Chapter 10.

The summer breeze stirred the leaves in the trees. The day was definitely warm, but not hot enough to discourage kids from playing. A young boy was counting loudly as he leaned against a tree, his eyes closed and covered by his arm.

'Niiiine... Teeeeen... Tweeeelve.'

'You forgot elev-en.' Called a girl in a sing-song voice from somewhere in his surroundings. 'You have to start ooo-ver.'

'Aww. Do I have to?' The boy asked, uncovering his eyes and turning to look for the girl. He couldn't see her. 'Aren't you ready yet?'

'You have to start over. That's the rule.' Came her reply. 'But you can stop at ten.'

The boy puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. 'O-kaaaaay.' He called and turned back and resumed his position against the tree and started counting again.

The young orange haired girl giggled as she crouched amongst the shrubbery that grew over the entrance of the hollowed out tree. She was positive that he wouldn't find her. She was good at hide and seek. And this was her favourite hiding spot. No one ever looked here because the way the foliage grew made the tree seem solid at the trunk.

She could hear him counting loudly. 'Nine. Ten. Here I come!'

She giggled again. Her sister usually looked for about six minutes before giving up. She wondered how long the boy would look.

'Found you!'

The girl jumped in fright and fell against the tree's hollowed interior. She spun around and sure enough, there he was. He had crawled underneath the brush and entered at the other split in the trunk behind her.

'Hey, you cheated!' She whined. He shook his head defensively. 'Did not!' He countered. She stood up and brushed her green dress of loose bark and dirt. 'You must have. How else would you know I was here?'

'I looked here because this is my favourite spot to hide. I found it two days ago.' The boy said. The girl blinked in surprise. Then she laughed. 'That's funny. I thought I was the only one who hid here. This is another thing we both like.' She said between giggles.

The boy laughed too. 'That's why we are good friends. We both like so many of the same things. And you are really nice.'

Smiling, the girl took him by the hand and led him from the tree and together they ran through the woods. They reached a small, shaded clearing by a small river that formed a short waterfall and pool before snaking away into the trees.

'Amazing!' said the boy as he looked around. The girl smiled again. 'This is my favourite place in the world.' She said. She took off her sandals and walked to the edge of the pool. She flattened the bottom of her dress against her body as she lowered herself to sit on the ground and dipped her legs into the cool water.

The boy mirrored her actions by taking off his own sandals and joining her at the bank and dipping his legs into the water. He grinned at his reflection in the water. 'This place is the best.'

The girl smiled at his reflection. 'Thanks.' She wasn't taking credit for it. She hadn't made this place. She just saw it as a compliment from him.

'Um, Luffy? Can you promise me something?' She asked. The boy looked at her. 'What is it, Nami?' She kicked her legs forward and backward, churning the water before she answered. She twisted the hem of her dress in her hands before looking directly into his eyes, her cheeks a little red. 'We'll always be friends, won't we? You promise you won't forget me?'

Luffy raised his hand and ruffled her hair. 'Of course we'll always be friends. I'll never forget someone as nice as you, Nami. I promise.' He said, accompanied with his wide grin. Nami smiled with absolute happiness. She leaned against him and together they looked out at themselves reflected in the water.

~ X X X ~

Nami woke with her alarm clock. She groped at the shrieking device until she found and hit the "Shut up, I'm awake" button. Throwing off the bed covers, she sat up and rubbed her face with her hands. She didn't know why she was having that dream. Although it was actually a memory. A memory from a long time ago. A memory that repeated itself in her sleep.

She frowned as she rewound that line in her head. I'll never forget you, Nami He had said. 'Liar.' She thought. He had disappeared without a word to her two days after that moment from her dream and she hadn't seen nor heard from him again until this year.

Nami stood, collected her school uniform and made her way out of her bedroom and padded down the hall to the bathroom. She piled her school clothes on the sink and stripped off her pajamas, letting them fall to the floor. She stepped into the shower and closed the stall door behind her.

She started the shower with the cold and yelped in shock as the icy water blasted her body. She stepped back from the water's touch and quickly cranked the hot water. She held her hand under the falling water until its temperature levelled and grew hot enough to stand back under.

Nami closed her eyes and raised her head, letting the water hit her face and cascade down her body. Her thoughts returned to Luffy. It still baffled her as to how much of a coincidence it was that she and Luffy attended the same school. Her foster mother had been transferred to the Grand Line Police Department and that had forced them to move. Nami had been anxious about starting high school, excited to be starting a new life in a new place. Irritated that she had to leave her friends and old life behind, but also relieved to leave behind all the terrible people from her old school.

When she had arrived at Grand Line High on the first day, she had stopped at the gates, taken a deep breath and made her way to the entrance doors. And then fate collided with her. Or rather, Luffy did.

After falling to the ground and seeing her schoolbag spill its contents on the pavement, she set about retrieving them. And then she glanced at the person who had run into her. She couldn't believe it. Twelve years had passed since she had last seen him and he still looked the same. Older and leaner, sure. But he still had the same boyish charm and the same smile.

Anger had welled up inside Nami. Here he was grinning like nothing had happened. She wanted to yell at him, she really did. But she thought better of it. Instead she decided to collect her scattered belongings as quickly as possible so she could leave. She didn't want to talk to him.

'I'm Luffy, by the way.' He had said. 'And you are…?'

Nami froze when she had heard that. Had she heard him correctly? Had he really asked for her name? Had he really forgotten? She turned to face him. There he was, smiling at her. But he wasn't joking.

I won't forget.

Her eyes flashed angrily. 'Not interested in talking to a loser!' She snapped and she stormed away from him, towards the school. He didn't follow.

I'll never forget.

Nami ground her teeth as she picked up her pace. You did. She thought angrily.

We'll always be friends.

You don't remember!

Nami blinked away the stinging tears in her eyes.

I'll never forget someone as nice as you.

You did. You left without saying goodbye and you forgot!

She felt tears spill down her cheeks as she ran through the school hall.

I promise.

Liar!

Nami opened her eyes and stopped the memory of the welcoming ceremony. It had just become worse after that. Luffy had learned her name, but he still didn't recognize her. So much for always staying friends Nami thought bitterly while she lathered her body and rinsed off.

Nami had thought about reconciling with Luffy. Maybe if she just talked to him rationally without letting her emotions get the better of her, he'd remember. She had spent days thinking about it, formulating a conversation that wouldn't seem abrupt or offensive.

But when she had decided to approach him was the day the student had been found beaten half to death in the boy's bathroom. She had been approaching Luffy's group of friends, nervous, but determined. Luffy was hanging upside down from a tree, the back of his knees hooked around a tree branch, and watching his friends as they were discussing something.

Nami had got close enough to hear the green-haired one talk about rape. She stopped in her tracks. Did she really want to approach this group? Why would they talk about such a thing? Her eyes narrowed. Now that she looked at them, she did recognize the green haired one as a troublemaker. The blonde was notorious for hitting on girls all the time. And there was a rumour going around that the curly black haired one was involved with that whorish senior, Sadie.

Luffy spotted Nami and called out to her, waving her over. His green haired friend looked over at her and called out to her too. Nami decided against talking to Luffy and turned away with an irritated 'hmph'.

And Dance class was a no go. When he wasn't showing the choreography with Sanji, Mr. Clay was patrolling through the students, scolding slackers or correcting postures. In the end, Nami just decided to give up on the idea. Maybe some things just aren't fated to be. She thought as she dressed herself in her school clothes.

Twenty minutes later Nami left her house and made her way down the driveway, which looped around Bellemere's tangerine grove. She smiled and waved to her foster mother when she saw her kneeling in the dirt pruning a few low hanging, wayward branches. Bellemere waved back. 'Have a good day at school.' She called.

'Will do.' Nami called back. She had to admit that she did love their house. It sat quietly nestled amongst its tangerine grove, atop a sloping street on the outskirts of Grand Line. There were few houses along the street, and as theirs was the last at the end, it gave a sense of privacy.

Nami made her way down the sloping road. Going downhill was always much easier than climbing uphill. She waited at the bottom of her street and after three minutes the bus came into view. It stopped and its doors opened. She climbed aboard and sat in a vacant seat. The doors sucked shut and the bus resumed its route that would ultimately finish at Grand Line High.

~ X X X ~

'Alright class, pencils down.'

Students set down their pens and pushed their exam papers away from them. Nami set aside her pen and smiled at her test. Usopp pushed the paper away from himself with a disappointed groan. Despite he and Kaya working together as study partners, he felt sure that he hadn't improved much.

He looked back towards his math partner. She caught his eye and gave a small smile. He grinned back and gave her a thumbs up. He gave a small start when the teacher called his name. 'Usopp, please collect the test papers.'

He jumped from his seat and swept his own from his desk, crumpling it in the process. He moved from desk to desk retrieving test papers. He paused when he reached an empty desk. Luffy's seat.

The straw hat-clad student hadn't been at school the last five days. Neither had Zoro. Instead they had been spending a solid six hours at the gym each day instead of attending school. Luffy didn't seem very concerned about missing out on education and Zoro just plain didn't care.

Usopp moved to Kaya's desk and collected her paper. She reached out and gently touched his arm to stop him. Usopp froze and his heartrate quickened. She looked up at him. 'I need to speak with you after class. Can we meet by the gate?'

'S-Sure thing. 'Cause there was something I had to tell you too.' Usopp agreed. Kaya had been rather quiet at lunch, and Usopp hadn't been able to speak to her much with Sanji constantly chattering. He moved on and acquired every student's test paper. He brought the stack to the teacher and then resumed his seat. With much nervousness and excitement, he sat rigidly with his hands clasped together and watched the clock. One hour, and one class, to go.

~ X X X ~

Arlong slammed Django against the arcade's wall. The stoned man let out an 'oomph' as the breath exited his lungs. He shakily tried to suck air back into his body as he looked up at his attacker.

It hadn't taken Arlong very long to find Django upon arriving at Grand Line. His group supplied drugs to the neighbouring towns, and all dealers in said towns answered to him. Arlong leaned in close. His eyes were narrowed dangerously. 'So?' Django stammered in terror before he could properly form words. 'Arlong, please-'

'Shut the fuck up!' Arlong hissed. Django instantly fell silent. 'You know what I hate? I hate liars.' The Warlord said. 'See, I was promised a fee for my services. But the problem is, well, I haven't got my fucking money, have I?'

Django didn't say a word. He knew better. Arlong continued. 'That cocksucker friend of yours agreed to the deal. He agreed to my cost. But the problem, as I'm sure you know, is that the little fucker up and ran without paying.'

'Now you did the right thing to tell me. And because you did, I won't hurt you. But-' Arlong stopped talking and seized Django's left hand. He held it in his massive fist and wrapped his other hand around the index finger of Django's hand and squeezed it. He saw Django bite his tongue in a vain effort to keep from screaming. Arlong smirked sadistically and squeezed harder still until he felt the knuckles pop and separate.

Django whimpered. Arlong allowed a cruel smile to touch his lips and then suddenly bent the finger backwards. He felt the satisfying snap of bone and Django screamed in agony. Arlong trapped the broken finger between his digits and used his thumb to press the bones sideways, resulting in another break.

Django collapsed to his knees and cried feebly. Arlong released his hand and Django immediately cradled it against his body, sobbing in pain. Arlong crouched down, removed Django's tacky sunglasses and grabbed the stoner's head and forced him to make eye contact. 'That was for making me have to come out here to solve this problem. Now, you are going to help us find this faggot, Kuro. And for every day we don't find him, I will break another finger. Do you understand?'

Django whimpered again. Not in agreement. Just in pain and fear. Arlong knew this, but he also knew that fear commands obedience. It was practically his motto. He allowed that cruel smile to touch his face again. 'Good. I'm glad you understand. Now get the fuck up and start looking.'

~ X X X ~

Usopp had just finished his last class of the day, P.E at the oval, and now he rushed to meet Kaya by the front gates. His heart was practically leaping to his mouth. Today was it. Today was the day he'd tell her. No more chickening out.

He spotted her standing by the main gate, just where she said she'd wait. 'Hey, Kaya.' He said with a dumb, happy grin on his face. 'Hello Usopp.' She smiled at him. But, he noticed, it didn't seem to have the warmth it normally did. But maybe it was his imagination.

'Usopp, I wanted to thank you for your hospitality. For putting me up after the incident with Kuro.' She said. Usopp smiled widely. 'Kaya, it is no problem. Uh, look. I have to say something. It's really important and if I don't say it now, I might not have the courage to do it again.'

Kaya tilted her head ever so slightly. But then understanding lit her eyes. 'Oh, Usopp-' But Usopp cut her off, his heart racing a million miles an hour. 'Kaya. I really like you. I like you a lot. You're the sweetest girl. You're pretty and I-' He took a deep breath and continued 'I wanna know if you'd like to go on a date with me?

Kaya stood unreactive for a moment. Then her face changed to one of pain. Her eyes welled up with tears and she turned away. Usopp recoiled. 'Oh god. I'm sorry. I know it was sudden but I promise I won't be like Kuro. I'm sorry, please don't cry.' Kaya let out a choked sob in reply.

Usopp scurried around so that he could meet her eyes. She looked at him, two wet trails running down her cheeks. 'Oh, Usopp. I'd like to go on a date with you.' She said quietly. Usopp was confused. 'So are those tears of joy?' He asked hopefully. Kaya shook her head.

'I'm sorry, Usopp. But I have to leave Grand Line High.' She said. Usopp blinked. His mind froze. Kaya used the silence to explain. 'When Kuro broke into my house, he injured Merry badly. It was a terrible wound, and even though he has been released from hospital he will have to move back home to recover, and I will have to go with him. He is my guardian.'

'But… But you can keep staying at my house.' Usopp protested. Kaya shook her head again. 'I've been too much of a burden on your family. Your mother is ill, and another person in the house is inconvenient.'

'I will be transferring to Lily Academy, the all-girls boarding school. And will continue my school education there until Merry has recovered enough. Until then, my house here in Grand Line will be taken care of.'

Usopp was in shock. 'No. No, you can't leave. You can't.' He said. More to himself than to her. Kaya wiped the tears from her eyes. 'I'm sorry Usopp. I know this is sudden but I only found out myself at lunch time.'

'When do you leave?' He asked. Kaya looked as if her heart was breaking, which made him feel the same. 'Now.' She said, indicating the black sedan parked at the curb. 'I wanted to wait for you. To tell you properly.'

Usopp forced a smile. 'Hey, Kaya. It's no problem. Really.' He lied. He crammed his hands in his pockets so she wouldn't see them shaking. Kaya smiled sadly. 'Thank you, Usopp. I'm so sorry this had to happen. But we can still communicate. We can video chat, if you'd like?'

Usopp kept that smile on his face even though it hurt, he had to make it look genuine for her sake. 'I'd like that. So this isn't goodbye?' She shook her head. 'No. Not goodbye. I don't like goodbyes. Goodbyes are permanent.'

She leaned forward and lightly touched his chest and leaned on her toes and kissed him gently on the cheek. 'Thank you, Usopp. The next time we meet, I would love to go on that date.' Another tear streaked her cheek. She turned quickly and made her way towards the car. Usopp stood there, staring after her.

Kaya reached the door and touched her fingers to the handle. She paused and turned. Seeing him standing there, she waved in farewell. He returned it numbly. She ducked into the vehicle and the door closed, blocking her from sight. The car pulled out and took off down the road. Usopp remained frozen, his hand raised in farewell and that fake smile still on his face.

He continued to remain like that for five minutes before he turned and made the lonely trip home. Head down, hands shoved deep into his pants pockets. He made it a block before the tears he had kept at bay misted his eyes. After two blocks he was running, the tears spilling down his cheeks and dropping to the pavement. Following behind him in a trail of memories and heartbreak.

~ X X X ~

Two weeks had passed since Kaya had left and Usopp had been pretty depressed about it. For nine days he had stayed at home, completely unmotivated and listening to sad songs about heartbreak whilst staring at a picture of Kaya and himself that had been taken during a group outing with his friends. It was only recently when he'd received a message from Kaya and began to video chat with her on a daily basis did he start to become his regular self.

Luffy wasn't doing much better. When his grandfather had found out he'd skipped an entire week of school in favour of the gym, he grounded him for two weeks and made him assist at the police station every day after he finished school. Mostly confined to delivering papers from desk to desk where needed and making coffee runs for the officers.

Tonight marked his first night of freedom and the gang was celebrating at Spider's Café. Luffy, Sanji, Zoro and Usopp cheered and toasted each other enthusiastically. Four large pizzas covered their table but the group demolished them eagerly, Luffy most of all. Despite his confinement with the law, he had still kept up a decent exercise regimen and his muscles had begun to build up.

'To Luffy. For finally achieving freedom. And for building a bit of muscle. With more of it you should have the strength to fend off a small girl.' Zoro toasted. They all laughed and clashed their cups together once more. Sanji took another bite from his pizza slice and eyed the waitress as she walked by.

'Ok, Luffy. Quiz time.' Zoro said suddenly. 'Wha?' Luffy said with a mouth full of pizza. 'How do you fight?' Zoro asked. 'Umm, with honour?' Luffy said once he had swallowed his food. Zoro shook his head. 'Wrong. In a fight anything goes. There are no rules except don't be the first to fall. Once you're on the ground, it's basically game over.'

'That's a bit harsh, isn't it?' Usopp said. Zoro turned to him. 'It isn't. Hypothetically, what if someone came at you with a knife?' Usopp looked scared at the very idea. 'Well I'd run, of course.' He replied. Zoro leaned forward. 'Say you were trapped and the only exit was behind the guy with the knife.' Usopp thought for a moment. 'Let's see. I would-'

'You'd get stabbed, Usopp.' Zoro said. 'You, specifically, would get stabbed.' Luffy bit off half a slice of pizza and swallowed without chewing more than three times. 'So what do you do?' He asked. 'Throw something at your attacker. While he's ducking away, you try to disarm him. Or just go for an attack to the solar plexus. That'll stun him.' Luffy thought for a second. 'Which sort of attack?' He asked. 'Kick him.' Sanji contributed.

As the boys discussed fighting tactics, Arlong passed by the Spider's Café. He was surly. He had spent two weeks looking for Kuro, and he still hadn't found him. Every day, he and his crew (with Django dragged along) boarded the Puffing Tom and went to a different town, village or suburb that had a train station. And every day they had no success. Django had run out of fingers for Arlong to break, so the Warlord had begun using a knife to etch a line into the skin of Django's back. Much like a prisoner marks the walls of his cell with the number of years he'd been incarcerated. Arlong was beginning to get very, very frustrated. He needed some way to blow off steam.

~ X X X ~

Nami was on her way home from the supermarket. She had run out of milk and had to run down to the supermarket before they closed. She was in a bad mood. It felt like some jerk with a sick sense of humour was writing her life out for her.

She had been assigned Luffy as her study partner for Math. She had been horrified when the teacher had told her this. Yet despite her protests, Luffy had been made her partner in hopes that his grades might improve if he studied with one of the top students in the class. Now she was stuck with him in two classes. It was becoming a nightmare for her.

She moved aside to allow a tall man to pass her. But he halted and just looked at her. Up and down. Examining her figure. Nami shivered. He reminded her of Absalom from school. That guy was a major pervert and she was beginning to get the feeling this one might be too.

'Hey, baby. What are you doing out and about on a night like this.' He said. His voice sounded rough. He stepped closer, into the streetlight, and she got a better look at him. He was about 6' 2, broad shouldered and well muscled. A fact he showed off by wearing a button down, hooded Hawaiian sweatshirt opened to display his chest and abs. He had a long, pointed nose, long angular jaw and unruly black hair that ran down to his shoulders. There was a tattoo of a flaming sun on his chest and a tribal style shark on his left arm.

'I'm just shopping.' She said. She wasn't worried. They were standing in a populated street and he wouldn't try anything while there were witnesses. The man smiled. Yeah? Me too.' He replied. Nami glanced down at his hands, noticing a lack of groceries. 'You haven't bought anything.' She said. He looked down at his empty hands 'Oh, I meant window shopping.' He said.

Nami got the chills again. Something about this guy screamed dangerous. He stepped closer. 'The name is Arong. Arlong Jones. What's yours, sweetcheeks?' Nami's shoulders stiffened. Time to get out of here. 'Not interested.' She said quickly.

Nami moved around the tall man and continued on her way. Arlong smiled as he watched the curves of her butt move in her skirt as she walked away. He may have just found a good way to blow off steam. 'See you soon.' He said after the departing redhead.

~ X X X ~

Nami reached her street and began the steep climb to her house at the top. Again she wished that they would put in more streetlights. There was only one about halfway up that sat outside the last house before hers. There was quite a gap between her house and their closest neighbor. After a couple minutes of hiking, she reached the top. She stopped and looked behind her. The whole walk home she had felt like she was being followed, but every time she looked back, she saw no one. Her eyes searched the shadows, but again, it seemed like a false alarm.

She turned and started towards her driveway but before she had gone six paces she was intercepted by a tall, shadowy figure that grabbed her by the shoulders and held her close. 'So, you decided to hang out with me after all, huh?' He said. Nami instantly recognized the voice. It was that guy who had approached her sixteen minutes ago. Arlong. She tried to free herself from his grasp. 'What are you doing here? How do you know where I live?' Nami demanded.

'I followed you, of course. Did you really think I'd let a babe like you get away?' He tightened his grip on her shoulders. 'Let go of me! Help! Perv-' Her cries were smothered as Arlong clamped his hand over her mouth. 'Don't go causing unwanted attention. What's the matter? Don't want to hang out?' Arlong demanded.

Nami shook her head in reply. Arlong smiled like a shark. 'Well that's too bad, because I want to hang out with you, back at my place or maybe even here at yours. No one's home, am I right?' Nami shook her head, trying to break free. She hoped that someone in the surrounding houses would notice them.

Arlong looked around cautiously. 'Too far to my place. And if your place is locked up that means that we should just get it on here on the driveway. Or maybe in amongst those trees over there.' He said while nodding his head towards the tangerine grove. 'You know, for privacy.'

She started struggling to break free of his grip. He squeezed her upper arm so much that it hurt as he began to drag her towards the trees. Nami jerked her mouth out of the palm of his hand and bit down savagely into his fingers while she kicked out at his shins. Arlong yelped in pain and took an involuntary step back and his grip on her arm weakened. She wrenched herself free from him and ran for the street.

Adrenaline surged through her body as she sprinted down the street. The lone street light looked like a beacon of hope and safety, but it seemed so far away. She became painfully aware of his footsteps behind her, which were becoming louder by the second. He tackled her to the road. She hit the ground hard and felt his weight crush her and then lift off her as they rolled along the bitumen. He quickly scrambled on top of her and clamped his hand around her throat to silence her screams.

'You are really playing hard to get.' He said with a sick grin on his face. She tried desperately to pry his hand from her throat, but to no avail. 'But I think that play time is over.' He said seriously as he began to move his free hand between her thighs. Nami struggled but that just made Arlong's smile widen. In her head she prayed for someone, anyone, to help her.

And as if her prayers were answered, they were surrounded by light, accompanied by the loud purr of an engine. Arlong looked up and moved his hand from Nami's thigh to shield his eyes as the light got brighter. While the light illuminated them, footsteps sounded loud and, before Arlong could stand, he was struck in the face and fell backwards. He rolled around on the ground cursing.

A figure stepped into the light, illuminating the pink hair styled into a Mohawk with a ponytail, the police department jacket and the pump-action shotgun she carried. 'Bellemere?' Nami mumbled in disbelief as she stared up at her foster mother.

Arlong got to his feet. He looked down at his palm which was sticky and stained with the blood that ran from the gash above his eye. He squinted into the headlight of the police motorcycle until he could make out the features of the woman who had hit him. 'What the fuck, you crazy bitch!' He snarled.

Bellemere was about a foot and a half shorter than the tall, muscled man. But what she lacked in height she made up for with firepower. She demonstrated that point by pumping the barrel of the shotgun so it made a deadly crunch-crunch noise. 'Get away from my daughter, you sick fuck!' she snapped as she took a step towards him.

Arlong hesitated. He eyed the shotgun warily before he looked into Bellemere's eyes. 'You'll regret this.' He said, his tone dangerous. Bellemere eyed him coldly. 'So will you.' She said. 'If you come near Nami again, I will hunt you down, cut your balls off and stuff them down your throat.' Arlong glared at her for a long moment and eyed the shotgun again. The pink haired woman held the gun rock steady. Therefore she must have had training with it. The problem with shotguns is it didn't really matter if you were trained or not. The pellet spread would catch anyone who happened to be in the direction it had fired. Arlong met Bellemere's eye again. They were like pools of anger. Better if he left before she pulled the trigger. Arlong reached up and pulled his hood over his face and turned his back on the gun –toting policewoman and retreated into the surrounding darkness.

Bellemere stood in place watching until she saw him reach the well-lit area at the bottom of the street and continue onwards until he disappeared from sight before she turned to check on Nami. The orange-haired girl had managed to get to her feet. But she was still shaking from shock. 'Are you okay, sweetie?' Bellemere asked in a soothing voice. Nami just wrapped her arms around herself and nodded silently. Bellemere put her arm around her daughter's shoulders and led her to the house.

~ X X X ~

Bellemere had Nami sit on the couch while she made some hot cocoa for the teenage girl. She stayed by her side and comforted Nami as the younger girl told her how the events had unfolded. Bellemere hugged her adopted daughter close and stroked her hair. When Nami's nerves had finally settled, Bellemere made her another cup of hot cocoa.

Nami sipped the hot beverage appreciatively and sighed quietly in relief once Bellemere returned. When Nojiko arrived home from work, it reminded Nami of how late in the night it had become. She glanced up at the clock on the wall and noted that it was after 11pm.

'Hey, Nami.' Nojiko said as she strolled to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of Alabaster Springs clutched in her hand. She noted the looks on Nami and Bellemere's faces and quickly calculated that something had happened. 'What's wrong?' She asked as she moved to sit in one of the armchairs. Bellemere stroked Nami's hair. 'Nami was attacked.' She said quietly. Nojiko's body stiffened, her eyes alight with alarm.

'Who attacked her? Where did this happen? Were you hurt?' She directed the last question at Nami. The younger girl shook her head slowly. 'Not hurt, just shocked.' She said. Nojiko shifted her eyes to Bellemere's. She wanted answers. Bellemere began to speak, but she looked at Nami in a silent request. Nami gave a small nod to her foster mother.

Bellemere turned back to Nojiko. 'Well, I had been told to take an early night and decided to come home instead of going to the bar.' Bellemere began. Nojiko nodded for her to continue. 'And just as well I had, because as I came down the street, I saw some sicko holding Nami down on the road.'

Nojiko gave a small gasp, and quickly moved to hug Nami and sat beside her, keeping her hand on her sister's. Bellemere continued. 'So I raced to the rescue, with 'old faithful' in hand.' She said and nodded to the shotgun that was currently leaning against the wall.

'Anyway, I introduced him to my boot, told him to get away from Nami and he took off.' Bellemere concluded. 'Did you make him bleed?' Nojiko asked. Bellemere nodded with a satisfied smile. 'Oh yeah, opened him up real good. It's just too bad I couldn't use the gun.' Nojiko smiled. 'That can't be standard police issue.'

'No, but I still use it for the tougher criminals.'

Nojiko returned her attention to her younger sister. 'Do you know who it was?' she asked soothingly. Nami shook her head. 'He said his name was Arlong. But I've never seen him before today.' She said.

Bellemere looked up at the clock. 'I think we'd all better get to bed. I've got work tomorrow. Nami, do you think you should go to school?' Nami thought for a moment and nodded. She had assignments to work on. 'I think I'll be okay.' She said.

'Good. If there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ask.' Bellemere said as she rose to her feet and made her way to the stairs. Nami drained the rest of her cocoa, went to rinse the mug in the sink and made her way back to the living room. Nojiko had flopped down on the couch and was channel surfing on the television.

'Nami. You sure you're okay?' She called after her younger sister. Nami turned at the foot of the stairs. 'I guess. It was just quite a shock that this would happen.' Nojiko nodded seriously. 'If you want to talk about anything, I'm here for you, sis.' She said.

Nami smiled. 'Thanks, but I don't really feel like talking at the moment.' Nojiko nodded. 'Try and get some sleep.' She said. 'If you want, I'll drive you to school tomorrow.'

'That would be great. Thanks, Nojiko.' Nami replied, and she made her way up the stairs.

XXX

Nami woke groggily the next morning to a knock at her bedroom door. She had spent a restless night tossing and turning and seeing figures in the shadows of her room. Nojiko opened the door and peered in. 'Hey, you decent? I'm leaving in about thirty minutes. So be ready by then, 'kay?'

'Okay.' Nami mumbled as she rubbed her eyes and threw back the bedcovers. Nojiko nodded and ducked back out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. Nami stretched and then began to go through her morning routine to get ready for school.

End chapter.

I wrote myself into a wall with this chapter. The way I had originally laid out the events got me stuck in writer's block. After a week of staring blankly at my computer I finally figured out how to fix the problem. I had originally planned to get this out for Christmas, but I guess I will have to settle for the Eve of the New Year.

This chapter and the next were originally one way back in the planning stage, but I split them to make things a little more interesting. (Totally not stalling).

If you're eager for the next chapter, let me know in a review/comment and I'll get stuck in to the next chapter and not get hooked on Dragon Age Inquisition.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas. And have a Happy New Year.

See you in 2015