I couldn't help myself. You all take priority over homework. At least you all love me. Don't worry, I'm halfway done with it and will finish it.

I have decided that I am an awful person. Leaving you all with that terrible Cliffhanger and then telling you I can't update soon. Just awful. After I finish the story, I give you permission to beat me up.

I hit the concrete cell floor with a grunt that is more instinctual then from actual pain. I am not feeling anything at the moment, trying to fight off the shock and the aftereffects of the panic overdose I just had.

I lay there for a few minutes, concentrating on the cold floor. That sort of anchored me to reality.

Ok Rose. There is no way you are this soft. For goodness sakes get up. Move, do something besides lay there like you are dead.

I push myself slowly off the ground, sitting there and surveying my surroundings. The cell is pretty big, maybe fitting ten to fifteen people in it. It's cold, dark, water seeping through the ceiling, and not comfortable. I decided I don't like it.

I crawl over to a corner, putting my back in it and draw my knees up to my chest, burying my head in them as I think about the situation.

I am here in this cell while the Straw-hats are getting beat, probably to death, and it is my fault.

I had failed them.

I grip my knees tighter to my chest, trying to fight off the burning sensation in my eyes. I had vowed that I would help them, that I would get them to escape.

We would have been fine if Luffy hadn't called out my name like that.

No Rose, don't you dare blame Luffy for this. It was your fault, entirely.

Face it, you took down Z, the brilliant strategtist, the smart Neo Marine commander, the strong man that defeated Luffy a few times and you got cocky, confident that you could do anything. You got careless, thinking that the World Nobles were too stupid to look into your backstory, or see through your acting.

How ironic, that the stupidest people in One Piece figured you out and one of the strongest and smartest couldn't. You screwed up Rose big time, and now the Straw-hats are paying for your mistake with blood and pain.

It is your fault.

I feel like crying at the hopeless situation. How could it have come to this? How could they have figured me out? Now we have thirty hours until I leave again. Crap, this is exactly like last time. Why did it happen like this? Why did Lady Luck abandon me after so much?

I had assumed we would get out. They were the Straw-hats, everything worked out perfectly for them. They always escaped, barely, but escaped. That's what I get for assuming. I am so stupid.

The Straw-hats are getting beaten, Law is coming tonight and I have no way of contacting him that we might not be able to meet him, Akainu is coming tomorrow, and I am stuck in a cell with no way to gather more information or help them from dying. I had left them out to dry.

How could they want me on their crew? Once again, I was too weak, too scared to do anything to help them. I felt anything but brave out there, facing down the people that I had hated. I had froze up, letting the Straw-hats down when they needed me most. I was terrified. I still am.

I am not brave. I am a scared weak little girl. I can dress up in any character I choose, whether it is pirate or World Noble and it cannot change my real nature.

What happened to my adventure loving self? What happened to the girl who loved to laugh, who loved to fight, who loved action because it made life more interesting? She disappeared the moment the Straw-hats gave up the fight for her.

Why did they not fight back? Don't they know I can take care of myself? Don't they care about pain? Don't they care about my feelings of how bad it feels when they sacrifice themselves for me, a person who doesn't deserve it?

I sit there, wallowing in self-blame for I'm sure was hours, but it felt like days. Those were the worst hours of my entire life, because I kept on thinking on how I would face the Straw-hats again after what I had done to them.

My eyes were closed, and it increased my hearing. Sometimes I would do that randomly; concentrating on sounds and pretend I was blind. I would try to locate people and thing by sound, which direction they were going or where they were standing.

It was with this slight practice, that I heard people coming down the hall toward the cell.

I curled more into myself as I listened. It was more then ten people by the footsteps, and some of the footsteps were off, like the person was limping.

Realization made me tense, making me shrink into my corner. No, I couldn't face them like this. I couldn't face them period.

The door clanged open and the guards shoved the people into the cell. The door clanged shut and they left, leaving the Straw-hats behind.

I didn't move. I didn't breath. I most definitely didn't look up.

"Rose."

The raspy voice of Luffy rang out of the silence, and it had an excited tone to it. why was he excited for seeing me? I don't understand. The others seemed to notice me too and I felt them looking at me. The burning sensation had returned to my eyes and it took everything I had to hold myself together.

I spread my knees a little, looking under my arms to see their feet. Luffy's sandaled ones were directly in front of me and I hear him ask.

"Hey they didn't hurt you did they?"

I shake my head, not saying a word. Why would you worry about me? Why? I hear him sigh with relief.

"Good. I would have to beat them up if they did."

Everyone was staring at me, noting my posture and trying to decide what to do to make me feel better. They knew I was upset, they just didn't know how to fix it. Nami spoke softly.

"Rose, are you all right?"

I don't answer because I don't know how to. Nodding would be lying to them, and shaking my head would worry them. Sanji's voice is swooning.

"Oh Rose-swan, you are even beautiful when you are upset."

I see Brook's feet appear in front of me and I see cracks in the boned feet.

"Rose-san?"

Chopper walks to stand in front of me.

"What is it Rose?"

"What's wrong Rose-sis?"

Usopp sits about two feet away.

"Oi Rose, answer us."

Robin sits right next to Nami, her legs curled up beneath her.

"We can't help you unless you tell us what's wrong Rose."

I shrink away. They are getting too close. I shouldn't be afraid of them. They are friends, but I am afraid of what they will think of me. I don't deserve their concern.

Suddenly I hear someone move next to me slowly, like they were dealing with a cornered animal. They scoot carefully across the floor until they are right next to me. They lean against me slightly and I feel the muscled biceps against my own and I smile faintly. Of course it is Zoro.

The Straw-hats are staring at him expectantly as if expecting him to say something, but he doesn't. He knows exactly what I need, a friend that is there just to listen when I talked, not trying to force me to do anything.

I feel him shift into a napping position, relaxing carefully. Despite my high-strung mental state, I feel myself relaxing with him. This is familiar. I can deal with this.

It takes a few minutes, but I am finally calm enough and brave enough to say something.

"Sorry."

I say quietly. All of the Straw-hats all jump a little except Zoro, who had expected it. I feel like I am supposed to say more. I'm sorry I failed you? Got you into this mess? Got you hurt? Zoro's deep rumble makes me raise my head a little.

"What for?"

I swallow hard as I raise my head a little only to stare at the floor, trying to ignore my other friends.

"I failed all of you. I got you hurt. I was supposed to get you out and I failed."

Luffy cocked his head to one side.

"You didn't fail us."

Nami nodded, smiling.

"You have done so much already Rose."

Franky pushed his nose and an Afro exploded out from his head.

"Ow, you were super Rose-sis."

Robin touched one of her delicate hands to my arm in comfort.

"You have given us food, given us an escape route, and kept us from getting killed multiple times. How have you failed?"

I finally bring up the courage to look at them, actually look at them.

They are covered in injuries and blood. Chopper must have run out of supplies because only a few of the major injuries are bandaged.

Brook has cracks in his bones all over his body. Franky has several pieces of flesh missing, showing off the steel cyborg frame. Robin is cradling one of her arms and it looks like it had been broken. Chopper has his antlers cracked and his eye is swollen shut. Nami has major bruise on her face, a busted lip, and cuts on her stomach. Usopp has his goggles cracked and his chest is also covered in cuts and it looks like his ankle is swollen to twice the normal size.

Sanji's hands are the only thing not injured and everything else is covered in blood, more then any normal person could lose and live. Zoro is looking almost like Thriller Bark, stoic, silent, and proud but injured just as bad. Luffy is riddled with cuts because that's probably all they could do to him that could hurt him. Several stabs through the shoulders, arms, and legs make me cringe. I protest softly.

"I got you hurt. Look at you all. You all are in pain and it is because they used me against you and I got myself compromised. When I tell you to fight back, do it. I can handle myself."

Usopp chuckled softly.

"Rose, we are pirates. This kind of thing happens."

Chopper nodded seriously.

"We wouldn't dream of letting you get hurt in our place Rose."

Brook laughed.

"We would rather die first, but of course, I am already dead. Skull joke, yohohohohoho."

Sanji had hearts in his eyes as he danced.

"Oh I would get myself hurt again for my darling Rose-swan."

Luffy had his signature grin on his face.

"You are nakama, and we don't do that to nakama."

Zoro nodded, nudging me.

"You know that."

Nami smiled gently at me, flicking her orange hair behind her shoulder.

"You don't need to feel bad for us getting hurt. We have been through worse."

Robin shrugged.

"They were weak anyway."

Zoro whispered in my ear.

"We still believe in you."

I smile softly, raising my hand to wipe away the tears that had snuck down my face.

"You guys are great you know that?"

I take a deep breath. Time to stop moping around and actually get something done. They still are counting on me, and me sitting here crying will solve nothing. The Straw-hats, seeing the smile, cheered softly.

"There you go Rose."

"Keep your head up."

I look at Chopper, motioning to my clothes.

"Here, use these as bandages."

Chopper gratefully accepts the cloth, ripping off the sleeves and the pant legs up to my mid thigh. I stretch, feeling much less confined then that space suit thing. Chopper starts treating the most serious injuries. The Straw-hats flock to him, except for one.

Zoro stays by my side, not moving. I look up at him.

"Zoro?"

He looks down at me with his eye.

"What is it?"

I frown slightly.

"Do brave people get scared?"

I wanted to know. He said I was brave but I froze up when they needed me most. I wanted to know if I was still brave. He smirked, murmuring softly.

"Brave people are the most scared."

He stands up and goes to Chopper, leaving me with my thoughts. I smile gratefully. That was the exact answer I needed. I was going to get the Straw-hats out of here, and as I felt the keys in my pocket, I smiled even more as I was beginning to come up with an idea to do just that.