The Guardian

Chapter 3

Marco awoke feeling better rested than he had in a few days, stretching his body out. Laying there he recalled the events of last night and the weird actions of the resident ship cat.

Sighing as he remembered his paperwork he had to finish, he got up and dressed before plopping down into his chair to stare at the stacks.

It took a few seconds of blinking before he realized that there was only one stack on his desk, a stack of finished paperwork. Marco frowned as he picked them up to thumb through them, each one done correctly and properly.

He didn't remember finishing them, he still had a stack unfinished to do. No one else was here besides him and Lyra, but she was a cat.

This was a mystery. One he was determined to figure out.

Lyra knew something was up with Marco when he watched her closely the next morning. She yawned as she finished up her cooked fish, courtesy of Thatch. He was pleased with her work last night, she caught three more mice and left them all in front of his door.

He had quite a fright which was amusing to watch before he praised her and promised to have the shipwrights make her something to put the dead mice in for disposal. That sounds fun.

Musing over that, she would also like a little bed. Soft, comfy with a blanket and pillow. Something warm for her to sleep in. It was a bit much to ask for her own room, she was content jumping between different commanders for now.

"Marco what's up? You got this look on your face." Thatch pointed at the first mate, concerned for his best friend and brother. But Marco looked well rested, something that doesn't happen often.

Before she could hear his response, Lyra took her leave. She felt his eyes on her as she turned from the mess hall with a sigh, finding her way to her new friends.

"What did you do?"

Lyra groaned and stretched out next to the feline, "I may have made Marco sleep last night, and then finished his paperwork."

Both animals laughed at her and gave her thanks. Stephen was busy wanting to play fetch with a crewmate as Kotatsu grinned. "The First Commander always overworks himself. You probably confused him with the finished paperwork though. You can write mistress?"

A lazy paw swatted the feline's nose, "Stop calling me that. Lyra is fine. And yeah I think I did, he was watching me during breakfast. And yes of course I can write, a claw works just as well as any writing device." She had to be more careful now, she couldn't do anymore paperwork for him for a few days or he'll be suspicious of her again. Ah well she needs something else to do.

Remembering a piece of the paperwork that stuck out, her gaze landed on the large Captain reclined in his chair. "Did you know Whitebeard is sick?"

Kotatsu hummed lowly, "Yeah. We all do, don't mention it around Stephen it makes him upset." She glanced where the happy dog was, his tail wagging erratically. "Is there anything you can do?"

It was Lyra's turn to hum softly, there might be. But it'll take time. "I think so. I can't do a lot right now but I can do a little over a long period," she got up to stretch before making her way over to the Captain.

He watched her curiously as she approached but was happy to lend her a hand up, where she curled up on his lap to nap. It wasn't unusual for her to pick someone to nap on, finding herself draped over the hot blooded second commander more than once.

But this was different, Whitebeard felt something off. He had one hand resting around the cat, shielding her from view but he could peer down at her. Her once red fur was shimmering a light gold, and she was warm to the touch. But it wasn't a burning warmth, it was comforting and soothing.

It sunk deep into his bones, traveled across his body and made him relax. Whitebeard had no idea what she was doing, but he couldn't fight the coax of sleep that came over him.

Both Captain and cat slept soundly, the small doing of the tabby caused such a deep sleep in the Captain he actually started to snore lightly.

The first time it occurred, several just brushed it off as the wind but the second and third had several people pausing and heads turning to their Captain.

The commanders watched amazed and confused as Whitebeard snored in his sleep, having never seen it happen before. Marco went to check on him when Thatch's hand landed on his arm with a small shake of his head.

"Leave him be. He's sleeping, like really sleeping. That's good isn't it?" A soft smile graced his face when he looked at his pops, "Let him sleep."

Marco and a few others settled with sitting around the snoozing Captain chair in case anything happened, but the atmosphere was pleasant and relaxed. Almost everyone was happy Whitebeard was resting so well, it always meant good things.

It was around lunchtime when he finally woke up, blinking blurry eyed and with a dry mouth. Stretching, he noticed that his body felt better. Less sore, less pain. He felt healthier than he was before his sleep.

A small weight on his lap told him Lyra was still there sleeping, whatever she did took a toll on her and she kept sleeping it off.

"Good sleep Pops? You slept a few hours."

He turned down to look at Marco watching him with a soft look, relaxing on his hands next to his chair. Giving his first son a smile he nodded. "Best sleep I've had in years. I feel years younger." Both laughed at that as Joza came over.

His smile was soft and his body relaxed, "Glad to hear that. You snored for most of it, I didn't even know you did." It gained them another hearty laugh from their father, which made them smile wider. It was always a good day when Whitebeard was in such a good mood.

"I guess my companion is quite relaxing." A tip of his hand showed the little red ball curled on his lap. "Quite the cat she is."

Marco hummed in thought. "Last night I fell asleep with her in my room, the best sleep I've had in a long time." All eyes turned to the little bundle. "What kind of cat is she?"

Whitebeard just looked at them with a knowing smile, but didn't extend on it, leaving the topic open for them to delve into. His finger petted the purring sleeping cat with a relaxed posture. What she did was something he thinks he knows but can't be quite sure.

Only time will tell.