A/N: I don't know about ya'll but every time I read over this piece, I grin like a fool. I love Riza and Shanks, so much! -cough- Riza does something -cough- Mark -cough, cough- stupid and something else -cough-. Man, there's been something going around! P.S. This will be a fairly long chapter? Maybe not the longest but a good bit.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Dr. Goldeneye Riza stepped out of the OR with an old heaviness in her heart. Alice stepped out next to her, "Are you alright?" She asked, a slim hand found a place on the nook of her elbow. Riza flashed a strained smile to her former mentor and pulled off her scrub cap. The older woman had always had a comforting air about her and she wasn't that much older than Riza. Riza often related that to her position as a gynecologist as she dealt the woman all day. Frantic laboring mothers to be or worried women in general. Alice always handled them in stride and practiced ease.
"Yeah. That just reminded me of why I never chose your specialty." Riza murmured, throwing her cap in the trash. "Your surgeries became too painful after Levi." Riza grimaced, placing a hand on her stomach as a pain rippled across her midsection like hot coals in a furnace. The trauma surgeon gritted her teeth at the hot knifes carved into her stomach. Was it that time of the month, already?
"Riza?" Alice asked with tight, doctorly concern. Alice's hand tightened in worry. She led the way to the third floor's nurse station.
"Cramps." Riza dismissed the pain and waved Alice off. "They've always been severe with me. I can thank good ole mom for that too." She growled. She allowed Alice to drag her to a rolling chair and sat down, obediently.
Riza watched as Alice hunted through a medicine cabinet. "I don't think we're permitted to the medicine, Ali'. The board frowns upon self medicating surgeons." She said with a teasing tone and grimaced once more. One of her hands pressed into her midsection as if that would relieve the pain and another picked up a medical chart and examining it with vague interest. An heart transplant, one of Mira's then.
Alice shook her head in aspiration, standing up and turning to Riza with an amused gaze. "I'm your doctor and I say you take these." Alice took her chart from Riza's hand and placed small white pills into her palm. "Doctor's orders."
Riza laughed and Alice handed her an unopened coke from the nurses' desk. "What is it?" Riza asked as she opened the bottle of coke, looking up expectantly.
"A much stronger version of the store bought menstrual medication. It contains none of the things you're allergic to. I am your doctor, after all." Alice answered, gesturing for Riza to take the proffered pills. "I'll get you a prescription if it works for you." Riza bobbed her violet head and tossed the pills back into her mouth. She grimaced and chased the bitter, dry taste with the coke. Riza made a face but didn't protest, she hopes the pills will work. Alice jerked her head, foreword with a meaningful look in her gaze.
Riza swiveled around to look at her smallest loaned intern. Virginia Redfern was meek and scared of the Red Hair Pirates which in turn made Riza give her terrible duties to carry out. As per Lavinia's orders. During Alice's surgery, Redfern came in with Johnny's chart with the blood results with a hopeful look in her eyes. Redfern wanted to scrub in on Alice's surgery. Riza had dismissed her, knowing what she wanted. That lead her here, looking at the intern with vague distain. Riza watched her fiddled with her chart, clutched in her shaking hands. "Yes?" Riza asked, expectantly. Alice let out a soft snort behind Riza. Riza vaguely acknowledged the fact that Roo and Benn were standing in the hall. Red Hair Pirates seemed to always be around in the areas she occupied. "You can leave Johnny's chart in his room. You told me what I wanted to know."
"No, that's not it." Redfern pressed on, more firmly. Riza looked on, amused to where the conversation was going. "Why don't you like me?" Alice barked out a short laugh and Riza smirked, a small smirk. Almost unnoticeable to those who didn't know her.
"Why don't I like you?" Riza repeated, her voice soft and quiet. "Is liking my interns anywhere in my job description?" She asked, bringing herself to her feet. She stared into Redfern's soft blue eyes.
Redfern took a step back, Riza pursued that weakness. "I have to teach your sorry ass to save a life. That's my job. I have to make a surgeon of you, shaping into a decent doctor for your patients. I have to prepare you to act fast and efficiently to save lives. None of that includes liking you." She growled. "There is nothing in the job description about me 'liking' you, got it?"
"Y-yeah."
"Good." Riza nodded, sharply. "Next time don't shit talk about my crew within my earshot. That is something I won't tolerate from anyone... Little Goldeneye is on bed pans on the first floor, go join her. As far I am concerned, you won't touch a single surgery, so as long as I'm your resident. The closest would be the lab for some lab hours." She growled, sitting back down in her swivel chair. Redfern retreated with a pale face away from the nurses' station and down the hall. "Run along."
A tall man slid into her place, his forest green eyes alight with amusement. Riza gave Keith a wiry smile. Keith was an intern with Riza, Lucy, Mira and Danny under Lavinia. He was almost as much as a playboy as Mark, almost. He had chose Gynecology for his expertise after Riza started to pursue trauma as hers. He was an intolerable ass but he was their intolerable ass. "Hey, Admiral."
Riza scowled. "I am not."
"Yeah, you are." Alice and Keith chimed.
"Admiral 2.0." Keith laughed. "Dr. Coldenheart."
"Lavinia told me too, plus Redfern is a judgmental bitch." Riza muttered, crossly. Riza snapped to chart close and placed the binder where it belonged. She felt protective over her crew mates, all of them. Even her idiot captain who protected her more than she could give back to him. Redfern judged them on their titles, bounties and wanted posters and that infuriated Riza, especially when she was still known as the returned head of trauma. Riza was still an admired surgeon and still held in high esteem by her peers, even though she was a pirate now and had a bounty of her own. "What about you, gyno-squad solider." She sneered. "Come in for orders from gyno-command?" Alice swatted her head with a binder and Riza smirked.
Keith's smile dropped as much as the man loved his specialty with all of his heart, he couldn't take everyone's teasing with a grain of salt. Keith immediately goes on the offense. All of the other former interns took that to their advantage. "Missed you too, have fun Lavinia and the chief." He sneered back. "They sent me to tell you that they want to talk to you in Lavinia's office."
Riza sighed and stood back up. "Go to hell." She mumbled at him, heading over to the elevator.
.......................
Goldeneye Riza had changed into a pair of clothes that Mira and Lucy had left in her old locker in the the attending's lounge. They were a simple tight-fit, dark washed jeans and a cute white blouse with one of her old coats. By the time that the retired chief and Lavinia were done with her it was half past seven, meaning that everyone else probably were well into their drinking. Riza didn't mind, Lavinia gave her a lot to think about. Options and such. Riza had promised to consider all options for old times sake.
Riza entered the bar through the glass door and a wave of nostalgia swept through her. She looked around the worn down bar hadn't changed one bit. The old bar counter with countless gauges and scars from the years and the plethora of old signs and nick-nacks that Jim had collected over the years littered the walls.
"Riza!"
Riza spotted a large circular booth in the back filled to the brim and then some of people, doctors and pirates. The wood matched the bar's countertop and was littered with drinks, food and presents? An assortment of brightly decorated presents sat on the booth's table top. She tilted her head as she approached the table. "What's this?" Mark scooted towards the center of the booth, making room for Riza. She slid in next to him and a drink with a handful of bright red cherries was pushed towards her but no answers. A simple drink that contained far too many cherries than necessary. Riza rolled her eyes and grasped the stem of one and plopped it into Mark's drink with a smile.
Riza peered at Mark, still wanting her answer."Presents." He answered. "Catch up from the holidays and the birthdays we missed and will miss because who knows when we'll see you again."
Riza flushed pink and looked away. "I didn't get you anything." She mumbled under her breath. "You didn't need to spend money on me."
"Not like we don't have plenty, we are surgeons." Alice pointed out. "Heads of our departments."
"You can pay with a dance out." Lucy answered with a grin. Riza froze, she wouldn't. Not here with the whole crew here, not in public. She set her margarita down and slid out of the booth. Mira followed behind Lucy with two shots in each of her hands.
"That's an abuse of the purpose of a dance out." Riza growled and shot Lucy, a dirty look. She took a swig of her drink as to prepare herself. Riza met the eyes of Jim who stood behind the bar and circled her fingers in a motion for shots. "You are breaking an unspoken rule of the dance out."
"We aren't." Lucy pointed out after she slammed back another shot. "Danny saw us dance out before."
"In the safety of our house!" Riza protested.
"And you're telling that you don't need one after the past day?" Mira asked and Riza scowled. "Lie, I dare ya. Look in my face and tell me." Riza looked away from Mira with a blush creeping up her face.
"Dance out?" Benn drawled and Riza wanted to die at the eager looks of the rest of the her crew and captain.
"Yeah, it's when-"
Riza hopped out of the booth, downing her drink and Mark's. Riza then proceeded to snag both women's arms and dragged them away from the table. "Come on before I decide to commit murder suicide." She growled. "You too, Alice! Emily!" The pair snorted but followed the trio onto the dance floor. Riza met the gazes of her friends and she found herself grinning along with them. She hated to admit but they were right, she did need this.
"Jim!" Lucy called to the bar. "Play it!"
'So no one told you life was going to go this way!'
.-.-.-.-
Riza flopped back into the booth and halfheartedly glared at the grinning women. The five women had retreated from the dance floor after four and a half songs. "Happy? That wasn't even proper. We don't do it with everyone watching!" Riza panted, a thin sheet of sweat covered her skin.
"I'm happy." A semi buzzed Shanks grinned over at Riza. "I never knew you could dance, Riz' and I've tried." She glowered at her smirking captain. Riza all to well remember those nights, a drunk Shanks insisting that Riza dance with him. He'd try to order her to dance but Riza redirected him towards a cute bartender and that was the end of that. "Now, you don't have an excuse."
"Or do we?" Lucy asked with a quirked eyebrow pushing Riza farther into the booth as she scooted in, pushing the trauma surgeon snug up to Mark.
"We don't." Riza growled, kicking under the table blindly.
"Ow." Emily growled in pain, a hand going to under the table to shield her knee. "Watch it, Coldenheart."
"Sorry, wasn't aiming for you." Riza muttered in a unapologetic way, taking a long sip of her drink. Mark had ordered her another one while she danced. She was already feeling and relishing the warm buzz of the alcohol. Riza frowned at the odd blue liquid that her captain was drinking along with Keith. "Shanks? Not to pop your ego or anything but that isn't a liquor to take lightly."
"Don't worry about me, Riz' I've had stronger!" Shanks slurred, slightly. "I need to show your friend how a pirate drinks."
Riza exchanged long looks with Benn. The first mate nodded, taking responsibility for their foolish captain for the night. They normally tagged teamed on keeping an eye out for their party happy captain. "That's a liquor that commonly leads to black outs, memory loss and alcohol poisoning. All of which Keith is aware of." Riza glared at her old friend, who shrugged. Shanks didn't look phased in the slightest.
"I was told." Shanks said and offered her a lopsided smirk. "The same goes with most other liquor."
Riza accepted that fact and that she would have to deal with a clingy, hungover Shanks in the morning. She reached for the closet present with silver and gold wrapping paper. "A dance out is when one or more of us is stressed out and needs stress relief. It isn't for other people but us. It's an private affair." She let out a whistle at what she found inside of the box.
Riza pulled out a pair of shorts by her favorite company. "Who do I need to kiss for this?" She grinned as she saw more in the box, all of various designs.
"Please don't kiss me." Alice mumbled, drunkenly. "Pass it along."
"Give it to me!" Mark grinned, cheekily.
Riza turned her head and planted a kiss on Lucy's lips. Riza giggled as Lucy jolted away, surprised and Mark choked on his drink. "So, what's next?"
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Riza had walked across the street and down a couple of blocks to her house. Well, her mother's house that she inherited and now had little use of. A simple two story house, the house that she grew up in but never truly considered in a home. Not with her workaholic mother and absent father. It still was her house, a house she lets Mark live in rent free and let's him do whatever he wants to it. He likes to have DIY projects, improve the house on his days off. Keep himself occupied with it. Riza had been meaning to sell the house, never got around to doing it. Wasn't sure why.
So, Riza walked back to her house from Jim's, arms full of the multitude of presents. She told the crew that if they needed to they could crash at her house, so as long as they kept out of the occupied bedrooms. Riza told them where the spare key was kept and hidden. She conserved her presents in some of the large bags. Clothes, jewelry, a couple of scrap books, specialty items only found on her island. Riza felt loved.
Riza moved to haul the bags up to her room when she heard her front door open. She paused, thinking it could have been her crew stumbling back from Jim's. Or someone else, more dangerous. Riza hummed, setting her bags down. Ever so, quietly. A slim hand grabbed a scalpel on an end table and she moved out of the living room to the entry. Her heart hammered, she peeked around the corner and nearly jumped out of her skin as Shanks' voice filled the house. "Riza?" Relief flood her, easing her as she stepped around the corner.
"Damnit, Shanks." Riza cursed, setting the blade on the entry table. "I thought it was a burglar! You scared me half to death." Riza frowned at her captain who was leaning heavily on her wall.
"Who would be that stupid?" Shanks laughed, stumbling in Riza's direction. A light blush settled on his cheeks.
"Clearly you." Riza deadpanned at her captain. "How much did you drink?"
"Not much, how you doing?" Shanks grinned, pushing Riza up against the wall. His head dropped to her neck, lips moved and brushed her neck. Electricity zapped through the two and Riza gasped. Way too close and way to intimate. Riza' face turned five shades of red and wriggled out from between him and the wall. He grimaced, "Maybe a little too much."
"Come on." Riza grabbed his hand and pulled him up the stair, refusing to look him in the face. He was drunk, she reminded herself. He won't remember that in the morning and neither should you. She almost tripped and face planted on her face when Riza felt a hand brushed her butt. "I told you that was a bad idea, but you thought knew better." Shanks had never been drunk to the point of being that handsy with the crew, with her. Shanks would normally chat his way into a woman's panties before the night was over. It must be the blue liquor, Riza rationalized.
Riza opened the door to the spare bedroom across from her room and pulled Shanks after her. She released his hand and closed the door. She turned to tell Shank to get in bed and a pair of lips landed on her own. Rough and gentle at the same time and way too close. The smell of sweet rum and sea salt invaded her senses. Her eyes widened at the contact and she was walked back until her back pressed against the door. One of Shanks' hands tangled in her hair and one wrapped around her waist, pressing her close. She pushed closer, desperate to get closer to him. She let out a moan as he deepened the kiss. He pulled away and grinned down at a very flustered Riza, pressing his forehead against hers. His head dropped down and started peppering kisses into the base of her neck. "Shanks..." Riza groaned and shook her head. Warmth bloomed in her stomach and she wanted more than just a hand and lips. Reality hit Riza like a ton of bricks and. "Shanks, no."
Her hands pushed against Shanks' shoulders. "What?" He asked, breathless. The blush on his cheeks had deepened after their kiss.
"We can't." Riza shook her head. "You're extremely drunk and you won't remember a thing." She pushed against his shoulders and Shanks allowed her to push her back to the bed.
"I'm fine with being taken advantage with." Shanks murmured. He reached for another kiss and Riza turned her head with an ache in her heart. The kiss landed on her cheek, his scruff scratched against her soft skin. Riza ached, wanting to take more.
"I'm not." Riza growled under her breath, "Lay down I'll be back."
Shanks grinned. "Don't be too long."
Riza left with an ever growing ache in her chest and ever present burn in her belly. She went to the hall closet and pulled a blanket down from a shelf. Riza moved to go back to her captain when approaching footsteps on the stairs had her turning around to meet the gaze of Mark. She nodded and jerked her head to the bedroom. "I need to help Shanks, I'll be right back." She murmured.
Riza peeked in the spare room to find Shanks passed out on the bed. Riza sighed and laid the blanket over him. She tugged his boots off and looked at him. No, she decided, he wouldn't remember anything. The ache grew some more and she hated it.
Riza left the room without looking back. She walked to Mark's room and knocked, rapidly. Mark opened the door with a frown. "What's up, Ri'?" Riza stared up at him, frustration growing and snapped. She gripped his shirt and pulled him down into a heated, angry kiss. "What?"
"I need this." Riza pulled away from Mark and growled, "You can either help me out or I can find someone else to help with my issue."