kid, pick your jaw up." He chuckled gesturing for Kaede to lead the way.

~

Kaede paced impatiently outside the sickbay, her nail beds baring the brunt of her frustrations as, Koji sat quietly slumped against the door. Doctor Chopper had insisted on carrying out the physical exam privately to preserve Akira's dignity despite Kaede's not so calm objections. Ace had pulled her kicking and screaming from the room, earning himself a shiny new bruise, and herself one when he had slammed her head into the wall as he slung her away from him.

She deserved it, she knew, and she had taken as good as she had given. Thank god for Koji and Robin, Kaede may have challenged him to a full on fist fight had they not intercepted, and she supposed someone needed to preserve Ace's dignity too.

She couldn't help but to glare at him as he sauntered down the corridor, his heavy boots disturbing her obsessive need to walk, be moving, be doing anything to burn off the adrenaline rolling through her.

"What? You don't like me now because I gave your head a bop?" His expression portrayed seriousness, but his tone was goading.

"I never liked you in the first place, Fire Fist." Kaede bit out, her features contorted to evidently show her disdain.

"Funny," He casually inclined himself against the wall beside Koji, twirling a tooth pick between his fingers, "you seemed to like me just fine over dinner."

Kaede's head snapped around so fast she would have been unsurprised if she had given herself whiplash. Her mind and body worked in accordance in closing the distance between her and the object of her fury, and she would have made it too if Koji had kept to his damn self. His strong arm caught her at the waist, almost propelling her over it and landing her face first on the floor.

Sometimes she forgot just how small she was in comparison to those around her, even her younger brother, lanky and obscenely slender had the advantage over her in terms of brute strength.

"Both of you learn the time and place!" For the first time in her life, Kaede was speechless. Koji's voice was low and uncharacteristically authoritative, his eyes meeting each of theirs, daring them to challenge him. "You are adults are you not? Kaede, "he guided her roughly to stand beside Ace, "you have raised two children, act like it. Ace, " He settled a blazing glare upon the shorter man, "stop – and can't stress this enough – speaking about, looking at and lusting after my sister in my presence. "

Feeling like a scolded child, Kaede said nothing, just folded her arms over her chest and seethed in silence. Chancing a glance to her right she watched Ace, guilty eyes planted firmly on the floor as he scuffed the toe of his boot over the wood.

"Koji, I'm sorry, it won't happen again." Ace, at least sounded sincere in his apology.

Both of the men turned expectant gazes on her. Kaede huffed out a truly poor apology, trying her hardest to mimic Ace's genuineness, and failing spectacularly. She sounded petulant and spoiled.

She could be both of those things, she knew. Kaede was not unaware of her own flaws and her inability to take responsibility sometimes was something she knew she had to work on.

Koji nodded tiredly - probably unwilling to deal with anymore of their shit - and slid back down the door just as Chopper opened it. Tumbling backwards, hands aimlessly scrambling for the door frame as he went, Koji hit the ground with a mighty thud.

"Are you alright? Did you hit your head?" Chopper fussed, coming to stand over the fallen teen.

Rolls of laughter filled the air beyond the door, and Koji glared at the pair, wanting nothing more than to clout them both as the small doctor helped him to his feet.

"No, I'm fine, thank you."

"Why don't you and Kaede come in? We have some things to discuss." Chopper's solemn gaze snapped the trio quickly back into seriousness.

Kaede, well aware she had no right considering her most recent actions, felt blindly for Ace's hand. Her small fingers working between his, a silent plea for comfort to which he readily obliged, giving her a light squeeze.

"I've got you." Barely a whisper, Ace's quiet reassurance urged her into the room.

So sorry this chapter took such a long time to upload!

Life got in the way of this one, but I'm hoping to have the next up sooner.