I know I know I said that I would write the next chapter really soon but hey what can I say…finals suck and I still need to do my x-mas shopping.

Just for some people out there who were probably wondering I know that Robin doesn't join the crew until after crocodile is defeated and I also know that none of these islands exist…but remember this is a fan fiction and you will see that I sorely needed Robin in this story.

…

It was day 6 on the Merry Go. Ayumi hadn't discovered anything valuable from Vivi involving Hades or the location of the library in the capital. She had tried several times but it was impossible to word these questions right without looking suspicious and revealing her identity. It had taken her a long time to realize it but Robin was in fact Miss Sunday. Ayumi never spent much time on Baroque Works; she was always on some secret mission from Crocodile…probably because she was the least known member of the team.

She wasn't like the rest. Everyone was in partners based on their skill level and compatibility. Ayumi on the other hand was invisible in the normal world and the world of organized crime. The only people who knew her by Miss Halloween were Crocodile, Mr.5, Miss Valentine, and the Unluckies. If Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine hadn't been the ones who found Ayumi Crocodile probably would have been the only one who knew of her. But even he didn't know her real name.

Robin and Ayumi had grown especially close during the voyage, most likely because they were sharing the same room. Ayumi began to look at Robin as a kind of big sister…like the one she had lost years ago. Robin was very kind to Ayumi. She had realized that she had begun to become slightly protective of her for an unknown reason. She really does remind me of well…me when I was her age…that is except for the bounty of my head when I was half her age.

Ayumi had actually grown close to everyone on the ship. At a point she had even forgotten to gain information from Vivi. The two of them and Nami would always be found on deck or in their quarters talking and laughing. Sometimes Robin and the boys would join in the fun and they would hear stories of each other's lives.

"Ayumi, tell us how you got stranded on that island." Luffy said.

Everyone else had told a story of his or her childhood so Ayumi felt obliged to contribute to the confessional. But she couldn't do it. It was far too hard for her to describe. The only story close to how sad her story was Nami's tale about seeing her mother die before her eyes and selling herself over to save her town.

"I can't do it. It's too painful."

"Don't feel like you have to Ayumi we just thought it would be a better way for us to know you".

Sanji is a good negotiator and it might be nice to actually talk to someone about this…heaven knows that I can't tell anyone else my feelings. "Alright I'll tell you all what happened."

Ayumi took a deep breath. "I lived on an island far from here in the west seas. It was a lush and fruitful island with kindhearted people and a bright future. I had a mother, father, and a sister back then. My mother was an artist. She spent many days and nights mixing colors and sketching the scenery. My older sister took after her. She was just as talented, if not more, than my mother. My father on the other hand was a musician. I tried to paint several times when I was younger but I loved to listen to my father more. He taught me every song that he knew. One winter my mother fell ill. She died shortly after. I never saw my father cry but I could tell that it really affected him more than it did my sister or me.

Madera, my sister, had always been close to my mother and the grief of loosing her made her ill as well. By that summer my father was the only family I had left. I would climb out of my room at night and sit on the beach and cry. Every morning I would wake up in my bed. Even though my father knew what I would do he didn't stop me…he would just go and find me and then take me home. He told me later that everyone needed a way to grieve and that was mine.

There had been some news of wars breaking out in surrounding islands. My father said that it wasn't war but genocide. A group of pirates would come to the islands and take what they wanted: food, gold, even prisoners. He said that our islands were considered inferior to others and therefore we were despised my many. Then they would burn the island to the ground and leave no survivors. Father was able to find a boat and told me to pack. We ran to the beach and my father cast me off. He told me that if he came he would slow me down and I wouldn't be able to escape the pirates. The truth was my father wanted to go back to the village to fight for our people. Before he sent me off he gave me his violin, the same violin that I play today.

I watched as my father got farther and farther away from me. I couldn't stand it. I was so angry that he wanted to split our family apart after all we had been through. I wasn't sure what I was thinking at the time. I was 9 and I had some delusional idea in my head that I could fight off the pirates and save the town with my father. I steered back into port and ran to the town. When I got there the pirates had already set fire to our homes and killed the people. I spent the entire night looking for my father. I finally did when morning came.

I remember seeing him leaning there against a tree with a sword in his hand and one pinning him to the tree. I ran to him hoping that he was still alive. He wasn't dead, but he was bleeding badly. He heard me coming and looked up. That was the first and only time I saw my father cry. "I never wanted you to see this sight Ayumi. You were supposed to leave and continue your life!" I couldn't say anything to him. What would you say to someone when you knew it would be the last thing they heard?

I guess my tears said everything. He reached out for me and held me in his arms. I remember the last thing that he said to me was "Ayumi get your violin". I ran back to port and brought it to him. He had me sit in his lap again he just played the violin. I will never forget that song. It was the one that his father played for him as a boy. Somehow he just managed to finish it before he died. I couldn't tell by his face if he was dead or not but once his blood stopped pooling below us I knew it was over. I cried myself asleep in my father's cold arms and when I awoke the pirates who killed my father and destroyed my town surrounded me. They took me prisoner on their ship.

It was a year before we drifted here. There was some bad weather and we hit some rocks. I was the only survivor of the wreck I imagine. So I was stuck on that island until I met you."

Ayumi looked at the floor the whole time she told her story. She never looked up so that the crew couldn't see that she had began crying even before she started to tell her story. It wasn't hard to figure it out though, it was obvious seeing the tears fall onto the table and begin forming a sea of depression. Even when she had finished she didn't look up. Her face was too red and puffy and she was too proud to be seen in this emotional state.

The room was fairly silent past the muffled sniffle and the occasional clearing of someone's throat.

Zoro was even standing in the corner of the room to hide his watery eyes.

I can't believe what she's gone through. Sanji watched as Ayumi attempted to hold in her emotions as best as she could. He gently wrapped an arm around Ayumi's shoulders to comfort her.

"Hold on a second Ayumi! I thought that you said that your family is in Congo Island! You just told us that they're all dead! One of your stories isn't strait!"

Ayumi froze with terror. Out of every one of these people she didn't expect Usopp to sniff her out.

Sanji felt Ayumi tighten up at Usopp's remark. "Usopp shut the hell up can't you see that Ayumi's having a hard time with this right now!"

"Well excuse me but something isn't right about this, I know tall tales and the one thing about lying is that you need to keep your story strait or whatever your hiding will come out in the end and believe me she's lying about something."

SMACK! "Ouch Vivi what the hell was that for!"

"For being an ass Usopp!"

Quickly Ayumi thought of an excuse. "STOP!" The room went silent. "Your right Usopp my father, mother and sister are dead. But I have an aunt on Congo Island. That's why my father and I would go there. She was my mother's sister you see and we wanted her to remember that she still had family with her. I wouldn't consider her family though. She never visited us and I only met her one time. But your right I do have family."

The room was a tomb. Not a single person could be heard breathing. "Ayumi…I…I'm…I'm sorry."

Ayumi couldn't take it any longer she bolted up from the table and out of Sanji's grasp and ran out the room.

"USOPP WHY THE HELL DID YOU HAVE TO DO THAT TO HER!"

"Nami, guys, I'm sorry but something isn't right about her…I'm not sure what but something isn't."

"Someone should be with her now." Vivi began to stand up from the table, but Sanji stopped her. "I'll go with you."

…

I just can't do this anymore! For one thing Usopp is suspicious, and I just told my prey my life story…well most of it anyway…

…Flashback…

Ayumi was sitting with her father's body and playing the violin when a hand picked her up.

"What do we have here? Well sorry to make your death a postponed one."

Mr. 5 took out a booger and was about to shoot it at her. "Let me go you stupid pirate! I'm not afraid of you but if you don't put me down I can't very well fight now can I?"

"Hahahahahahahaahhahahahahahaha! For a shrimp you got some fire in you.

"I like her Mr. 5. Crocodile is always looking for some new meat and he does like music…who knows we might even be promoted to a higher rank."

Next thing Ayumi knew she was in front of Mr. 0, aka Crocodile. "Why did you bring me this weakling? I have no use for her." Ayumi snapped. She ran at him and started kicking him in the shin…even though it only turned to sand every time she hit it.

She has a killer instinct…maybe she could be of some use to me anyway. "I'll tell you what girl become a part of my criminal family and it'll be worth your while."

Although Ayumi didn't want to she knew that being a part of this organization was the only chance that one day she might be able to take revenge on Crocodile for what he did to her people and her family…besides it was that or death.

…End Flashback…

Vivi and Sanji walked around the ship looking for Ayumi. "Sanji where could she have gone?"

He thought for a moment. "I know where we can find her."

Sanji led Vivi to the sheep's head were Ayumi was sitting in silence. Together Sanji and Vivi walked up to her.

"Ayumi, forgive Usopp. He didn't mean those things. See he's just paranoid and gets a little closter phobic when he's been on the ship for so long and…" Ayumi cut Vivi off.

"I know. I do forgive him."

"Ayumi if you ever want to talk to me about anything you know how to find me. I know how it feels when your country is falling apart and your family is caught in the middle of it."

That's right Alabasta! I can't believe that I didn't realize how she must feel. "Vivi I'm so sorry! Thank you for all your kindness to me…I will repay you for this." Ayumi jumped off the sheep's head and hugged Vivi. "I never compared your situation to mine. Our lives are so similar…in ways that you can't comprehend." Vivi began to cry again and simply hugged Ayumi back.

"Your right Ayumi. I promise we'll both make it through this…together."

Sanji stood in the shadows of the mast. "Ah hem". Vivi looked at him and caught his hint. She pulled away from Ayumi and went inside the ship.

Ayumi leaned against the sheep's head facing the water again. "You know I think that this is my favorite spot on the ship."

"Why?"

"I think It's because when I sit here and look out at the ocean I feel like I'm flying away on some adventure. I can't explain it but I feel free and invincible. Is that stupid?"

"No. In fact that's the kind of passion that everyone in this world needs but unfortunately so few have. You're a rare breed Ayumi. Not many can feel what you feel while your on that head. And yet you find it so often in the places that most people avoid or miss entirely."

"You speak about me in ways that should describe someone else. You don't know the real me Sanji, and if you did I'm sure that you would see me differently."

Sanji placed his hand on her shoulder and turned her around to face him. She had been crying this whole time and the trails of tears glittered on her cheeks. Instinctively he hugged her. "Ayumi I don't understand what you're talking about. I don't see why you can't see yourself like I do. Believe me it isn't that hard to see."

"Sanji I…um…thank you."

"Ayumi you have friends here and everyone of us care about you. Don't think that you are forced to live your life alone…I think that's what your father wanted, for you to find friends that would help you live your life to it's fullest. Ayumi he wanted you to be free."

Ayumi's eyes widened. She hated herself for crying yet again. She usually wasn't this weak. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he let her tears seep into his blue jacket. "Ayumi it's cold and late. I'll take you back to your room."

Robin was already waiting at the door for Ayumi to come to bed. For the third time that night she was hugged and she knew that she was cared for here with her…friends. Ayumi thanked Sanji again and was led into the room by Robin, her second big sister, and one of many friends that she knew she didn't deserve.

…

Well I hope that I didn't stink this up…please review this for me.