XXI: Not Lost but Gained

Luffy woke up in a hospital and remembered the events. 'Zoro!' He thought as he shot up to an upright position, only to feel a sharp pain at his side where he was stabbed.

"Luffy!"

He looked up to see his brother and his friends. "Ace!" He said as his older brother went up and hugged him.

"Thank God you're okay." Ace said as the teen hugged back.

"I missed you Ace." He said as the other hugged tighter before relaxing and looking at him.

"What happened?"

"Huh?"

"The reports said that you killed the assassin. Were they smoking crack or did you really kick the son of a bitch's ass?"

"No, Zoro killed him."

Everyone had a look of confusion. "Zoro?"

"Yeah. I told you about him on the phone, and you guys met him when you were at the park."

"Huh? I don't remember you telling me that."

"Zoro! He works in the petshop with me and he protected me!"

Ace shook his head. "You're just under a lot of stress."

"I'm not lying!"

"You've been out for a week Luffy." Ace said. "You must've dreamed those parts."

"How can I dream up about Zoro? He's real!"

"Luffy… you were the only one reported. There wasn't anyone else in that shop that can kill that man."

Luffy knew what he saw, but he couldn't talk about the real savior, since it was too hard for him to think about.

~*~

For a whole week since he had been in the hospital he thought about calling D to find out what happened, but he was afraid to know about the fate of his tiger friend and love.

By the end of the week he finally managed some courage to grab the phone, but before he could dial the numbers, he saw and recognized the oriental silk robe down the hall heading towards him. "D?"

"Do you have a moment?" D asked and the teen led the way to his temporary recovery room. "How have you been?" He made himself comfortable in a chair that was next to the bed.

"Doctors said I'm doing well…" He responded. "But I feel like shit."

"Why is that?"

"Because I don't want to believe Zoro doesn't exist and I'm afraid to know that he's…" He couldn't bring himself to say it as he looked at D. "D… Please tell me. Where's Zoro?"

D remained silent, making Luffy understand and looked to the floor.

"It's not fair…"

"What would you have done if the man was to be caught and you would have to return home?"

"I'll tell my brother that he's a great friend that needs a place to stay and rent out the room. Zoro's really smart, he'll get a job and be like everyone else but still be my tiger."

"And what if he were to fall in love with another?"

Luffy seemed taken aback but knew he thought about the possibilities. "That's his right to feel that way." He started to choke up. "I'll be concerned but he'll be so used to be in human form that he won't slip up."

"But he's not born human…"

"So!?" He snapped. "So what we're born differently, everyone is not born to be alone because someone is born every minute! What makes any relationship worth it is the experience we get from each other and how we learn to become better beings to ourselves and those around us!"

"And how does Zoro fit in there?"

"He's an amazing being, both as a tiger and human. I didn't see two or three separate identities. I only saw Zoro."

D remained silent as he studied the teen before speaking. "So you don't regret anything with your time with him?"

"What's there to regret?"

"Would you not feel this way if you hadn't met him?"

"I would rather feel this way while thinking of him than not know him at all and feel nothing!"

D smiled mysteriously. "Then you won't mind if I give you something?"

"If it's another pet from your shop then no."

"It's nothing like that."

Luffy suddenly got interested. "What is it then?"

The man looked at the door way. "You can come in now."

He looked at the door way and saw the man he thought he lost forever. "Zoro!" He said as he ran up and hugged the man.

"Hey Luffy." Zoro said as he returned the embrace.

D got up and headed towards the two. "Luffy-chan…"

The embrace slacked and the teen looked at the man.

"Your contract with the tiger Zoro is now a memory. The man before you now is human and will remain so as long as you will remain alive. But you must also know that everyone you know will believe that it was you that took that man out, not Zoro. You have met Zoro while working at my shop and your relationship has moved up slightly." He smiled. "You're welcomed at my shop, but you won't be able to see the forms of the pets anymore."

Luffy nodded, signaling that he understood.

The man smiled warmly as he got up. "Your friends and brother should be here to see Zoro for the first time, try not to ruin this. It was difficult enough to get Zoro-kun everything a human possibly needs to know about."

"Right." Luffy said as he bowed. "Thank you for everything, D."

The man bowed as well. "It's been a pleasure to know you, but not this is where our paths part." He said as he walked passed them. "Stay well." He walked down the hall and into the elevator, just in time for the group to come up to see both Luffy and Zoro, sharing a knowing look as questions began to rise.

~*~

D on the other hand entered a limo and mentioned the driver to his shop.

"So that's it?" Tetsu said, a bored expression on his face.

"Yes…"

"What about Taizuu?" Asked Pon-chan.

"Don't worry, he doesn't remember seeing the tiger in the shop." He said as he brought up a box.

"So it's back to the usual?"

D smiled. "Yes, and our next customer has purchased a very rare and dangerous insect…"

The two children smiled knowingly as the limo continued to drive farther away from the hospital area.