Free Heart

Ch 95 - I am In Charge

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Every click from the small alarm clock on a barrel near the hammocks seemed to echo in Emmy's heavily beating heart. She knelt with her back turned to it while in the middle of folding clothes and packing everyone's things in preparation for the inevitable. It had been awhile since she turned to look at the time but she already knew that they had an hour left when Sanji came into the room with Chopper at his side.

"Emmy-chan," Sanji said gently as he stuffed his hands in his trouser pockets, "I've gotten the basic necessity of what we could take from the pantry and the kitchen."

"And I have all my medical supplies ready," Chopper chimed in, "So we can help you with the rest of our stuff."

"It's fine..." Emmy said while folding a brown winter jacket with fur around it's collar and then placing it neatly on top of one of many stacks that surrounded her like a fort of fabric.

Sanji's brow lifted at sight of the coat but said nothing.

Of course she would go ahead and organize Usopp's things too, he thought with a mental shake of his head.

"D-Do we really have to leave?" Chopper asked in almost a whisper.

"Yes," Emmy said, beating Sanji to the punch. She looked up from her work and rested her hands in her lap, "Luffy has already decided that we would need to get a new ship and even if Usopp beats Luffy in the duel, he would be the new owner of Merry-san so we would have to leave anyways."

"That idiot," Sanji couldn't help but growl as he raked his hand through his hair, "I cannot believe he would actually challenge Luffy to a duel."

"I do," Emmy said and to the cook's surprise, she let out a small smile, "He cares about Merry-san enough to fight for her...even when he knows he can't win against Luffy."

"Are you saying you agree with him?" Chopper gasped, "Are you leaving the crew too?!"

Emmy opened her mouth but this time, it was the cook's turn to answer first.

"No, Chopper. She just understands why he's doing it...And why Luffy is doing what he's doing too," Sanji replied, "That's the thing about being an empath, isn't it Emmy-chan? You can see both sides."

"I can feel them," Emmy corrected, "Or at least, I could..."

Her smile vanished and she went back to her folding. "I can't...I can't seem to figure out how Usopp was able to break our bond. I know it wasn't because he was angry at me. I know it. There have been times when each of you have been angry with me, very angry, — not you two, I'm talking about the rest of the group — and yet, it never broke or weakened our bond....If only I could ask him what he was thinking at that time. What did he feel that triggered our bond to break?"

"Give him some time and maybe you can ask him when everyone's heads have cooled," Sanji said with much more hope and encouragement than they both knew he actually felt.

"I wish Robin would return soon so I can discuss this with her — ," Emmy started to sigh and then she looked sharply at the two people in front of her with the unmistakable guilt in their hearts, "What? What's wrong?"

"We...actually came down to talk to you about Robin-chan," Sanji sighed as Chopper hung his head in shame, "At first, we didn't mention it to you because you were in such a delicate stage, first emotionally and then physically, Emmy-chan....but now that you are better and...we will have to leave the ship soon...There is no point in delaying it any further."

Emmy scrambled to her feet and yet, despite her haste and panic, she managed to avoid knocking down any of the organized piles around her. "What's happened to Robin? Is she in trouble?"