Zoro froze as his name is called. He slowly turns around and looks up at her standing there just like how he remembers. Well, not fully. She seemed to have aged. She looks more tired.

"I-it's been a while... mama." Zoro says. That was a reaction. Didn't Zoro want to see her? Or was the blonde mistaken. He couldn't have gotten the wrong place, Zoro knows her and she knows him.

"Zoro." She says. Her eyes tear up and fall down her face. "I... I never thought I'd see you again. You came back to me!" She yells running to him. She engulfs him in a hug, her big arms holding him in place. Zoro didn't know what to do at first but then wraps his arms around her, hugging her back.

"I'm back." Zoro says into the area where neck meets shoulder. The woman just holds him closer.

"So glad to see you're fine." She pats his back. She then pushes him at arm's length, getting a good look at him. "You are fine right?" She asks checking his body. He's not slim, seems to be eating well, getting a good night's sleep, but he seems nervous. "You don't seem happy to be here?"

"I... should I be here?" Zoro asks silently looking away, not able to meet her eyes. She gives him a smile.

"Relax. Mikazuki isn't here anymore." She says. Zoro looks at her shocked. Finally meeting her eyes. She smiles brighter. His eyes have changed for the better.

"What?"

"Come on let's get you inside. I'll tell you everything." She says turning around, taking Zoro's hand in hers and dragging him. Zoro looks down to see her still wearing the big fat bracelet. She hasn't changed. Zoro runs into her back as she stops abruptly. "Who are you two?" She asks Sanji and Megumi.

"I'm Sanji. Nice to meet you." Sanji bows. Becoming a habit for him too as he always sees Zoro and Megumi do it when they introduce themselves.

"I-I'm Megumi." She bows. "It's nice to meet you." She adds. Mama stares at Megumi then back at Zoro.

"This must be the baby!" She yells excited, letting go of Zoro's hand and rushes to Megumi. Zoro follows her as she wraps Megumi into her arms. "How cute!" She says. She looks over at the blonde as he moves around them and grabs onto Zoro's hand.

"This is Sanji, her father." Zoro answers. "And my... boyfriend." Zoro says sheepishly. He didn't want to tell her just yet.

"We-" Sanji starts but gets interrupted by a punch to the back of his skull. He holds the place he was just hit and looks up to see the lady glaring down at him.

"Ever heard of protection!" She yells.

"Yes, and we use it alot now!" Sanji answers back. She gives one last glare at the blonde then turns with a smile to Megumi and Zoro. Zoro with a blush across his cheeks and Megumi who seemed confused on what they were talking about.

"Let's get inside. I'm sure we have a lot to catch up on." She says pushing everyone inside.

She walks them to the dining room that mirrored the kitchen. Zoro couldn't help but stop every step and take a look at everything. The outside looked the same but the inside has changed. It felt more... homey. The couch and furniture looked almost new, they were spotless and shined. There was decorations everywhere, pictures in frames, even on the walls. It felt like a home and looked like one to. Not how it was when he was there, or even when he left. Zoro felt better about coming here. He thought he would still be here so he wasn't sure. But now that he's not here, he could let loose a little.

"What happened to Mikazuki?" Zoro asks sitting down on the chair next to Megumi, on the other side of Sanji. All facing mama.

"You didn't know?" She asks. Zoro shakes his head. "It was all over the news." She adds. Again Zoro shakes his head.

"If it didn't affect me in a bad way I didn't pay much attention to news." Zoro answers.

"Geez marimo... Zoro." The blonde corrects himself after getting a very murderous glare from mama. What is it with Zoro getting all these protective mother like figures around him? If it's not Tisha then it's someone else. "It was very serious. That's how I found this place. I..." Sanji looks away for a second. "I didn't know this was the place you grew up in."

"So what happened?" Zoro asks.

"In short, Mikazuki was arrested and sent to jail." mama answers.

"So he's really not here anymore?" Zoro asks. She shakes his head. Zoro almost deflates at that.

"He won't be bothering anyone anymore. He didn't last long in prison." She says. Zoro sits back up for that.

"You don't-"

"He died. Another inmate killed him. Not surprising. Child abusers never last long in prison." She answers. Zoro just stares. So he's... dead. Sanji stared shocked. He saw the news when it came out. He thought the man was arrested for laundering money meant for the kids. Sanji looked at Zoro, nothing happened to him did it? Though he didn't want an answer for that. Zoro didn't seem to really care.

"Where are the others?" Zoro asks looking around. It was so quiet.

"I sent them off to do errands for me. It was either that or they help me clean. It worked out better though, I'm much faster at cleaning than they are."

"Did anyone get adopted?"

"No. But that doesn't matter they are all mine. No one can take them from me. I don't want anyone to feel unloved or get kicked out. I didn't want something like what happened to you to happen again." She stares at Zoro. "Glad to see you're here. I was worried about you and the baby. You never visited so I thought something happened. If you needed help you could have come here. But if you didn't see the news then I guess that's why." She looks at Megumi then at Sanji. Things seem fine with his life. "So what do you do now? You went to train at the police academy right?" Zoro looks down at that.

"I couldn't become a police officer. I tried to go back but they rejected me."

"What why?!"

"Before recently, I had a..." Zoro looks at Megumi then at her. "A bad job. So they rejected my application but I do have a job. A part time job at a bookstore. I don't know what I'm going to do now but I will have time to think." Zoro gives her a smile. She looks at Zoro then at Megumi. She'll get the two adults alone and get a better story but for now she's just happy to have him in front of her. To see the baby happy and healthy.

"Well lunch is around the corner. Want to eat something?" She asks. Zoro jumps at that.

"No! It's okay. We can go home now and eat there." Zoro says. "We can come back another time." Sanji and Megumi look at him shocked. Sanji thought they could stay longer, Megumi wanted to stay longer. Mama gives Zoro a smile. She knew what he's thinking. He's still sweet like sugar, thinking about everyone else besides himself.

"Relax Zoro." She says reaching across the table to pat Zoro's head. "There's enough food for everyone." She adds.

Ah. So that's why he wanted to go back home. He didn't want the kids still here to have less food later. This place really brings things into light. The blonde wishes he was there for Zoro sooner.

"Are you sure?" Zoro asks.

"Yup! Some of the boys are even getting a little chubby." She gives Zoro a reassuring and bright smile. Slightly proud by that fact.

Zoro nods.