*~*~*Freedom*~*~*

Chapter 1. What If I Ran Away

*~* I flew away this morning…What if I ran away and never came back?*~*

I was alone when I woke up today.

At first, I didn't quite recognize my surroundings. The maps and bookshelves I was so used to seeing first thing in the morning were replaced by sealed glass cabinets and sterilized needles. It took me a moment to remember that I was a patient on Chopper's examination bed. I moved to sit upright and my arm tensed with a dull ache. I winced slightly, but pulled myself together in time to hear the pitter patter of footsteps outside of the room. There was a knock on the door and the little reindeer came in to ease me out of the bed.

"You should really be resting, Robin." He said as I balanced myself between the bed pole and his arms. "I'm not sure if your body has finished recovering."

I smiled at him as reassuringly as I could but was desperate to be free of this sterile, white walled dungeon. "I'll be fine. You can do a check up after lunch."

He looked out of the window and back at me warily "Actually, its dinner. You've been here for almost two days now."

It was indeed dark when I looked out of the window. I sat back down onto the bed.

Two days.

It didn't mean much to me personally, but seeing the dullness of Chopper's fur, I wondered if those two days were an eternity to him. What about the others?

There was a stale odor in the air, as if the room had been filled with many people. I wondered if they had perhaps spent the night here previously, as they always did when someone was hurt or ill. Despite myself, I felt a small smile pull on my lips. It was not a gesture I was used to. I followed Chopper into the dining room, one frail step at a time. Although the dining room was full and everyone had been served their dinner, the atmosphere was surprisingly quiet.

That is, it was quiet until I entered the room.

The first to notice my entrance was the ever attentive gentleman, Sanji. He rushed to my side immediately and led me to my seat where I was showered with comforting questions and relieved gazes. I noticed from the corner of my eye, however, the one person who did not approach me.

Zoro sat on the other side of the table, gazing around the room with his usual apathetic expression. Although his actions were subtle, I noticed that he seemed to be purposefully avoiding looking in my direction. I had thought our relationship had improved since the Enies Lobby incident, but even I was unsure at times.

A comment by Nami pulled me back out of my thoughts.

"I'm so glad we got to you in time Robin." Nami said. Although she smiling widely, on closer inspection I could see traces of tears well in her eyes.

"Yeah that's right! After everything that happened in Enies Lobby it would be pretty bad if we lost you to the sea!" Luffy said casually then topped off his comment with his usual merry laugh.

There was a subdued thud and Luffy jolted upwards. I guessed that Nami had kicked him under the table.

"Yes, well luckily that didn't happen Luffy." She said with subdued anger. She stood up and walked over to me in a hurried manner. "Anyway, you must be tired still Robin, I've dried your clothes already. We should get going to bed. Good night everyone."

We left the table for the boys to clear and made our way to the lower decks. As we walked to our bedroom I processed what Nami had said back in the dining room. My clothes had been dried she said. But what had I been wearing? I vaguely remembered stirring several times in the middle of the night in a dazed stupor... I also remembered feeling the helpless numbness that always came after contact with the sea.

"-Robin?" Nami called as she handed me my silk night dress, the same one I had been wearing the other night. I took it cautiously and she stared at me as if waiting a reply. I awkwardly realized that I must have tuned out the conversation.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Could you repeat what you just said?" I replied with a smile, hoping she wouldn't notice my brief lack of attention.

"I said not to worry about your night watch shift tonight. Zoro is going to take care of it…" Nami leaned into the cupboard beside her bed and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of wine. "…and if you would like to join me for a drink?"

She began pouring before I answered.

"Drinking this late, Nami-chan? You sure are picking up some bad habits." I teased, but when she didn't answer I leaned forward and asked: "Is something the matter?"

She smiled, and handed me a half filled glass. I wasn't in the mood for an extended evening but I had a feeling that Nami was. She looked up at me and I could tell she was barely keeping face. There was a slight shake in her hands, the wine rippled in her glass before she finally set it down on the table. "No…it's just…I realized that no matter what you do…you can still lose sometimes…"

"What is it that you have lost?" I asked.

Nami wiped her eyes. "Nothing… Nothing, this time." She smiled solemnly, downed the wine quickly and walked off to her bed. "I'm glad you are OK, Robin." she said before she turned the lights off.

I didn't answer.

I remained awake long after Nami had fallen asleep. Alone, I had managed to finish the bottle of wine I previously didn't want to drink. I had no idea what compelled me to do so, but I suddenly desired another.

It dawned on me that I was rarely alone lately. Nearly everyone had made an effort to stay near me one way or another. Sanji would often invite me for a coffee, even more often than usual. Luffy and the boys would try to include me in their activities and Nami had the sudden desire to work on her maps in whichever room I was currently residing in. Honestly, it didn't bother me. Rather, it was a refreshing change from being excluded. But even so, from time to time I appreciated some private freedom. They were a close knit group and had been for a long time, perhaps it was an unusual notion for them to actively seek solitude.

With the exception of one of course.

Zoro seemed to have no problem expelling himself from group activities. He was also the only one not to initiate any contact with me outside of our usual interactions. In many ways, I felt as though he had a personality the most similar to mine. I knew that even if I came wandering in and out of the kitchen at this hour he would not come down to question me. He would have done, at one point in time, but we were long past that now. I was now a part of the crew, not an intrusive guest or an unwanted freeloader. I could wander about on the ship without supervision.

I was trusted.

So in order to properly celebrate my new found freedom I decided to get myself another bottle of wine from the kitchen.

The deck was illuminated by the light from the crow's nest. Against one of the windows a stationary figure cast a shadow on the lawn. One glance through my third eye informed me that Zoro had fallen asleep on duty. It should have been my turn for duty and if he were to be found asleep by Nami or Sanji the next morning he would be punished. I gathered a few essential items: my book, a drinking glass and a bottle of wine and made my way up the stairs.

Zoro bolted upright at the sound of the closing door. He stared at me in hostile confusion before coming to his senses.

"Oh it's you." He said as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He cast a glance at the items in my hands but said nothing more. I sat down in a seat not too far from him and poured myself a glass of wine before placing the bottle next to him.

"I think I've had enough rest." I said softly. "Tonight is my shift. You should get some sleep yourself."

He took the bottle to his lips and drank quickly before replying,"No, it's fine. It'll be more trouble for me in the morning anyway."

I smiled slightly. It was such a typical answer from him. "Then you won't mind if I stay and keep you company then?"

"You can do what you want." He said casually, but strangely I felt as though there was a deeper meaning to his words.

It was clear that I could do what I wanted. On this ship it was a freedom granted to everyone by Luffy's leniency. On many other pirate ships I had traveled on, I hadn't had that option. Here, I could do what I wanted, be what I wanted. Except, even now, I still couldn't.

I turned away to look out of the window. The open sea stretched before me all the way into the distant horizon in an endless road of water. It was both compelling and frightening. What was waiting for me at the end of that road? I did not know. I felt a shudder pass through me and I looked away from the sea into the intense eyes of Zoro.

It took me aback.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Are you angry with me?"

"What do you think?" he replied gruffly.

I was slightly confused by his actions and wondered what brought on his sudden change in demeanor. The wine bottle was empty, but I was sure that he wasn't drunk.

"I think you are." My mind shifted through my hazed memories and after a moment I answered; "Maybe you should be."

"…What were you thinking?" Asked Zoro. His voice had lost its previous edge but he stared at me with skeptical eyes, waiting for my answer.

"…I wasn't thinking..." I replied with equal wariness. "No. I was…"

"-Robin." Zoro said sharply. "Are you still trying to run away?"

We stared at each other in utter silence. I was faintly aware of it at the time but he had been there, watching me, that morning when I flew away unto the waves. I wasn't thinking, it wasn't planned, but at that time the only thought in my head was what if I ran away and never came back?

*~* I flew away this morning…What if I ran away and never came back?*~*

This is my first ZoroxRobin fanfic, a story inspired by the song "Freedom" by Brandy. I have used and will be using small parts of her lyrics in the fic (expressed in italics). I would very much appreciate any comments/feedbacks you would like to give and I hope you enjoyed reading it.