Okay, here's another chappie for you all to make up for that rather boring last one. I have added a few more things in here and have decided the story is going to take a twist. She just goes up and down like a roller coaster, baby! O.o Don't know where that came from. Anyway, onto the chapter!
I would especially like to thank TreeStar for giving me an idea for this chapter. She doesn't know it, but she did with one of her fics but I am not gonna say anymore because it will ruin the surprise.
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Chapter 14: Love thy neighbour
"We're lost." Luffy stated from where he was sitting in the passenger's seat. Zoro frowned.
"We are not lost." he replied. "We're… temporarily misplaced." Luffy raised an eyebrow and then pointed at the billboard they were passing.
"I have now read the quote, 'Love thy neighbour, as you would love thyself' twelve times. I don't think there is that many of that sign on the same road, do you?" Luffy responded sarcastically. Zoro's mouth twisted.
"I know where I'm going." he said and his knuckles tightened slightly on the wheel.
At least, I hope I do. He thought privately. Chopper had fallen asleep an hour ago, and Usopp, Nami and Sanji were discussing their home towns and what they had used to do. Luffy was gazing out the window, hat resting on his lap and un-sandaled feet on the dash.
Toes wriggled as Luffy gazed out the window, his head twisting to watch as a sign, or a tree or a particularly cool car went past. Zoro felt it was way too silent. But then, silence had a few good points about it too. Such as, no whining, no asking about the infinite details of his 'crime'.
"We're lost." Luffy muttered. Zoro grit his teeth.
"Cut it out Luffy or I'm gonna hit you." he growled. His knees were aching from driving all morning, Luffy kept reminding him that they were lost, Sanji kept making snide insults and the chef's knee kept digging into his back. He was not a happy bunny.
"At home I was the greatest story teller there ever was." Usopp said. Nami looked at him and then shrugged. For once in the boy's life, he was probably telling the truth. She paused for a second as the memory of her home town rang through her mind.
It had never been mentioned and while she had been with Luffy and Zoro, it had never been thought about, because it was something she wished she could just forget. But, the talk of home towns and how much they missed them, had got to her.
"Hey Nami!" Luffy's happy voice said from the front. Nami looked up at him sharply.
"What?" she asked and Luffy titled his head.
"You okay?" he asked, genuine concern and caring leaking into his happy expression. Nami let a small smile slide across her face.
"Yeah. I'm fine." she replied and Luffy grinned.
"Good! Can't have my friends getting sick now, can I? But Chopper's here. He can fix you if you do, so I guess it's okay if you get sick. Not that I want you to!" and he put a hand on his head, a thoroughly confused expression on his face. Nami chuckled.
"It's ok. I'm fine, really." she replied and Luffy gave a short nod before facing the front again. Nami's smile faded and she looked back out the window and at the cars flashing past beside them. She wasn't fine. But no way was she going to let anyone else know that.
"How long is it gonna take us to get there?" Usopp asked after a short silence. Zoro shrugged.
"No idea. As long as it takes." he replied. Luffy looked over at Zoro, a slightly pitiful look on his face.
"But, Zorooooo. I'm hungry noooooooow." he whined. Zoro paused and looked across at Luffy, who was pouting, and then turned back to the road.
"You got any food back there cheese head?" he asked, looking in the rear-view mirror. Sanji frowned.
"What do I look like? A human refrigerator?" the chef asked sarcastically.
"Human refrigerator? Coooooool!" Luffy cried, twisting in his seat to look at Sanji. The blonde shook his head.
"I am not a human refrigerator! Don't look at me like that! I do not have food inside me!" Sanji yelled, noticing the slightly maniacal 'I want food and it looks like you're gonna either be the one to provide it, or the actual food' look in Luffy's eyes. The boy wavered for a second and his smile fell.
"But, you just said…" he began and Sanji shook his head.
"I wasn't serious! Hell, don't you understand what sarcasm is?" the chef asked. Luffy blinked and grinned.
"Nope!" he stated happily and Sanji sighed before reaching into the back, careful to avoid Chopper as he searched for the bag that had the food inside. Finding it, he undid the zipper and then pulled out some sandwiches he had wrapped earlier.
"Here," he said and tossed a sandwich to Luffy. The boy caught it deftly and looked at if for a second before grinning at Sanji.
"Thanks Sanji! You're the best!" he cried and twisted back to the front, adjusting his seat belt as he did so. Zoro frowned momentarily and then shook his head, not really understanding his own logic.
If Luffy thought Sanji was the best simply because Sanji had given the boy some food, it was no skin off of his nose. But then, he wished Luffy would call him the best. Oh great. Now he was thinking like he had when they had first met Sanji.
He looked over as Luffy unwrapped the sandwich, the bandage on his shoulder twitching slightly. Zoro sighed as he looked out the window and spotted a park. It was abandoned, and there were no playthings to go on, but, it looked peaceful. Might be a good place to sort out where the hell they were.
"Wanna stop over guys?" he asked casually, trying to sound as though he didn't care whether they wanted to or not. In truth he really needed a break from this driving. Luffy looked up and over at the park. His eyes widened.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" he cried, half eaten sandwich waving about in the air dangerously as he bounced up and down. A small smile tugged at Zoro's lips and he twiddled the steering wheel, pulling the car over to the other side of the road and killing the engine.
"Will we be alright here?" A small voice asked. Zoro looked around and saw Chopper sitting up in the back. The swordsman gave a short nod.
"Should be. But be careful anyway. Chopper, do you have any maps or anything?" he asked. Nami looked up.
"What for? I thought you knew where you were going." she commented, a sort of half smug look on her face. Zoro frowned.
"I do." he responded.
"Why the maps?"
"Just to make sure."
"Oh…sure, right. Just to make sure." Nami replied sarcastically.
"Hey Zoro!" a voice shouted and the green haired man turned to see Luffy waving at him from atop a small hill. He gave a short wave back and Luffy started making beckoning motions with his arms. Zoro sighed.
Not now Luffy. I'm not in a good mood. He thought.
"I can look at the maps. What's the name of the town we are looking for?" Nami asked as Chopper handed her a few pieces of folded up paper out of the glove box. Zoro blinked and then his eyes narrowed.
"Why?" he responded, eyes flicking back to Luffy who was putting his hands on his hips and tapping his foot.
"Because, it's plainly obvious you want to go and talk to Luffy. And two, I'm a surveyor and a navigator. I, unlike you, can tell North from South." she responded a little harshly. Zoro frowned and a vein twitched in his temple.
"Hey! I can so tell North from South!" he yelled at her. Nami rolled her eyes.
"Is that why we've been driving in circles all morning?" she asked. Zoro blinked and then grit his teeth. Not only Luffy was telling him he was wrong, now this bitch was getting on his case.
"Fine, but don't expect any thanks from me. The village is called Botto." he returned before stomping off towards Luffy, who began to dance around. Happy that Zoro was coming over to him. Nami watched Zoro go and her face fell again.
At least he's happier now than when we first met. Happier than me anyway. She thought bitterly. It wasn't like she liked Zoro or Luffy, and was jealous of the bond they had, but, she did want something, anything, to try and help drive away the emptiness that more and more this morning, was making it's presence known.
She walked around to the front of the car and unfolded the first map on the bonnet of the car. Her eyes scanned the map for the town and flashed across a name that made her heart stop for a second. Coco village. Nami gazed at it for a second.
"Nami?" a voice asked and she twisted quickly to see Sanji standing there. He titled his head slightly and gave her a concerned look.
"Are you okay?" he asked. Nami smiled.
"Yeah. I'm fine." she replied. Those words were beginning to taste bitter on her tongue.
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Luffy watched as Zoro walked towards him and his heart began to thump against his ribs. Luffy blinked and paused for a second.
Stupid heart. Stop beating so fast. It's annoying. He thought, not understanding exactly why his heart was beating so fast. Zoro reached him and Luffy grinned. Zoro gave him a smile back and stuck his hands in his pockets.
"What's up?" the older asked. Luffy blinked and then remembered exactly why he had called Zoro over.
"Oh! There's something over here I want you to see!" he cried and bounded over the hill and down the other side. Zoro followed after him, wondering what it was that Luffy was so eagre to show him. Luffy ran ahead, his arms out to the sides like he was pretending to be an aeroplane.
At least he's not making the motor sounds. Zoro thought. Next thing Luffy started doing exactly that and Zoro sighed, Spoke too soon. They walked for a while, or rather, Zoro walked and Luffy skipped, ran, jumped and generally danced around. Anything but walking really.
"So, how far are we going?" he asked. Luffy shrugged from in front of him.
Fantastic. He has no clue how far we are going. Lovely. Zoro thought, getting rather annoyed again.
"I saw it from a distance and came back to get you. I think you'll like it." The boy replied and then paused, stopping dead in his tracks. Zoro stopped beside him and Luffy fixed Zoro with a weird stare.
"You will like it, won't you?" he asked. Zoro blinked and his brows furrowed.
"How the hell do I know? I haven't even seen it yet!" he responded and Luffy leaned up so his nose was inches from Zoro's. The swordsman's brain scattered and left him pretty much incapable of any rational thought.
So close, so close. Gah, quit it! Zoro thought and then frowned. Annoying little brat.
"Hmm," Luffy hummed before stepping back again and making Zoro feel a heavy pang of disappointment, but at the same time he felt a strong sense of relief. A few more seconds of Luffy being that close and who knows what he would have done.
"Ok. Let's go." and Luffy continued onwards. Zoro sighed and followed. It took another few minutes for Luffy to stop again and then look around, hands on his hips and a confused expression on his small face.
"Uh…" he muttered before turning around on the spot. Zoro walked up behind him and looked around as well.
"We're lost…aren't we?" Zoro asked as if he already knew the answer. Luffy shook his head violently.
"I know where we are!" he replied stubbornly. Zoro sighed. Déjà vu much? Luffy bit his lip.
Oh great. Where am I? I don't even know the way back, and Zoro's sense of direction is about as good as a rock's. Luffy thought and put his hands on his hips. Zoro raised an eyebrow behind Luffy and looked around as well. I don't want Zoro to think I'm an idiot. But, the look on his face... he does think that! Well, two can play at that game! And Luffy frowned.
He didn't have any clue where they were, and he didn't have any clue how to get back. Some great help he was. Luffy hummed again as he thought before he twisted on the spot and looked past Zoro.
"I think… it's that way." he said, pointing in the direction they thought they had just come from. Zoro sighed and followed, his patience wearing thin. Once again, they walked for a few minutes and then Luffy stopped again and put his hand on his chin.
"We're lost." Zoro commented. Luffy frowned. Zoro telling him he was wrong was getting a little annoying. Even though he had only done it twice.
"I am not lost! I'm temporarily misplaced." he growled in return and began walking forwards. Zoro frowned.
What the... What the hell did I do! Talk to me like that. I saved his goddamn life the little bastard! I bet he thinks it's my fault that we got lost! Well, two can play at that game! Zoro thought, unconsciously repeating what Luffy thought.
"Don't blame me for this! You're the one who decided he wanted to show me something." the swordsman returned. Luffy frowned as well.
"I'm not the one who has the directional sense of a rock." Luffy muttered. Ouch. That hurt the swordsman and he growled. What had started out as a nice walk together and a bit of banter, had turned into a full fledged fight.
Oops... Luffy thought, seeing the look on Zoro's face, I didn't mean to say that.
Luffy...? Little bastard! He can go to hell for all I care. Zoro thought.
"Find your own damn way back." Zoro hissed and stomped off in the opposite direction.
What? Fine, I will! Luffy thought, his jaw dropping open.
"Fine! You dummy dum dum!" Luffy yelled back, fists clenched at his side. He turned on his heel and walked the opposite way to what Zoro had. It was really such a trivial thing to fight over, but, both had been hurt by what the other had said, and the only way for them to show how much it had hurt was to yell at the other.
As Luffy was walking away, he paused a moment and slowly turned to look over his shoulder at Zoro's back.
Zoro...
At the same time, the swordsman did the same thing.
Luffy...
Sad expressions on both faces turned hard and they glared at each other before stomping off in their respective directions again.
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Chopper stood by the car, his hooves clicking together anxiously. Luffy and Zoro had both been gone for over an hour and he was beginning to get worried.
Sanji and Usopp kept making jokes that if you looked over the other side of the hill, Luffy and Zoro would be there making out. Nami was off in her own little world as she studied the map in her hands and Chopper was anxiously biting his lip and wondering where the heck his new found friends could be.
"Hey guys, do you think we should go look for them?" Chopper asked. Sanji sighed.
"For the tenth time Chopper, no. If the idiots can't find their own way back, then it's their fault." the chef replied but, even he sounded a little anxious. He was smoking a little faster than normal as well. Usopp looked around and then slid down to Chopper's level.
"They're fine." he said and then grinned slyly, "Unless the Great dragon of the unknown park got them." and he sighed. Chopper stiffened and his little, puppy dog like eyes grew wide.
"D-d-dragon? I didn't know those existed!" he squeaked and Usopp nodded sadly.
"Oh yeah. They're dangerous too. Scales as thick as twenty sheets of metal and shining in the sun, but they're green so you can't see them until you step on them and then - BOOM!- it's too late." he explained and Chopper began to grow frightened. Sanji swung a leg around and hit Usopp across the head with it. The long nosed liar gave a scream of pain and then grabbed at his head.
"What was that for?" he cried.
"Stop scaring Chopper." the chef growled as he lit another cigarette. Usopp frowned and then sighed.
"It's okay Chopper. I can handle the evil dragon. I have done it millions of times before!" he cried and Chopper paused a moment and he blinked at Usopp before his face split into a relieved grin.
"Really?" he asked. Usopp nodded.
"Yep. The great Usopp is always available to help in times of jeopardy!" and he struck a pose that superheroes often did on the tv. However, unlike said superheroes, Usopp's pose just served to show the fact that he was actually a wimp, but it fooled Chopper and the little reindeer let out a huge,
"COOOOOL!" Sanji rolled his eyes and then looked over and his visible eye widened slightly.
"Hey… it's Luffy." he said. Chopper, Usopp and Nami all twisted to see the red chequered shirted boy walk over a small hill and start walking towards them.
He was holding a small branch of purple flowers in one hand and his other hand was stuffed deep into his pocket. The visible bandage on his shoulder was starkly white against the cool green background of the park.
"Luffy!" Chopper cried and jumped forward, hurrying towards his newly dubbed 'Brother'. Luffy looked up and smiled. But the smile didn't look genuine, at least, not in Usopp's opinion. The long nose watched Luffy carefully as the boy walked towards him.
"Where's Marimo head?" Sanji asked. Luffy's face darkened and he frowned.
"Don't know, don't care." he replied and with a short growl, he got into the back seat of the car and sat resolutely on the left side of the seat, eyes cast forward and hand clenched around the small branch of flowers.
Nami looked around from the passenger seat, the place she had chosen to try and mark their route. Her eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly at Luffy's expression.
"Luffy…?" she asked. The small boy looked up and then a large grin came to his face.
"Hey Nami!" he cried. Nami jumped at the squeakiness in his voice but smiled.
"You okay?" she asked. Luffy nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine." and Nami instantly knew he was lying. The tone in his voice was the same tone she knew was permeating her own voice when she said those words to someone today. It seemed she wasn't the only one having a problem with something that day.
It was another hour before Zoro finally found his way back to the car. He had a grouchy expression on his face and as he saw the car, he paused at the sight of Luffy sitting in the back next to Usopp. His eyes narrowed and Luffy, who had been talking happily to Usopp, noticed the look and openly ignored it. Zoro's lip twitched.
"Oi, Marimo. You were supposed to be here to eat and help wonderful Nami find a route to the damn town we're supposed to be going to so we can save your ass." the chef growled. Zoro frowned at him.
"Fuck you. I was walking." he returned. Sanji raised his eyebrow. Now here was an opportunity to piss this bastard off.
"You mean, you got lost." he retaliated. Zoro stiffened and his eyes darkened.
"Yeah, I got lost. Apparently I have the directional sense of a damn rock!" he growled, glaring intentionally at a certain black haired boy. Luffy stiffened and it seemed as if the boy was going to say something but then Nami intervened.
"Zoro, do you mind if I drive?" she asked. Zoro's back rose but Nami quelled it with a quick, "Nothing to do with your directional sense." hey, even Nami knew when to draw the line. "But, it would be easier if I drove because then I wouldn't get frustrated telling you which way to go, and you wouldn't get annoyed with me telling you what to say, right?"
"…sure, whatever, I don't give a damn." the swordsman replied and motioned that he wanted to sit in the passenger seat. Nami got out and walked around to the other side of the car and got into the driver's side.
"Sit in the back Zoro. Nami doesn't need you beside her." Sanji hissed. Zoro turned slowly towards the chef, a look on his face that quite plainly said 'Set one foot in the front of this car and you will die, asshole'. The chef frowned and then got into the right side of the car, Chopper jumping in onto Luffy's lap and then into the back of the car.
Doors were shut, and the key was turned as Nami started the car. It rumbled for a moment and then Nami turned it onto the road, doing a quick check behind her before she did so. Silence filled the car and every now and again, Luffy and/or Zoro would give a short snort or a huffy sounding sigh.
It was no great secret to the rest of the people in the car that the two were having a fight, over what they didn't know but, it would have had to have been pretty bad seeing as how the two didn't even want to look at each other. Not to mention they were the best of friends and had been together the longest.
Asshole. Zoro thought towards the boy.
Bastard. Luffy thought towards Zoro. The two glared at each other for a moment as if they had heard the other's thoughts and then commenced looking out their windows again.
'Love thy neighbour, as you would love thy self' was driven past again.
Pfft, yeah right. Both Luffy and Zoro thought.
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So, there you have it. To tell the truth, this was kinda inspired by TreeStar's story 'Merry go round and round' so, props to her. Bit of a switch isn't it? And here you all thought they were going to go all lovey dovey. Ha! Fooled ya all! Reviews would be very much appreciated. Please? -hint hint, nudge nudge, wink wink- ah forget it. I think someone is gonna hit me for saying that one day.