I own nothing

Almost everything about this chapter has been changed. Sheesh did it need work. I know some peopled liked the "nami hot potato" game but as I read it again it seemed utterly ridiculous so I removed it entirely.

Ps. Thank you too Mooglies ((don't cha just love her?)) for catching another error of mine. I'd been badly misspelling "chef" it appeared as everything from "chief" to "cheif" to "chefu." All of those have been changed

:o:o:o:o:o:

The Going Merry bobbed along blindly without its navigator. The ship's course was at the mercy of the winds and the currents and thankfully the ocean's elements seemed to be in a calm mood.

Onboard the usually cheerful vessel silence was king, and hung as a thick fog in the thoughts of every conscious crewmember.

The first noise to pierce the silence was the lonely echo of the offending sword falling from its owner's hand. The metallic clank of the blade against the wooden deck was like a bell whose sad toll rang only to call Zoro from the dark ideas he was suffering from at the hands of his imagination.

Like Sanji he walked slowly towards Chopper's medical cabin, eventually picking up speed as the room never seemed to get any closer until he nearly crashed into his Captain who stood guard outside the door.

Zoro shot Luffy a pained look but the rubbery fellow wouldn't let him through. "Usopp said to keep everyone out."

"Oh?" He chocked through a grainy huff, his glare cast down at the floor where he noticed Sanji sitting with both hands on his head and a quivering cigarette dangling from his lips.

"What does he know about it, huh?"

It hurt.

"What does he think he's doing in there then?"

He hurt her…

It was the only thing he could have ever guaranteed her; her safety, that she would always be protected, go unharmed, unscathed, and now that was ruined. He'd failed her in a way that was so basic it couldn't even been put into words.

"What do you know a damn thing about it?!" He pounded a fist against the door angrily, venting what he could from his tangled up emotions.

"Let me in!!"

"Zoro…" Luffy's attempt was quiet and went all but unnoticed by the raging man.

What if she couldn't trust him after this? What if every time he reached out to touch her she would flinch? He had to find out, he had to know now whether his world was over or not.

"LET me IN damn it!" The swordsman's voice roared.

"IF YOU DON'T SHUT UP CHOPPER CAN'T CONCENTRATE!"

Usopp wanted to say more, say something less lame, angrier, he wanted to say harsh, hurtful things but couldn't bring himself to.

"Usopp open the door!" All the shunned heads waiting in the hall turned disbelievingly when this time the lion's roar quivered, a few syllables nearly lost, and Zoro's head met the hateful barrier with a sharp 'thunk'. How bizarre it was to see the ocean's aspiring master swordsman hang his head and stand so rigidly to prevent himself from collapsing.

For a moment the shipwright almost reconsidered his resolve.

:o:o:o:

Usopp stood with his face turned to the wall, hiding his eyes away from the exposed Nami as Chopper examined the bruising flesh of her torso. His hands trembled at his sides with the anger and worry he had to keep pent up.

'So this is why…' Usopp thought as he locked the door. 'Nami and Zoro, huh?' From behind he could hear Chopper working hastily, from above the loud thump of boots clunk clank clumping towards the makeshift hospital.

That explained why Zoro never slept in the bunker anymore, why his temper had improved--why Nami's temper had improved for that matter.

How many times had their "I'm turning in early guys" been an excuse to be alone? Why hadn't anyone put the pieces together sooner?

A minute later he heard Sanji begging Luffy for access and the small bit of guilt when his Captain denied him again and again. Usopp wasn't expecting Zoro to put up much a fight but when the swordsman started yelling he couldn't contain his own frustration and it all burst out.

:o:o:o:

The marksman promised himself that he wouldn't let the guilty parties have it their way. How could Zoro and Sanji dare to want to be near the woman they'd injured with their own petty prideful games? If Sanji had been willing to put the evidence together that was so plain-sightedly available he would have realized that an argument like "how dare you use Nami" was pitifully flawed. And if Zoro hadn't let Sanji's brash insults wound his ego a clash of fists could have been avoided.

"I'll cut the damn door down! Usopp!" The lion growled threateningly.

"That stupid sword started this!" He yelled back. "You—"

A small cough from behind sliced the sentence at its start. "Usopp…" With wide eyes he turned around and was met by a frighteningly kind smile across Nami's pale lips.

"Ah! Nami!" In a panic he tripped, falling on his face instead of crouching down closer to the patient's head as intended. In the background Chopper cleaned his hooves while inching towards the barred door in a sneaky way.

"I'm fine now, you can let them in." Her breath sounded ragged, still a little wet with the blood drained from her lungs, and Nami's comforting words failed to do their job.

"But—" Nami reached out to pet her friend's hair, her tongue stuck out in a tease. "Dummy."

Over Usopp's fluffy hair Nami watched Chopper unlock the door, allowing the offensive members—and innocent Captain—entry.

When Usopp noticed Nami looking over his shoulder he took a peek of his own and noticed the newcomers.

Disgruntled but complacently abiding by her wishes the marksman rose to allow the next person a go.

Seeing her lying so still in the clandestine 'hospital' bed was cause for worry enough, but when Zoro saw the whiteness of her cheeks and the haze in her eyes the his breath ran away again.

Luffy and Sanji stayed back, waiting to see what their green haired companion would do.

He tried to walk forward calmly, hiding his anxiousness and doubt. He told himself that he was prepared for her to scorn him, maybe even yell, but when Nami smiled so un-accusingly up at him Zoro couldn't help crumbling to his knees at her bedside, his head cast down in a new kind of personal grief.

Only Nami wasn't shocked or surprised by the extreme show of regret. Her hand shook slightly with the effort but she touched his cheek with the back of her fingers.

Being touched so gently seemed even crueler than being slapped. Didn't she blame him at all? Did she really love him so much that she'd abandoned her senses?

Black and auburn eyes met and as her fingertips slid down past his jaw Nami's seemed to say 'What's with that face? Don't look at me so sadly.'

Her arm fell but the swordsman caught it, grasping at her hand as tightly as he dared allow himself.

'I should have known. I should have fucking known she was back there.'

But Zoro was not the only guilty party. Sanji knew in the throbbing pit of his stomach that none of this would have happened if not for his ugly jealousy, and his black cloud of burden would only grow heavier as he watched the exchange between his two friends.

Could he have been wrong?

The orange haired woman looked away from her lover as a second man came to take the confession pose.

"I'm sorry Nami." His blond head leaned towards her just a bit as he surveyed the damage, feeling like he might collapse in her lap like he had that night so many weeks ago when she'd first escaped from the marines "So sorry."

Nami gave each apologetic head a pitifully weak smack with the hand Zoro wasn't hold "Morons" before her scowl disappeared into a sleepy smile and she sank away from them into hopefully lighter dreams.

"Oi, Chopper." Luffy started, reaching up to grab his straw hat as though some surprising news might bow it right off. "What's wrong with Nami?"

"A bit of internal bleeding. Ah! It wasn't fatal!" He quickly reassured them after seeing his crewmates huge eyes and fearful expressions. "If I hadn't operated it would have stopped on it's own…probably…But she's going to be sleepy and disoriented because of the medicine I gave her for the surgery."

All the men sighed a simultaneous breath of relief that this porcelain weakness didn't mean their friend was speaking from her deathbed.

"When can she be up?"

The third person question surprised them all because her amber eyes were still closed and they certainly hadn't expected her to be listening in.

"B-because of the surgery, tomorrow after lunch is the earliest."

"That's good." Nami exhaled through her nose and turned her head back towards Zoro while giving his hand a small squeeze before grinning with her characteristic enthusiasm.

"We'll get to Bilun tomorrow." Her free hand tipped towards the window, the back of it and her knuckles tapped lightly against the wood just beneath it. "No more delays." Across Nami's face was a serious expression and she seemed to be planning their next steps.

"But--!"

Nami settled the matter of unwanted protests by raising a finger and glaring sternly at the Straw Hats, saying, "Hey, all of you have been up and about sooner than this from worse injuries."

They couldn't deny it, and since none of them wanting to incur her wrath with some unintended insult the matter was dropped.

Nami seemed satisfied and her scolding glare melted back into a gentler, dreaming smile. This time it wasn't one of her silly games and the woman did merge with sleep.

For a small while the boys stayed by the bed and watched their favorite navigator in her tranquil peace, a sniffle would occasionally break the silence and it was an unspoken rule that it wouldn't be mentioned later.

One at a time Usopp, Sanji, and Luffy left, eager to make dinner, tend to the ship, or get in the way of both.

Chopper checked Nami's pulse one last time before taking a break to stretch his legs, leaving Zoro alone with the sleeping woman.

Though it was clear Nami had forgiven him his eyes were still swirling with regret and pain.

:o:o:

Zoro slipped one hand away from Nami's sleepy grasp to draw his thumb softly over Nami's temple.

This gentle motion brought a twitch to her closed eyelids and her small cloud of sleep drifted off like fog in the afternoon sun.

When she turned her head to Zoro his eyes almost immediately darted away. The girl raised an eyebrow at this but didn't say anything. First her eyes had to scan for her surroundings. Now that her vision wasn't clouded by Chopper's medicine she could see and think more accurately.

The smell of Sanji's dinner carried in like a sweet puff of perfume and the typical sounds of it being consumed rapidly followed suit. "You aren't at dinner?"

"Not hungry." He mumbled out the side of his mouth, eyes and expression still downcast.

"Hey." Her sharp statement drew his eyes to attention, to hers.

"Stop it."

"Eh?"

"Stop looking at me like you killed my puppy."

"…"

"Now either go get something to eat or go lock the door."

"Oh really?" He growled quietly in submissive yet agitated question as the swordsman brought his face to hover over her so that his eyes might pry into her.

"Yes, really. You made a mistake but now it's done with and everybody's fine so get over it."

Nami tilted her head to kiss him but all she got was a brush of her lips against his as he pulled back to argue. "What if I had really hurt you?"

"But you didn't." Nami sighed out her answer, not seeing what they could possibly benefit from with this hypothetical situation or why it was so important to him.

"Well let's say I did!" Zoro suddenly exclaimed, his voice and body rising. "What then?" The question pressed.

"Just get over here will you?" Nami whined in the way she always did when she wanted something and he just wasn't giving it to her.

His fists clenched at his sides and for a moment the young navigator thought maybe he wouldn't do it, maybe he would burst out into some heroic and sentimental speech. But there was no speech. The tight fists relaxed as he exhaled some of his frustration out into the chilling night air, turned back around, and went to her.

Nami smiled at the victory and kissed him when he was close enough, enjoying the feel of his lips so light against hers, noses brushing so awkwardly and yet so perfectly.

As she tugged and nudged Zoro became compliant enough to allow her to drag him onto the bed as well though he'd been very careful about where his knees were going and absolutely refused to lay any of his weight upon her.

Once she stretched her arm in the wrong direction and the fresh incision shot a ripple of pain into her expression and Zoro froze entirely. Nami didn't notice until her attempts to stir his attention failed three times, but when she saw the terrified look in his eyes the woman was sure her heart broke just a little.

"Hey…" She cooed, nudging him with her lips and nose not to move him but to wake him "it's ok, it wasn't your fault I'm…" When it was clear the small tokens weren't working she took his face in both hands, stroking gently as she lifted herself high enough from the pillows to kiss the top of her warrior's sunken head. "I'm ok, I promise, you didn't do anything."

"But I did…" Zoro chocked out the words into her neck, his muscled arms beginning to tremble as his own weight unexplainably increased tenfold, nearly buckled him.

One hand found its way down his neck, skimming against the small bone of his spine at the nap, and she felt the vibrations of his body. "Oh…" There might have been tears in her eyes but Nami wouldn't have noticed.

With a swift gesture she hooked her arms around his shoulders, pushing up slightly and he willingly took hold of her back and held her in a sitting embrace.

Nami's chin sat on his shoulder as she spoke quietly to him as he held her like a wisp of wind that might blow away if he so much as blinked.

Whatever length of time it took to break the cruel, self placed ice around Zoro Nami didn't care to try and keep track but felt incredibly relieved when his fingers slowly started to explore her bare back, then her shoulders, diving down to trace the edges of her bandages.

Soon she would pull back her head to impose one more request on him. "Take me outside."

"…You want to go outside now?" Zoro's expression read as one of disbelief, hinting also with slight un-appreciation for the sudden shift of mood, but he lifted her from the bed nonetheless and carried her onto the deck.

:o:o:o:o:

As the couple watched the stars pass by from the secluded comfort of Nami's orange grove Zoro made a point of planning for 'sense your surroundings' training.

o:o:o:

A little later that evening Nami lay quietly on her stomach, bare back exposed with only the bandages hindering the show of her flesh as she waited for Zoro to finish what he'd explained was a 'very necessary bath.'

He walked so quietly as he entered that Nami almost didn't hear him, but when he crawled into bed and began to drag his lips between her shoulders his presence became un-ignorable.

She purred as he kissed his way up to pay small homage to the scar on her shoulder before quickly skittering down to less dangerous territory. His hands found themselves at her sides; eventually they would sneak under her shoulders so he could hold her.

Out of respect for the doctor's wishes they wouldn't do anything too strenuous that night, but it would be a direct offence against nature not to express their love and sorrow for the trouble they'd each caused that day.

o:o:o:o:o:o:o:

"Very good." A sadistic chuckle interrupted the speech. "Very good indeed. I can already see the pirates approaching. You marines did your job well."

"What? What do you mean?! Say that again?" He heard the shocked voice from the other side of the Den-Den Mushi.

"I guess it is high time I told you the truth isn't it? There's no such thing as Jing, you fool."