Wow! Such great reviews! Thank you so much!

I'm surprised by how many SanjixLaw shippers there are out there. It's almost like you readers would rather read a fic about them! Sorry to disappoint you though, Sanji and Law are not a thing in this story, they are just good friends. Good, platonic friends. There are other, more flamboyant characters out there that are more to Law's liking. I will leave you to speculate on that. :) Enjoy.

Notes: In answer to a few questions: Law's reference to "Dead Day" means the day the zombie virus/plague started, or at least, the day it was first documented. It has been 185 days since then, as stated in the first chapter. Also, no, the rare amino deficiency Zoro has that makes his hair seem green does not exist. I made that shit up.

Chapter 4

Pocketing the pad of paper Sanji turned to head back into the store room. He pulled a box from the shelf and after making a note on the clipboard, brought it out and passed Zoro to head towards the front of the kitchen. He took a tall small kettle from a shelf and filled it with water before setting it on a small campground gas grill. After flicking the switch he pulled the notepad from his pocket again.

Coffee or tea?

Zoro smirked, "Whiskey."

Sanji grinned and scribbled furiously.

Agreed. But not until you're assigned a bunk, a job, and you've seen our doctor.

"Why do I need to see your doctor? I'm not sick."

Sanji rolled his eyes. Rules.

Zoro shrugged, "Whatever. I don't have anything that can't be cured with a little soap."

Smiling, Sanji pulled a container down from the shelf above them and retrieved a small packet. He then grabbed a mug from the rack behind them. He emptied the packet's contents into the mug, and filled it with a small amount of hot water from the kettle. After crushing and stirring the mixture with a spoon, he filled the mug the rest of the way and handed it to Zoro.

Mildly surprised, Zoro took the mug and brought it to his lips. He breathed in that familiar, earthy, aroma before taking a sip. He let it sink in. That warmth, that soothing taste of roasted bean attacked his taste buds causing a shiver to roll pleasantly down his back.

"Wow," Zoro murmured, "I haven't had coffee in... a long time."

He downed another swallow, uncaring that it burned his tongue and the roof of his mouth. He watched absently as Sanji opened the box he had brought from the store room and milled about adding powder and sugar and some kind of extracts to the mixture. His hands moved with such a precision, such knowing and care to the craft that when the realization hit Zoro it seemed almost stupidly obvious.

Sanji was a cook.

That's why he cared so much about the food. That's why he was so attentive with the recording of the supplies. It was why he seemed so at home in the kitchen, and why this coffee was the best damn thing Zoro had ever tasted.

He did not ask questions as Sanji worked, and said nothing as Sanji took his empty mug and placed it in the sink. He followed without a word as Sanji took the kettle, a clean mug, and another spoon and stepped back out to the outside. The blond headed in the direction of the church and Zoro followed like an obedient dog. It couldn't be helped though, not only had Sanji given him coffee, but he had also alluded to the fact that there was whiskey. Zoro was resigned to do whatever his new friend wanted him to do if it meant there was a chance he would be given alcohol.

The company was not at all unpleasant either.

The church's sanctuary was empty. There were none of the classic rows of pews and no pulpit for the pastor or priest to stand. The religious paraphernalia had been removed, for the most part, and the entire area smelled faintly of lemons and disinfectant. Sanji led him through to the back and opened a door labeled "Offices". Down a short hallway and to the left, Sanji slowed and rapped his knuckles on a large wooden door standing wide open.

"Come in," said a light, but still obviously male, voice.

Sanji motioned Zoro to follow and entered the office. Sitting behind a wide desk was a young man with curly brown hair and large, brown eyes. He smiled wide when they entered.

"Hi Sanji!" he said brightly, "Who's this?"

Sanji set down the kettle and made a few small motions with his hand.

"Zoro?" he stood and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Chopper. I'm one of the doctors here."

Zoro raised an eyebrow as they shook hands, "Hey."

Chopper made another small gesture to Sanji, and the blond nodded. It took Zoro only a moment to realize what they were doing. He should have guessed that Sanji would know something like sign language. It was just another something to add to the list of things that made Sanji different and extremely interesting.

"He says you saved his team," Chopper said, not bothering to hide is awe.

Zoro shrugged. "I just lowered a ladder for them, that's all."

Sanji might have sniggered and Chopper eyed the cook with a small smirk, "You're right."

"Right about what?" Zoro asked.

"Nothing," Chopper shook his head, "So, rules are if you're here, I have to examine you."

Zoro might have tightened his grip on his bag. Just a little.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Twenty-six," Chopper said as he moved to a filing cabinet along the back wall, "I know I look pretty young but imagine what people were thinking when I was practicing at twenty."

"Shit," Zoro hadn't meant to be so crass, but that was impressive.

"Are you going to be staying?" Chopper asked as he opened a drawer and pulled out a thin, green folder.

"Uh, I don't know. Maybe a little while?"

Chopper nodded as he came back to the desk. "That's good, we can always use another set of strong hands—woa, Sanji what is this?" The doctor's eyes widened as Sanji pressed a mug of something steaming and sweet-smelling into his hands. Chopper sniffed at it and took a small sip. "Holy shit… oh my God, Sanji, is this chocolate!?"

Zoro glanced at Sanji who was smiling softly behind his fringe of blond hair. The cook left the kettle on the desk and moved out of the office. He made himself comfortable in one of the chairs in the hallway and rested one ankle on the knee of the opposite leg. He saluted Zoro before settling back and closing his eyes.

"Oh wow…" Chopper's eyes fluttered closed as he blew on the hot drink and took another careful sip. "Oh my gosh, okay hold on, I just need a moment."

Zoro took another glance at Sanji who might have been hiding half of a satisfied smirk underneath his scarf.

"Thank you, Sanji!" Chopper exclaimed before he returned his attention to his patient. "Okay now you, Zoro, close the door and take off your jacket. Oh wow, do you have some kind of phaeomelanin mutation?"

An hour later, after being poked and prod and basically manhandled by the pushy doctor half his size, Zoro was released. As he strapped his sword to his back and pulled his pack on, Chopper opened the door and ushered him out with a sweet smile and instructions to bathe. When the door closed he turned to Sanji.

"He's a… firecracker."

Sanji showed off perfectly white teeth as he nodded, then he rubbed at his eyes and pulled himself slowly to his feet. The notepad came out of his pocket and he scribbled a few words before he flipped it around to show Zoro.

Gotta find you a bunk before I make dinner.

Zoro nodded, "And a shower, doctor's orders."

TBC