Yay! At last, I managed to fit the typing of the third chapter into my tight schedule! Thanks for reading and reviewing my first 2 chapters, and thank you also for bearing with the wrong tenses and grammars on the first two… hee hee.. The ending of the story in on this chapter, but I think I shall submit another one with LxN, ZxR and SxV pairing. But I have to decide about it first so it's not yet sure. So please R&R this last chapter… I might make a sequel to this, maybe how LxN managed to be together as the Pirate King and Queen... maybe with a little boy between them, who looks like Luffy and wears Shanks' hat also? whatever… Oh and I forgot… About the part in chapter 2, where Luffy blocked the bullets for Nami, I think the fit song for that is Memories by Maki Otsuki, the first ending of One Piece.

Chapter 3: Ending

'I'll explain everything later…I promise, Nami!' Nami's thoughts raced through her head. She couldn't help but think. 'Where have he been all this time? Why did he make me wait for a year before showing up? Why…?' Nami had so many questions to ask him, but as his crew, she must follow his orders to go help Chopper treat everybody's wounds and stop the poison with that special antidote he made. Also, Luffy promised he would explain everything to Nami after the whole thing's over. 'Looks like I have to wait until he comes back… I'm sure he would have so much to tell…' Nami smiled upon the thought and took the antidote from Chopper and placed it beside the sleeping archaeologist.

"Chopper? What do I have to do with the antidote you gave me?" Nami asked as she motioned where she placed the antidotes.

"Put it on the spot the poison bullets got them and leave the rest to me." Chopper smiled at Nami. He knew being a hostage must have been hard for their navigator, also the shock about Luffy's appearance.

"But, Luffy said I should help you and--"

"You already helped enough. You need rest Nami. After all, I'm the doctor here so the doctor must not sleep while treating his patients." Chopper walked towards Sanji, who, obviously, had been dreaming of ladies since he murmured different girl's names as he slept.

"All right I'll go have a rest." Nami stood up since she already applied antidotes at everybody's wounds. "Hey, Chopper, I thought you got hit by a bullet too…"

"Oh, Zoro blocked that bullet for me. That's why I'm treating him. He has two wounds, you see." Chopper motioned at Zoro.

"I'll have a rest but--" Nami faced the doctor again before finishing her sentence. "..if there's something I could help with, wake me up okay?"

Chopper nodded, and continued putting bandages on the wounded parts of the other Straw Hat pirates.

Nami entered her room without another word but gave a last glance at her wounded nakama. As she closed the door for a rest, her mind started thinking about her captain's disappearance for a year again.

'I wonder… How long will that battle be? I don't want to see him beaten up and he would have a rest without telling me the reasons why he waited for a year to see us…' Nami thought as she lied in her bed. She was tossing, left to right, and still cannot sleep.

'But, like what I've heard when I was still young, Good things happen to those who wait… So I guess, I should wait…' Nami picked up her clima tact, the weapon Usopp invented for her. She remembered that day, when she was still using that old weapon of hers, the brown stick, and she was standing in front of Arlong Park, watching and worrying as Luffy fights with Arlong.

'He's always there when I need him… He's always there when I'm so lost… He's… always there for me… He is my hero, after all….' Nami thought as she smiled and looked out at the window.

'He already made lots of sacrifices for me… He really wanted to beat Arlong when he saw me crying… without knowing the real reason why… And Nojiko told me that he didn't even want to hear my past… He even said it was not important… he fought Arlong just because I was crying…And to think, we saw each other during Alvida's attack at that marine ship… He dropped his boat and we looked at each other yet he didn't speak… so did I…' Nami now realized how long it had been and when did they first saw each other.

'I want him to know how I really feel, how much I appreciate everything he is doing for me, and I want him to know how much I missed him… I'll tell him so when the time is right…' Nami stood up and opened her desk drawer. She saw his wanted poster and below it was the map she drew of Cocoyashi when she was still a child.

Closing her drawer, she glanced outside to check if Luffy already arrived. Seeing no one, she sat on her bed again and glanced at his grinning face in the poster. She couldn't help but chuckle. The way he smiled on that picture, it was as if he had no worries in life at all. Actually, those were the factors Nami liked about him. He was free-spirited, he never worries about unnecessary things, he loves his nakama, and most of all, he admits he cannot live alone.

'Well, another thing I liked about him is that when he said something that he'll do, nothing's gonna stop him from doing it…' Nami glanced outside again and noticed that it was raining. 'Maybe I should go check Chopper. The others maybe already awake.' She went outside and quickly climbed the stairs down to proceed in the dining room.

When she opened the door, she saw that Zoro and Robin are already awake. Zoro was checking on this swords whether they are in good shape or not. Robin was helping the doctor treat Usopp and Sanji.

"Oh Nami… I thought you took a rest?" Chopper asked and faced her.

"I was supposed to… but I thought it might be better for me to check things out here… And they all seemed fine I must say…" Nami glanced left to right, and up and down.

"That's really surprising, eh Nami?" Zoro asked her.

"What is supposed to be surprising, Zoro?"

"His appearance when you were about to be shot…" Zoro was checking on his second sword now.

Nami didn't have the chance to reply anymore since Robin said that someone climbed the ship and was heading towards them.

Zoro made a ready-position as well as Robin and Chopper. But Nami didn't. Because she knew who was at the door.

The door opened, revealing none other that Luffy who had some wounds and was actually smiling at them. Zoro, Robin and Chopper went on their usual places, leaving Luffy and Nami the only ones standing.

"Nami? I promised I'll explain as soon as I get back right?" Luffy glanced at her expression.

Nami nodded, and Luffy continued, "Then I'll explain everything to you… alone…" He winked at the others who all seemed to understand and made no more comment.

Luffy held Nami's hand, which made Nami blush as they went out of the dining room. Nami felt the raindrops around her body and Luffy stopped walking.

"We'll talk here?" Nami asked and looked at him.

"Well, it's nice to talk in the rain right?"

"..Yeah.. Well I think you should be explaining now Luffy…" Nami looked at him straight at the eye.

"Okay, here it goes… That day, when I left the Going Merry and all of you, I was really not ready. I wanted to spend much more time with you guys since I am afraid I might not make it. Also, I was afraid I might never see everybody again. Most specially, I was afraid not to be able to see you…" Luffy smiled down at her, not that usual goofy smile he makes, this one was more formal, you might say.

Then he continued, "At that battle, I lost to Andore. Yet, I managed to make him weak so he ran away with his comrades and the people of Ether thought he died. They did not see me, so they thought I perished with him. That was half a year ago, right?"

Nami nodded and he continued his story. "Luckily, a little girl found my hat under a rock and pulled. She was really surprised when she saw me under it. When I got out, I went to the little girl's house and told her family not to spread the news that I was alive. I didn't think it would reach newspapers. So that new you read in that paper…"

"Was a total lie…" Nami continued. "Then, where were you all these time?"

"I was finding a way to know where you are. The brother of that girl who found me loves to play with a slingshot, like Usopp, and he accidentally shot the paper-delivering seagull. As we examined how badly injured it was, whether it could still fly or not, I saw that checklist of his where names of the people he delivers papers were listed. I saw yours. Then I checked the set of newspapers he carried and found that article about our battle. That's how I knew that you thought I was dead…" Luffy looked at Nami as he said this.

"I never thought you are dead… You promised you'll come back right? So here I am, still waiting until you appeared… What happened next?" Nami clenched her fists.

"I was given a little rowboat by the family who kept the secret as a sign on thanks for freeing them. Then, before I left the town, I overheard strange ladies talking about us, all of us… They said that they heard you left me to fight there and proceeded with this island. After grabbing a map of the route to here, I continued on. But it took me a year since I ran out of meat and water so I have to stop town by town and my boat gets destroyed whenever there was a storm so I have to repair it also… Haha…" Luffy scratched the back of his head as he laughed.

"Then!" Nami was eager to hear the latter parts of his adventure.

"Then you bumped unto me!"

"Why didn't you tell me that you were Luffy when we bumped each other!" Nami snapped at him.

"Well, I was really thinking to tell you. But I saw Chopper was with you so I thought 'Maybe some other time.' Then you became a hostage… I blocked the bullets and here I am…" Luffy grinned at her.

"Since you made me wait for so long… Aren't you going to say something to me?" Nami asked him eagerly.

"What should I say, Nami?" Luffy tilted his head and looked confused.

"Aren't you going to say something to me!" Nami's voice was reaching a higher pitch.

"Well… Nami… I missed you…"

"That's all?"

"Aren't you going to say something to me, Nami?" Luffy turned the question back.

"I missed you Luffy…"

"Is that all?" Luffy's voice sounded teasing.

"Is that all!" Nami turned back the question again.

"It's not…" Luffy said and gave a Nami a kiss… Nami's eyes widened like saucers when he did this. 'I didn't expect… Does he… feel the same way… about me..?' Nami thought as they broke of the kiss.

"Now, was that enough, Nami?" He asked again, grinning.

"It's not enough. I want to hear it… Those words… those words that say--"

"I love you?" Luffy asked her again that made her blush. "Well, I think you should say that to me, Nami…" His voice sounded like it was a dare. "I've been gone for a long time after all…"

"All right…--"

"I love you…" They said at the same time, looking at each other's eyes then Luffy chuckled. "I did not think you'll say it… so I thought maybe I should… hahaha.."

"It's not funny dork…" Nami turned her back from him.

"Was that supposed to be serious?" Luffy walked closer to her.

"Yeah it is… But you made it over with a laugh… Very--" Nami didn't manage to continue her sentence since she felt his arms wrap around her waist.

"You said it was serious… I'll say it seriously if that makes you happy…" He paused and leaned his chin at her shoulder and moved closer. Nami could feel his strong muscles around her since their clothes are wet. It felt like an electric shock to her. Then she felt his other hand grab hold of her chin and faced it to the left side, where Luffy's face was.

When they are eye to eye, face to face, and a breath away from each other, Luffy looked at her eyes and face and she could tell he did saw her blushing.

"I love you and I missed you Nami…" He said and gave her another kiss. This time, Nami gave him a kiss too and it lasted for about eight minutes or more.

Then Luffy let go of her waist but not her lips, and he carried her.

"What…? Where are we..?" Nami asked and looked at him. Luffy motioned at her room and she saw the others peeking from the little window at the door with Sanji looking like depressed. She could tell that they saw their kiss. Then Luffy faced the others and gave them a wink.

Then he started walking towards the stairs and climbed it. "Luffy…?" Nami looked at him curiously.

"I missed you, Nami…" was all he said as he entered her room, closed the door with his right foot, set her down and bolted it.

The others downstairs all chuckled as they heard the door locked except for Chopper who doesn't understand a thing because of his age and Sanji, who shed tears about the incident. Indeed, this day was a day truly made for their Captain and their Navigator, a match made in heaven.

The End

What are they were about to do, or what are they currently doing, you ask? Rated NC 17... haha

Well, that was the ending… About what they did inside the room… wink… It's the thing Luffy's gonna share with Nami only and the thing Nami's gonna share with Luffy only…. Wink… This is the ending of this story… But I'll make sure I'll add another one with the same pairing, but this time with Zoro and Robin, Sanji and Vivi… Well I hope you'll read and review this… I really planned not to write the part about what they did inside Nami's room… Since I don't know how to express those in words… hee hee…

R&R folks, and thanks for reading the previous chapters….