Chapter 12

THIRD POV

WITH NAMI

A scowl graced her delicate features as she sat on the wooden fence and thought. The new guy who had shown up with Usopp and the others. He wasn't normal. Her gaze traveled over to where he was sleeping now. His scarlet hair was waving slightly in the breeze and his left shoe was untied...

Riley was staring at him intently and that only made Nami more nervous. From what she had seen of the small girl, she didn't back down easily. For her to be worried and feel the need to keep an eye on someone was scary. Nami sweat dropped at her own thoughts. Or she could be putting too much faith into the tiny 15-year-old girl...

Her thoughts were proven wrong when Riley crawled on her hands and knees over to the boy. (Nami hadn't caught his name.) She stopped in front of his left shoe and just as her hand was about to touch it an onyx dagger appeared at her throat. Nami jumped up from the fence and reached for her bo-staff. One amber eye cracked open and the knife wielding boy instantly withdrew the weapon. Nami breathed a small sigh of relief but went unnoticed by the two children.

"I'm sorry Riles. I didn't know it was you."

She didn't answer but instead reached for his shoe once again. After a minuet she had tied the shoe an a neat bow and he stared at it, embarrassed. Nami wondered what was going on between the two. She had no clue about either of their pasts and she also wasn't sure whether to trust them.

A pang hit her heart...She couldn't ever trust anyone, could she? She slightly shook her head and dismissed the somber thought.

She turned her attention back to the kids who were laughing about something. She relaxed once again and settled back onto the fence. She continued to watch them until Riley's face turned serious and she started to sound older and more mature than the Riley who had been inside the tavern hours ago.

"Ne, still don't know how to tie you shoes?"

Rokuro turned his head away and mumbled something under his breath. Nami couldn't hear him but his eyes were hard and his long, pale fingers were fisted into the grass. The question seemed harmless enough but Rokuro looked like he was going through torture.

"I don't want to talk about it Riles. The past is the past and nothing will change that. I'm a TEN now. I should be killing you...I don't know why I'm not. I don't know anything anymore."

Riley stubbornly shook her head with tears in her eyes.

"No! It was our plan. The idea was to get everyone out. Even the TEN. I should have gotten you all out...Roki. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to save you. I swear to whatever being is unlucky enough to witness all the horror in the world,"

Rokuro cracked a small smile and faced Riley once again.

"That I can never be sorrier. I tried to go back. There were just so many kids and, and, and, Cale he, he got hurt!"

Riley stopped talking and a small shudder racked her whole body. Silvery sweet tears fell from her ebony eyes and she put her head in her hands. Nami was amazed at the sight in front of her. Either they both had forgotten that she was here or they had no pride, or ego to be damaged. A more serious thought flickered into her mind. What if they had been damaged so much and nothing like this could hurt them anymore? Nami's eyes softened as she stared at the kids. They were so small yet the pain they had endured was so clear. She knew what that could feel like...

So maybe that was why she found her body moving towards the two kids. She sat next to them and reached a tentative hand towards Rokuro. His blank amber eyes flicked to her and watched cautiously. But no dagger appeared out of thin air to attack her so her hand kept up its advance. Rokuro reminded her of a cornered animal. He would either accept her, or he would attack at the last second and most likely kill her.

She closed her eyes and when her hand brushed against something silky and soft one cracked open. He slim fingers were gently petting Rokuro's scarlet locks. He had his eyes closed and small purr like sounds rumbled from deep within his chest. The rumbling must have somehow calmed Riley down because her loud wails soon turned to sniffles and she fell soundlessly asleep against Rokuros lithe form. Nami kept petting Rokuro until his purrs quieted and he too fell asleep. She then stood up and walked away from them, a grim look on her face.

She had work to do and no matter how much those kids needed someone to take care of them, she could never be that someone...

DISCLAIMER: I don't own One Piece, Riko belongs to Crazydoglover

AN: YAY! Last of the rewrites! I shall begin to write the new chapters tonight or tomorrow. This was kinda an in between chapter. More character building for Riley, some insight with Nami. Not much. Nothing really to say. Thanks for supporting Riley and her dream so far.

For the final time, this chapter has been redone as of 1-28-13.