I guess the poor boy's been down there long enough- time to rectify that. Sorry its been taking me so long to post, I've been debating on where I was going with something- and depending on which choice wins the debate, there may or may not be a plot to this thing yet… Either way, I hope this chapter is worth your time- I'm not certain I'm happy with it, but I hope it is entertaining, none the less.

"Oi, Luffy... LUFFY! I found him!"

The swordsman straightened from his crouch, scanning the surrounding area for his wayward captain. Miles and miles of stark white land spread out around him, but Luffy was nowhere to be seen. Well, that was just wonderful. Now how the hell was he going to get that stupid love-cook out?

Irritated, he crouched over the crevasse again, peering down. It was a far drop; too great a distance to safely jump. Resigned, he scanned the perimeter of the opening for likely handholds; a place to climb down.

The part of his mind that would rather be doing anything but trudging around in the snow looking for an errant crewmate thought it would be easier if the damn cook could just climb up, but the more rational portion noticed that he wasn't moving- hadn't budged at his call for their captain, didn't seem to acknowledge his presence at all.

Zoro snorted suddenly, thinking he rarely noted anyone's presence if they weren't female, and distantly wondering if he was being played for a fool.

"Hey", he hollered over the edge, more for his own peace of mind than for anything else, "get your ass up here! I don't feel like coming down there after you!"

He waited a minute, letting the echo of his own voice fade.

Nothing.

The cook didn't even stir. Damn fool probably knocked himself out in the fall, for all Zoro knew. Except…

He shook off the thought before it could fully form; he was just wasting time- out in the cold, which is the last place he wanted to be. Nami said she had talked to him, didn't she? He had to have survived the fall then; leaving him to clean up the mess. As usual.

Stupid cook.

Well, there was nothing to be done for it. The captain wanted his cook back, so he'd get his cook back.

Heaving a great sigh of resignation, Zoro found a place to descend and carefully started climbing. It was a slow, uncomfortable process- the jagged rocks dug into his flesh at every contact, and his swords clattered against the rough wall, hampering his legs.

When he reached the bottom he took a moment to readjust the swords, keen eyes taking in his surroundings. Now that he was up close, Zoro was surprised the cook had been conscious after the fall. He could see where the blonde had landed, the track of disturbed snow showing where he had managed to move- drag, rather – himself the few feet over to the wall he was curled into, for all the meager shelter it provided.

A cursory glance noted a pack of cigarettes that lay a few feet in the other direction- throwing into relief how bad the fall had to be. He also noticed what looked like a small spot of blood where the impact had been.

Then there was Sanji, himself.

Judging by the thin sheen of snow that now decorated the cook, it didn't look like he had moved in some time. Ice crystals clung to his eyelashes and bangs, matting his hair and giving him a lifeless look belied only by the faint, subtle movement of breath stirring his chest.

It said something that for all of Zoro's careful observation, he only barely noticed the movement. It lent a sense of urgency to the matter, but still he paused- cautious.

He took in the way Sanji was sitting; hunched in on himself with his legs splayed out like a discarded rag doll. Considering the distance he had fallen, it was plausible that he had broken something- though the green haired man couldn't be certain what if the man was unconscious.

He reached out, more gently than would be expected, and nudged his shoulder lightly- a seemingly safe area. "Oi, love-cook, get 'yer ass up, I'm not carrying you." The usual bite only half carried in his voice- speaking to the seriousness of the situation.

The blonde's head lolled slightly to the side in response. It didn't look like he was going to have any help getting them out of there- not that he really expected it, now that he had gotten a closer look at the man. Huffing a long-suffering sigh, Zoro stepped back, looking up the wall he had just descended.

How the hell was he going to get Sanji back up to the surface? He could try climbing one-handed, but couldn't be certain of the other man's safety, with the rough handling that would require.

He stared at the wall before him, waiting for an idea to strike him. Strike. A lip curled as he silently cursed his inability to draw a sword and cut their way out of this problem…

The thought trailed off and he paused, eyes sliding to his swords as inspiration descended upon him.

It could work.

Suddenly he was moving, opening his coat quickly and hiking up the Harimaki to reveal the sword belt beneath. Noting the slack, he loosened the buckle slightly, just enough to permit his hand passage between it and his flesh. Perfect. He tugged at it hard once, to make sure it would hold. Satisfied with craftsmanship, he reached for his bandana- then paused; it was his first thought, but he knew it wouldn't be long enough for a proper knot, and he had nothing else to make a secure binding…

His eyes slid once more to the sleeping blonde, and a thought occurred.

Two strides closed the distance between them, and a quick search of his crewmate yielded the tie he was looking for. He wondered why Sanji bothered with the damn thing as his fingers stumbled over the knot, then finally he removed it- refastening the other man's coat, and straightening up. A simple tug on this as well, proved the material strong enough to hold.

Eyeing Sanji for a long moment, he debated the best way to do this. Finally, he turned his back to the other man and crouched between his splayed legs- reaching to take his arms. He pulled them over his shoulders, back to chest with Sanji now, and in one fluid motion, stood, taking the cook with him.

Arms dangled over his shoulders as he supported the other man's weight, and he backed up a step to pin him lightly to the wall, freeing his own hands. It was a simple matter then, to bind his wrists to the sword belt, threading one under the leather as he had prepared earlier; testing the hold on the blonde's weight before partially refastened his own coat around the cook's arms, and preparing to scale the wall once more.

One hand on the stone wall and he stopped abruptly, turning back to retrieve the pack of cigarettes he noted earlier. He didn't need to hear any bitching about them later.

Once stowed safely in his coat, the swordsman began his assent. It was slow going- each hold double tested before the extra weight was entrusted to it. A few proved too week, crumbling in his grip, and he was forced to take a longer route back up. Once there, it only took a few minutes to unhook Sanji and resituate them both- then he picked up his burden once more, and began the long trek back to the Going Merry, and their Doctor.

This was actually longer, but got cut into two chapters, expect the next (assuming your still with me, here...) in a few days. Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter- it means a lot to me (and my tiny little ego...) As always, C&C is welcome