Our house

Chapter 7: Fight

The next morning everything started slowly. Robin wasn't a person to sleep in, not even on sundays. But today was different so she wasn't happy to be awoken by her phone ringing.
Having to talk to someone before her first coffee was a worst case scenario.
"Nico here?"
"Robin Nico! Why haven't you answered the mail yet!? This is urgent!"
"What mail?" her face showed disgust and confusion and she had to correct her thought from before. Having to talk to that asshole Spandam before her first coffee with a slight hangover was a worst case scenario. And she was living it right now.
"I wrote it 30 minutes ago! You have to get ready because you're going to the excavation site."
"What? Why? That is impossible on such short notice!"
"Oh? Impossible you say? Maybe you forgot what you promised? A private investor was allowed to buy the house and you are available for us. And I guess I don't have to remind the smartest woman in the world about the fact that she can go to jail for just existing? Not to mention that we can throw dirt on all your friends if that threat is not enough."

Cold panic was running through her whole system, choking her. She couldn't answer but the ass on the other side of the line seemed to sense that he had won.
"The car will get you in half an hour. Be punctual."
"Yes."

---

25 minutes later Robin had taken a shower, drank a coffee and packed a bag with clothes and her most important notebooks. She had left a note on Nami's door, asking her to take care of her flowers and went down to the door to leave the house. She heard snoring from all the flats and some rummaging from Sanji's and Zoro's place. Chefs are a bunch to rise early. A sad smile appeared on her face. They all made the trouble worth it.

"A super good morning, Robin!"
Oh no. Her heart sank. She had hoped to sneak out without meeting anyone and now she had to meet Franky, right in front of the door.
Without returning his greeting she looked at him and saw his smile vanish from his face.
"Hey, what is going on?" His eyes traveled to her bag, "Where are you going?"
She exhaled loudly. She still hadn't told him much about herself yet and she couldn't explain it within four minutes.
"Work. Important findings at the excavation site. The government needs my help," without losing time she walked out of the door, looking for a dark car.
"Sounds fun but you looks distressed, so what is going on? When are you coming back?"
A sharp look in his direction made her only feel more worried and angry. Angry because he deserved to know the truth but also about her own helplessness at the situation. And worried because she really did not want her friends involved.
"I don't know."

This moment the car drove by and stopped. Two dangerous looking man in dark suits as well as Spandam stepped out.
"Robin Nico! Are you ready?!"
"I have to go, Franky."
"Wait... what is that asshole doing here?"
"You know him?" a new wave of panic washed over her.
"I have some history with him... broke his nose once."
A surprising new information but before she could answer the person they talked about interfered again.
"Robin Nico! GET MOVING!"
"GIVE HER SOME TIME, YOU ASSHOLE!"
"WHAT?!"
"FRANKY! STOP!" she held his arm down, that had shot up in a threatening gesture. That seemed to calm him at least a little bit, his hand was still a fist. Her next words were a mix of hissing and whispering and he listened because she didn't even try to mask her distress.
"Franky! You don't know what you are saying! You have no idea how dangerous that guy is!"
"Oh, I know. You should not go with him!" at least he was aware enough to keep himself kind of silent too.
"I should not...?" Suddenly she was losing it. "You have no right to tell me what to do! You don't understand what this is about and you don't know why I am doing this! You will leave sooner or later anyway! You'll just renovate this house and then leave again! Leave us all! What do you care anyway?" With her best effort she mustered her coldest stare: "Is it because of the good night kiss? Don't think too much of it. I was drunk."
The sad, kicked puppy look on his face broke her heart but in the end it would be better that way. So she steeled herself against every upcoming emotion.
"Robin... I... you..."
"I have to go now, Franky. See you later," and with that she walked towards the car, pushed her bag in the arms of one of the black suited man and climbed into the car, following her was a laughing Spandam.
She felt sick.