Thank you to the readers who have been sticking with me over these years. Here's an extra long chapter for ya. I apologize for taking so long. I've been rewriting this story over and over again, but with every rewrite it gets better. Promise! I just want to make this one of the best fanfics you've ever read on this site. I definitely won't disappoint you!

~Who Wrote This Crap

Chaper 11:

The Unsweetened Version

"That's the saddest story I've ever heard!" Franky sobbed.

Chopper was crying too. "How can someone be so terrible?! That man's a monster!"

Even Nami was wiping a stray tear from her eye. "The man that tried to kill her -he's not still alive, is he?" she asked.

Sarah shrugged. "I don't know. They never mentioned it, and it's not like I can just go up and ask. I'm not suppose to know, remember?"

Sanji tighten his fist and cursed. "To do that to a woman and a child -it's sick!" he growled.

"I hope with all my heart she finds her son," Brook said quietly. "Ah! I don't have a heart!"

"There's something strange about this story," Robin noted. The crew looked at her. "If Brandy is searching for her son, why not tell someone? Wouldn't you at the very least ask your crewmates to keep an eye out for him? Sarah, when you overheard this story, did they ever mention to the doctor what her son looked like?"

"No," Sarah realized.

"Did she ever mention his name?"

Sarah shook her head.

"Come to think of it," Nami interjected. "You said her name was once Brianna, right? Why did she change it to Brandy?"

"I-I don't know," Sarah confessed. "I never thought of this before. This doesn't make sense!"

"So, this entire story could be just a lie?" Franky asked incredulously.

Chopper's eyes widened."Why would she make up something so horrible?" he asked.

"She wouldn't," Sarah said firmly. "That's not her style. I mean she'll exaggerate from time to time and tell people horrible things, but she would never make up something like that."

Sanji furrowed his brow. "What about the ones who were telling the story? Maybe they forgot to tell the doctor some important details that would explain all of this."

"Or they lied," Franky stated. Everyone looked at him.

Nami crossed her arms. "That would explain everything."

Sanji lit a cigarette."But those are some major holes to have in a story as serious as this."

Franky shrugged. "Maybe they're not very good liars?"

Sarah shook her head. "No! No! NO! You're all wrong! Ben has a great memory. He'd never forget these kinds of details. And Yasopp is not a liar.And this isn't just 'a story'! This is someone's past we're talking about! Who are we to criticized it? It's none of our business! We shouldn't even be having this conversation!"

"You're the one that brought it up," Nami pointed out.

Sarah looked flustered. "And I'm sorry I did!" With that, she stormed off.

Once Sarah was out of earshot Franky crossed his arms and said, "She's just upset that she didn't notice this stuff earlier."

"I bet she won't see Brandy the same way again," Brook muttered thoughtfully.

The crew paused for a moment as they felt a weight of guilt fall onto their shoulders.

"Maybe they weren't lying?" Chopper wondered out loud. Everyone looked at the little doctor curiously. He continued, "I've had some patients before that didn't exactly lie about their injuries, but they'd leave out the details about how they got hurt."

Nami cocked her head. "So your saying they didn't explain why she changed her name and is keeping her life's ambition a secret because it has nothing to do with her injuries?"

Chopper nodded "Doctorine once told me that 'When it comes to healing people the only questions you need to know as a doctor are when was the infirmity first notice?, what caused it?, and how? You don't need to know why it happened in order to save a patient's life.'"

The crew took a moment to think deeply about what all this meant.

"I've seen this happen before," Robin said breaking the short silence, earning everyone's attention. "It has happened so many times in the histories of mankind."

"You know why they are hiding something?" Brook asked surprised.

"Why does anyone hide anything?" Robin asked mysteriously.

After a moment, Sanji realized what she was saying.

"They're protecting her."

Nami frowned. "But... from wha-?"

"Oi, everyone!" Luffy came bursting out of the men's quarters followed by Zoro. "I've decided we're going to find the Bastard and kick his ass in the morning! Let's have dinner now!"

Sarah check her watch. "But it's 4:00-"

"DINNER!" Luffy yelled pumping his fists into the air.

Sanji sighed, but inside he was smiling. Their captain was back and ready to lead them into war. Tomorrow their nakama would be avenged and the shitty bastard that had taken his life will be lying dead at their feet.

But as much as he wanted to prepare for what was sure to be the bloodiest battle they've ever had...he had to make dinner first.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was strained. Most of the crew where still thinking about the previous conversation and did little talking. They could tell Sarah was still pissed at them. It was rather obvious. If anyone apart from Luffy and Zoro, even looked at her, she would give them a threatening glare. Luffy seemed oblivious to all of this, as did Zoro...or he probably didn't care.

To the crew's relief, Sarah could eat almost as fast as Luffy. Once she was finished she stood up and announced she was going to crash in the library.

Just before she left, she looked at Zoro and Luffy. "You guys should get to bed too. The sooner you fall asleep the quicker tomorrow comes."

Luffy though that was a great idea, and said that everyone should go to bed, before racing to the men's quarters. Everyone else filtered out of the dinning room.

"Oi Zoro, where are you going?" Franky asked as Zoro head to the crowsnest.

"I'll take first watch," he said.

"But Zoro-san you've taken watch for the past two nights," Brook noted.

"Yeah! And you didn't even wake anyone up to switch shifts last night!" Chopper scolded.

Nami pointed at him. "Come to think of it, there was lack of obnoxious snoring yesterday. You may have been resting on the deck, but you didn't fall asleep," she poked him in the chest. "We all need to sleep, so we can fight with everything we've got tomorrow. So there's no way you're staying up again tonight!"

"Nami-san, I'll take first watch!" the stupid love-cook swooned with hearts in his eye. He spun around to Zoro. "Go to bed, you shitty swordsman!"

"What did you say?!"

The Library door burst open. "I thought I told you to go to bed!" Sarah yelled at them.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Zoro snapped.

"I'm the one that can't sleep because I have to yell at children to SHUT UP AND GO TO BED! I hope you can do that all by yourself, cause I am not tucking you in!" She slammed the library door behind her.

Zoro was fuming. And to top it off, the shitty cook was snickering!

"Shut up!" Zoro snapped at the dumbass.

Eyebrow smirked, "Maybe if you're lucky Usopp with tell you a bedtime stor-."

Sanji froze and Zoro hit him in the side with the hilt of his sword. He hit him hard. The cook when skidding across the deck.

After a moment Sanji sat up and cough. "I'm...," he sighed. "Sorry."

"I'm not," Zoro growled and sheathed his sword. He turned to the crowsnest. "I get first watch."

Sanji didn't even bother arguing. He was looking up at the night sky doing his damnedest to steady his breathing and blink back tears.

Damn this hurts.

.

.

.

.

After Brandy had finished her story she stood up and told him they'd would get to the docks tomorrow.

"Um, aren't we going to pay for the drinks?" Usopp asked.

"I don't have any money. Do you have any money?"

"Well.. no."

"Then we aren't paying for them. Which means we're also not going to pay for the roasted chicken and noodles that I'm ordering tomorrow morning," Brandy said. She looked over at the tavern owner with a smile on her face. "But that's okay because all of this stuff is on the house, right?"

The owner trembled. "R-right!"

Usopp frowned. What kind of reputation did this woman have in this town? Why was everyone so terrified of her? Not that she wasn't terrifying to begin with, but -wait.

Usopp had a sudden thought. "Are you a pirate too?" he asked.

"You just now noticed that?" she asked pushing in her chair and crossing her arms. "Seriously, for a sniper you should really be more observant."

Usopp huffed.

"Hmm," Brandy furrowed her brow. "Now all we need is a room to crash in." She looked at the tavern owner again and smiled.

"Y-you can take my room!" he said, trembling.

This surprised Usopp. "Oi! You don't have to-"

Brandy held up her hand, signaling for Usopp to shut up. "Alright then, if you insist," she said pleasantly.

"I-I insist!"

"But where are you going to sleep?" Usopp asked.

"I'll sleep on the floor," the owner assured him nervously. "-in the basement next door!"

Then man bolted out his tavern like a bat out of hell, immediately followed by everyone else.

Once the last of them scrambled out the door, Brandy turned to Usopp, "You wouldn't mind sleeping on a bench down here? I mean you did have the luxury of sleeping in a nice plushy coffin last night," she grinned.

Usopp laughed nervously.

Brandy bid him 'goodnight' as she closed the bedroom door.

Brandy laid on the top bunk staring at the ceiling. Why had she told him that story? She had never told it to anyone. The only ones who knew her past were the ones that were there. And they swore they would never repeat any bit of it to anyone without her permission. In fact, the only time she was asked for it was when the new doctor need a medical history of all the crew members. Then Ben had approached her asking what should he tell him. She had replied "The sugarcoated version". She also told him to change her name to Brianna. Brianna was a nice name, far different from her own. Giving her past a fake name made her feel just a little more numb when she remembered it... It probably wasn't a very healthy thing to do, but pretending the horrible things that happened to her was somebody else's past, somebody else's pain, had helped her cope. As for the unsweetened story -the true story -the whole story… it should never be repeated.

But that night, when Brandy closed her eyes, she remembered every horrible detail...

"Don't you EVER lay a hand on my son again!" she yelled. "Or I will end you!"

"You will end me?" The tall burly man towered over her, grabbed her face and growled. "Listen here you little bitch. You'll learn to watch you goddamn mouth if you want your boy to keep breathing," he looked at the little boy who was trying to be strong and not cry, then back at her. "Follow me," he commanded.

Brianna glared at her abusive boyfriend. He was going to beat the hell out of her again. But they had an agreement not to do it in front of her son.

She turned to her beloved boy.

"Stay here, sweetie," she told him. She wiped away some stray tears from his face, then whispered into his ear. "and hide."

"Mom-" her darling son choked.

"Sh," she hugged him tightly. "I'll come back for you. I promise."

"That's enough," the bastard grabbed her arm and yanked her from her child.

He shoved her out the door. She looked back to see her son running toward her, reaching out to her.

"Mom!"

The bastard slammed the door in his face and locked it behind him.

"Mom!" Her son was pounding against the door trying to open it. "Mom!"

She felt something sharp poking her back.

"Walk," he growled. She obeyed.

He marched her through the woods with a dagger pointed at her back until they came to a cliff the over looked the ocean 100ft below.

Brianna's eyes widened as she realized what he was about to do.

He was going to kill her.

She had no chance of overpowering him. She had to run!

As if reading her mind, the bastard sliced open her back. She screamed and fell to her knees.

He walked in front of her and chuckled. He raised his blade to slash her once more.

"Nad! Stop!" Brianna pleaded. "Just put the dagger down and stop this!"

"Why should I listen to you when you never listen to a damn word I say?! Whenever I tell you to do something all I get is your fucking sass! You and your monster husband spawned something that should have been damned back to Hell where it belongs! Everyone who knows the truth about your vile family thinks the same! I'm the only one that would come near you, despite every horrible sin you've committed! You should be obeying me!" he roared. "YOU SHOULD BE LISTENING TO ME!"

Brianna screamed again as the blade slid down the side of her face. Her ear fell to the ground.

"You know what?" he snarled. "You're not even worth keeping around."

But the blade came down again. This time she felt it rip into her stomach. She fell backwards to the ground gasping. Shakily she put her hand on her stomach, to her horror she could feel her butchered insides.

"You're a pathetic bitch. And once I'm done with you, I'm gonna kill your bastard of a son," he twirled the bloody dagger in his hands. "Now should slit his throat, stab him through the heart, or rip his guts out and strangle him with them?"

She looked at him horrified.

"So which one will it be?"

"Please!" she begged him desperately, as she tried not to choke on her our blood. "Don't!"

"The third one? Really? You are one terrible mother!" the monster chuckled.

With that he kicked Brianna into the ocean far below, and everything went black.

Next thing she knew she was being hauled into a boat. She managed to crack open her eyes. There was a man with red hair and one arm, and another man with an unshaved face.

"Help p-please," she choked.

"Shh, we've got you now. You're going to be okay," the red haired man told her softly.

"She's hurt pretty bad, Cap," a fat man said.

"Then do something about it!" the captain barked.

"My son," she gasped. "I have to go b-back. H-have to get h-home." She tried to sit up, only to be gently pushed back down.

"Easy, easy, don't strain yourself," the unshaven man said.

"N-no," she gabbed his arm and looked him in the eye. "H-he's going to kill my son!"

"Captain, look!" the fat man pointed to the island.

Brianna managed to lift her head to see what he was pointing at. There was a large pillar of smoke coming off in the distance. Just where her house was- where her son was!

The Captain cursed. "Lucky, Ben, let's go!" The three men jumped ashore and took off running toward the smoke. "Yasopp, take care of her!"

Darkness was seeping into Brianna's vision.

"Oi, Miss, you've got to stay awake!" Yasopp shook her urgently. "Keep talking to me."

She managed to say, with her last bit of consciousness, "I'm p-pregnant."

Brianna smiled down at her infant son as she rocked his to sleep in rocking chair. Her beloved husband came up behind her and rubbed her shoulder with his webbed hands.

He whispered into her ear, "You need to wake up."

"What?" she turned to look up at him. But she couldn't see his face. Then she couldn't see anything. Her body… it felt so heavy. She couldn't move… but she could hear. It sounded so far away, but slowly it was becoming clearer.

"Come on, wake up. Wake up."

With a great amount of effort she barely managed to open her eyes. At first everything was blurry. Brianna blinked a couple of times and a somewhat familiar unshaven face was smiling at her, but she couldn't place his name.

"Welcome back," he said.

"Who are you?" she asked weakly.

"The name's Yasopp," he said pointing to his headband, which spelled his name. There was a tall man with long tied back black hair leaning against the wall.

He gave a curt nod, "Ben."

"I'm Shanks."

She looked behind Yasopp to see a red haired man sitting on a barrel. He reached down and shook her limp hand.

"Brianna," she replied. She was so confused. "Where am I?

"You're on my ship. We're docked in the harbor of your island," Shanks told her.

"Why am I here?" she asked him.

The crew looked at each other grimly.

"What do you remember?" Yasopp asked.

"Everything's a blur," she confessed. She closed her eyes and tried to focus. "I was arguing… I was yelling at him for hitting-" her eyes snapped open.

"-my son!" She looked at Shanks. "Is my son here? Is he okay?" Her heart was pounding. "Where's my son?!"

"We don't know," Ben told her. "He wasn't in your house."

"My house! It was on fire!" She was beginning to remember. "Oh God! Oh God!" Brianna cried as she felt her bandaged stomach.

"We couldn't save her," Shanks told her somberly. "I'm so sorry."

"No!" she sobbed hysterically. "No!"

"Shh," Yasopp soothed. "You need to calm down. It won't do you or your son any good if you kill yourself crying," he put a comforting arm around her. "Okay?"

Brianna nodded and started taking deep breaths.

"I have to get back to my house," she told them shakily. "He might have come back."

"We have someone watching for him at your house. There hasn't been any sign of a child nor anyone else for that matter," Ben told her.

"How long have you been watching for him?" she asked. "How long has it been?"

Shanks and Ben shared a look.

"A week," Ben said.

"A-a week?" she repeated incredulously. She pushed herself out of bed. "I-I have to go back. I have to look for him! I have to find my little boy!"

"Whoa, Whoa. You should take it easy!" Shanks told her.

She glared at Shanks. "Do you have any children?" she snapped.

"No," the captain confessed.

"I do."

Brianna looked Yasopp in the eye. "Then you know I can't just sit here and 'take it easy'."

They looked at each other for a moment. Yasopp sighed, "Can you stand?"

She tried to stand up. "I think so-oh!" Her knees buckled underneath her, but Yasopp caught her.

She looked up at him meaningfully. The sniper nodded and gentle picked her up bridal style and carried her out the infirmary.

He carried her all the way to her home.

Or what remained of it.

"I think I can stand now," she told him trying not to grimace from pain.

"You sure?"

She nodded and Yasopp gentle lowered her to her feet.

She looked at the burnt ruins of what was once her home.

She felt numb, both mentally and physically as she walked she didn't even notice that she had no shoes… until she stepped on something cold and sharp. She lifted her now bleeding foot and saw beneath her something white.

Her figure skates.

The ones the love of her life made her. They were still intact. She slid the removable blades from the bottom of the shoe.

They were as sharp as ever.

Of course they are. He made them, she thought, remembering what he had said the night he had given them to her -the night they got engaged. 'They can withstand anything, and last forever-just like our love for each other'

She had thought she'd never see them again after that lying son-of-a-bitch had stolen them from her. That bastard!

Then she saw something covered in ash- right next to the window- the last place she had seen her son. Fear struck her heart. She trembled and choked as she picked it up.

It was a tiny green corked bottle attached to a short braided rope. Inside was a rolled up piece of cloth. She had given it to her son to protect and he always carried it with him. She uncorked it and pulled it out. Tears made it impossible to see it, but she didn't need to. The she could see every detail of the inked picture in her mind.

It was of the three of them soaking wet in a creek. He son sat on his father's shoulders fist pumped in the air victoriously. He had finally learned how to swim. Her two loves were smiling so proudly, and she was laughing from the bottom of her heart…

Brianna fell to her knees and sobbed hysterically.

"ZORO!"