Author's Note: Hello again~ ^^ First I want to take this moment and give a big "thank you" too all of my reviewers:
fmdevil - my very dear first reviewer, your words are a source of incredible encouragement to me! It was unexpected to have someone review my story on the first day of its posting! =] Thank you very much for your support!
StrangelyEnough - hahah thank you for your words of encouragement~ =] I'll try my best to keep up with the rate. And the last thing I want to do is to abandon a story.. =] so no need to worry ^^
KimuraMinami - wahahaha~~~ Thank you for sticking and reading the entire chapter even when you found out it's an AU story~ (I mean.. really? I didn't state it's an AU story? XP)
Ahh yes, did I forget to say this is an AU story? *ahem* Something would be important to the readers, haha~ Well there you are, second chapter of Unforgiven Time~ Enjoy =]
Disclaimer: I mean seriously, I don't own any characters from One Piece, and if I did, to say I would be overjoyed is an understatement, lol.
Chapter 2
While drying her hair with a towel, Nojiko stepped out of the shower. She paused as she thought she heard sound from the television in the living room, and sighed.
"What happened this time, Nami?" Nojiko asked as she walked into the living room. Nami was lying on the couch, flipping through the channels on TV. Her expression is hard to read in the dim room, with only lights shining from the television.
Nami shrugged, and said, "I quit."
Nojiko raised her eyebrows in the calmness of Nami's tone, "What do you mean… you quit? It took you a while to find such a job, don't say it as if it was none of your business!"
Nami tensed, and suddenly turned off the television. The room returned to darkness.
After a while, she said in a low but firm voice, "I don't need charity."
Then followed by silence.
Nojiko flicked on the living room light, and sat herself down beside Nami.
She pondered on what would be the best thing to say at this moment, and decided on asking, "Would you like to move back here and stay with me in the mean while?"
Nami lowered her head, and shook her head, "I have an interview set up for tomorrow at news centre."
Nojiko smiled, "Ah, efficiency."
Her smile disappeared when she sense the silence from Nami sinking deeper.
"He's ... just trying to help." Nojiko said in a quiet voice.
Nami leaned closer to Nojiko, and rested her head on her sister's shoulder while curling herself into a tight ball, "…. Nojiko, what should I do…. It's been 6 months… I can't help but miss him.."
Nojiko sighed as she felt her shoulder slowly getting wet.
She patted on Nami's head and said no more.
~*~
Nami took a deep breath as she looked up at the tall glassy building in front of her.
"This is not charity, but a friend of mine is looking for an assistant. This is his card, go talk to him tomorrow before your interview."
She remembered what Nojiko said last night before they went to bed. She looked down at the card Nojiko gave her, and whispered to herself… "… News media… eh?"
As if made a decision, Nami drew a confident smile on her face, and took her first step towards the reception. In a friendly and professional voice, she requested, "Excuse me. I have an appointment with Chief Editor Sanji at 10am this morning, could you please lead the way?"
~*~
When Usopp parked the car in front of the mansion, he had a glance of a little figure rushing through the front door and couldn't help but to smile to himself.
And as he expected, as soon as a servant greeted him when he stepped into the house, he heard loud arguing voices coming front up the stairs.
"Zoro! You can't escape from me!" A young voice called with concern and anger.
"Ahh, I said I'm fine! Don't you have a hospital to run?" Zoro made his way down the stairs while buttoning up his shirt with his blazer hooked on his left arm. Ignoring the person following him, he nodded to Usopp as his greeting.
The person tumbling down the stairs behind Zoro threw at him a copy of the newspaper, "Mr. Zoro, it reads 'Extreme fight between the 2 west gangs, resulting 15 injured, and 1 dead'. Now tell me you were not part of it last night."
Zoro paused to reach for the breakfast that's ready for him on the table, and simply replied, "I was."
Before the young man could get angrier, a soft voice behind him giggled and said, "Dr. Chopper, please relax, you can't change him."
Chopper only sighed before he pulled a chair and slumped himself down, feeling defeated he said, "When are you going to be able to take care of yourself, my young master?"
Usopp placed a hand on Chopper's shoulder and only smiled.
Robin giggled again as he watched Zoro wolfed down his breakfast, "And I thought you have that all figured out with growing up with the man, doctor."
Chopper frowned, "He has been good for the past two years, and I thought things would change…" But his voice drifted off, as everyone's expression begin to change. He bit his lips as he caught himself with saying things that he shouldn't have said.
In the past two years, things were different. Zoro was usually companied by another person to the hospital.
Zoro stood up from his seats expressionless, and walked towards the front door.
"I'm heading to the company."
Usopp took that as his cue to follow. Before he left he shook his head at Chopper with sympathy.
In the car, Usopp glanced at his young master sitting in the backseat. He was looking outside the window, seemed to be deep in thought.
"Sir, master Mihawk wishes to see you this morning."
Zoro's expression hardened with the mentioning of Mihawk's name, and nodded his approval without words.
I need to shed a tear of joy for anyone who finished reading this chapter. My apologies for not having much action in this chapter for explanation.
My goal is to have an update weekly.
Your words are my source of encouragement~ So please take a moment or two to drop me a line =]
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