Robin woke to the gentle rumbling of the bus. Her head hurt, and there was a dull ache in her side; but other than that, she felt fine. There was a sour taste in her mouth thinking back to the last thing she could remember. Zoro's careless mention of Ohara conjured up an anger she hadn't felt in years. A rage she hadn't experienced in-

"Hey."

She flinched as a soft voice cut off her thoughts. Nami smiled at her, groggily, over the seat behind. "Good to see you up. How are you feeling?"

Robin sighed, managing a small smile of her own. "I've been better," She leaned back against the bus window, "but I've also been worse."

Nami yawned, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "You seemed really upset yesterday. What happened with Zoro? I don't want to upset you again, so if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I was just wondering"

Robin took a deep breath, her stomach twisting a little. As much as she didn't want to think about it, she felt close to Nami, like she could trust her. "He mentioned something that made me angry. And brought back memories." She hesitated, but only for a moment. "I've never told anyone this story…but if someone has to know, I'm glad it's you." She smiled, readjusting in her seat to face her friend. Nami deserved to know the truth. The whole truth.

"I don't know if you've ever heard of Ohara, but I don't think anything about that place was public knowledge. The government did their best to wipe it from existence." She shuddered, "And its inhabitants."

"It was my childhood home, and everything I remember and cherish as a girl. It was a home of scholars: my family, relatives, and friends too. The entire manor was a library. Everyone in that place dedicated their lives to philosophy and education. They were the most amazing people I knew. The kindest, smartest, most daring people I have ever met. They were so open with their work, always teaching and helping those around them. I remember, they always used to proudly announce that no knowledge was ever off limits, no matter who was asking.

"But when I was eight years old, I accidentally stumbled upon a secret room in the Ohara mansion. It was deep in the basement, and well hidden. There were books I had never seen before, full of information no one had ever talked about. I read through some of the books, but before I could finish any of them, one of the professors caught me and chased me away. When I asked him about what was in the room, he only told me that it was information too advanced for someone my age.

"When I was still a child, I didn't understand what the hidden room held. But as I grew, I began to understand the value and the danger of the information in those books. They were records of crimes and injustices the Government had committed. Their dealings with criminals. Terrorists. Thieves. There were records of major historical events that had been hidden, or twisted around in some way. That room was full of lies that the Government had fed the people. The Oharan professors had been investigating this information for years in an attempt to understand the country's true history. My mother was one of their main investigators actually. It may have started as innocent curiosity, but the research and digging they did quickly turned into a dangerous mission.

"I don't know how it happened, but the Government found out about Ohara's research. They saw Ohara as a threat. And eliminated it.

"It all happened so fast, the entire manor was suddenly in a panic. I didn't know what was happening, but one of the professors grabbed me and ran from the house. The rest of them helped us escape. When we got outside, and I saw that the manor was surrounded by armed men. They were attacking everyone who ran out, either killing them on the spot, or throwing them back inside. They were setting things on fire, trapping everyone inside. Some of them saw us, and chased us down. They grabbed the professor, and were about to capture me too, but my mother jumped in. She told me to run while she fought them back. I did run, terrified. I hid in the nearby forest, and watched as they killed my mother, dragging her body back into the manor house.

"They set the entire house on fire, and made sure nothing, and no one, survived. It burned for hours, destroying my family and my home. I watched them die. I couldn't do anything but stand by as they burned.

I was too scared to move. I stayed hidden for days. But eventually, when I was sure they were all gone, I ran away. Far away. I don't know how they discovered I had escaped, but they soon came after me, always right on my heels. They sent out warnings and wanted posters all over with the name Raven. I don't know how they got it, but soon everyone recognized me by that name. So eventually I took it as my own, and left 'Nico Robin' behind.

"Everywhere I went, people were afraid of me. It was all I could do just to survive. The Government claimed I had been the one to start the Ohara fire. They blamed me for the deaths of my family, and my friends. No matter what I told anyone, they would never believe me. Because who would take the word of a little girl over the word of the Government? So I just ran, surviving any way I could.

And I've been running ever since. I've never been able to trust anyone, so I've always been on my own. But now…now things are different. Now I have you. All of you."

Robin smiled, tears blurring her eyes. It had been so long since she had relived those memories. For years, she had silently suffered in the pain of loss, never given the chance to truly grieve. But now that she really thought about it, it wasn't all the death and devastation that she remembered. New tears came to her eyes, remembering the sacrifice everyone had made just to save her. They had died so she could live.

She covered her mouth, a sob choking her. Nami reached out and took her hand, wordlessly tangling their fingers together. Robin looked up at the ginger's eyes.

That's right.

She wasn't alone anymore.

Nami smiled gently, her eyes full of compassion and worry. The same look that her mother had given her. She returned the smile, a new feeling washing over her.

She was…happy. In a deep, real way.

She closed her eyes, letting the relief and hope fill ever corner of her being. She was not alone. Not now. Not ever.

The horrors of Ohara blurred, new faces and new dreams slowly replacing them. The future began to look just a little bit brighter.

Zoro stared, dead tired. He was leaning against the station door where he had managed to drag himself the night before. His neck was bent at an uncomfortable from sleeping, and his legs were splayed in front of him. He could feel that his cheek was swollen, and badly bruised. His entire body ached, and he suspected he might have a broken rib, or two. The big man that he had faced off with had left him a total wreck. He heard the blond cook call him Franky? Whoever he was, he really know how to fight. Even if Zoro had been at full strength, he might have had a bit of trouble. But in his current sleep deprived, hungry state, he had gotten his ass handed to him.

He winced, pulling himself into a sitting position. His shoulder felt like it might be dislocated too. Geez. That Franky wasn't someone to be messed with. He struggled to his feet, wobbling a little before gently pushing off the station door. Raven and all her friends had escaped on the bus last night. He growled to himself. How were there so many of them? The longer she went, the more people she collected. Frustrating woman. What was with this town? Had she come here for the specific purpose to get backup? Who were these people that they all helped her? Were they all criminals? No, there was no way. Nami was the only one with an obvious file. They had told him she was a criminal too. No one else had been mentioned, so they weren't too important clearly.

Besides Raven, Nami, and the cook, there were four new people. He had only seen their faces for a few minutes, but he would know them if he saw them again. Once Raven had escaped, Nami and the blond man had run to her along with a small man who Zoro guessed was a doctor. Then there was the big fighter, Franky. And two other men who had been hovering around, a tall, thin man with a bony face and an impressive afro. And another man, with dark skin and wild hair. And an oddly long nose now that he thought about it.

He would have to do some research once he got back to headquarters. He took a few shaky steps before straightening up, stretching the ache out of his back. He held his breath, extending his arm until he felt a sickening pop as his arm wrenched back into place. He grit his teeth against the momentary pain. God damn, that Franky was going to be a real problem. He slowly started heading back down the street where his SUV was waiting. He desperately needed some food and sleep. There was no way he was driving all the way back to HQ in his condition. He'd have to radio in for someone to come get him.

The trip back to his SUV seemed a lot longer than he had originally thought, and he finally collapsed in the drivers seat, and had to take moment to breathe. He felt like shit, black swarming on the edges of his vision. He couldn't even remember the last time he had something to eat. Sleep had been a little more common, but still only a few short hours here and there. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to clear his head. He really needed a nap. But he had to call in first.

He tiredly dug out the small radio, and pressed the button. "Roronoa to Headquarters." He leaned back and stared, dead eyed, at the Baratie across the street as the radio hummed it's static. The building blurred, and he blinked a few times till he could see clearly again.

"Come in, Roronoa." He internally groaned as a man's voice crackled through the static.

"Roronoa here."

"This is Captain Morgan. We haven't had contact with you for a few days. Where have you been? Report. Immediately." The Captain snapped.

Zoro rolled his eyes. Captain "Axe Hand" Morgan was an old detective, and Zoro's superior. He had done good work while he was in the field, but now that he had been promoted, he had turned into a disagreeable old bastard. There wasn't a single person who enjoyed his company, and no one liked having to report to him.

Especially not when they were as exhausted as Zoro was.

"Yes, Sir." He spit the word, "I've been tracking her the last few days and-"

"What do you mean 'tracking' her? You knew exactly where she was. At least that's what you told us."

Zoro gritted his teeth. "I hadn't finished, Sir. I have been tracking her, because she's managed to escape me several times. She-"

"Escaped you?" Morgan scoffed. "For all your bragging, I'm not getting very good results."

It was all he could do not to snap at the Captain. The last thing he needed was a pissed off Morgan, but he was getting dangerously close to getting pissed himself. "She's not working alone, Sir. She went exactly where I thought she would. But from there, everything's gone to hell. I don't know how, but it seems like everyone in this damn town's suddenly backing her. I don't know why, but the motel owner's not the only one who's on her side. I was told the only one I would have to worry about was Nami. The information you gave me was wrong, Sir." Zoro huffed, agitation pinching his spine. It wasn't actually the Captain who had given him his briefing, but it was both convenient, and enjoyable, to blame him.

Morgan cleared his throat, and Zoro cringed at what was probably a lecture coming. "Sengoku wants to talk to you." Morgan said curtly. Zoro straightened up a little, mentally and physically. The director of his branch wanted to talk to him?

"Roronoa! This is Sengoku. Give me a report on what's going on down there. I've been doing a little research on that town, and those people aren't all pure, innocent citizens." The Commander's voice was stern and direct, and Zoro cleared his throat, "Yes Sir!"

"The Motel was the first place Raven went, just as you said. And as you suspected, Nami was assisting her by the time I got there. Nami helped Raven escape, but she sent her somewhere else in town. I tagged Nami, and let her go. She led me right to Raven, who had sent her to a bartender across town, Sanji. I waited until Nami and Sanji had left the apartment before sneaking in to try and catch Raven alone. I did, and the two of us fought for a bit, but the other two returned and interrupted us, escaping with Raven again. I didn't see them until later that day, on their way to the bus station. At that point, there were four more people that had joined their group. I met them at the bus stop, but there were too many of them, and they helped Raven get away again. They left town late last night, so if they were headed to any of the cities nearby, they shouldn't be there yet. I didn't get any names except Franky, so there are three others I don't know. That's all, Sir."

There was a heavy silence, and Zoro waited stiffly. "Would you recognize the others if you saw them again?" Sengoku asked. "Because turns out quite a few of the townspeople have got criminal records. So we've got a pile of mugshots for you to sort through when you get back."

Zoro nodded out of habit, even though the Commander couldn't see him. "Yes Sir, I'm confident I would. I got decent looks at all of their faces."

There was an approving grunt from the other side of the line, and Sengoku cleared his throat, "Good, we'll have you do that when you get back then. What's your status right now?"

Zoro sighed, "Honestly, Sir, I'm in bad shape. I don't think I'll be able to follow Raven any further without some kind of medical attention."

"Are you hurt?" Sengoku interrupted, his voice a little anxious.

"Nothing serious, Sir. But I'm down on sleep, food and energy."

"Then I'll send someone to get you. The tracker in your car is working just fine, so we already have your location. I'll look into the bus routes right away to see if we can get a heads up on where they're going. You come back to the station. Get some rest. Get some food. We'll give you a medical exam and have you go over those mugshots."

Sengoku was decisive and direct, and it was clear to Zoro that there was no room for argument. Not that he wanted to argue anyway. After another brief exchange, Zoro clicked the radio off and leaned back, sleep rushing to envelope him. He closed his eyes, all thoughts of anything soon slipping off into oblivion.

Robin stepped off the bus gingerly, catching herself on Sanji's outstretched arm. Chopper had seen to her side, and changed her bandage so the pain had all but vanished. The bus grumbled off behind them, leaving the seven of them to balk in the chaos of the city.

"Oh…wow." Nami mumbled, looking around wide eyed at the towering buildings and signs. Usopp seemed just as awestruck as the ginger, and the two stared around them, speechless.

Franky smiled, taking a deep breath, "It's been a while since I've been in the middle of a busybody city like this. Brings back a lot of memories."

Sanji just chuckled, "Yeah, it seems like it's been an eternity."

Robin smiled up at the blond, "Are you a city boy?" She laughed softly.

The bartender grinned warmly, his blue eyes shadowed with nostalgia, "I think at heart, I might be. When I lived with my uncle, we ran a popular diner in the city. It was my home for years." He shrugged, glancing down at her. "It's in my blood I suppose."

Everyone's attention turned as Chopper called out to get their attention. "Okay, first things first, we'll check into a hotel to regroup and get established. I'll get in contact with my friend, and see about meeting up sometime soon. Sound good to everyone?" They all nodded, and mumbled agreements, scooping up their bags again. Robin readjusted herself on Sanji's arm and followed as the group meandered down the street, chattering amongst themselves.

She let her eyes wander, letting Sanji guide her along. The city was pulsing with an energy that she could feel just beyond her fingertips. Just out of reach, the heartbeat of society. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to inhale the scent of mankind. A people so brilliant and complex, with a history as beautiful and mysterious as their future.

She looked up at the sky, a dull, smoky brown against the bold colors of the city lights. Her mind focused on the distant ache in her side. Just the latest offense on the list of penalties she had endured. For what? Sometimes she wasn't sure. But on nights like tonight, with thoughts like these, she was reminded of why she weathered it all.

The human race was a beautiful thing. A thing she wanted to see for what it truly was. She wanted to know every dark secret, every crooked, backward act she could.

Because with every shadow came the brilliant light of day. The love, loyalty, kindness, compassion, gentleness, resilience, justice, redemption, bravery, courage and much more. That was why. She had to remember why she kept running. And kept fighting.

Because she wanted to see the good in people. In everyone. In the people that were laughing around her. In the man who was tracking her. Even in herself. She was good. And she refused to believe she was wrong. No matter what anyone said. No matter what they told her, or anyone else.

Zoro sat hunched on the exam table, his elbows resting on his knees as he stared at the floor. He had slept the entire drive back, but exhaustion and hunger still clung to him. He knew it was common procedure to go through a medical exam whenever any of them reported in. But right now, this table was the last place he wanted to be.

The nurse seemed to be taking her sweet time sifting through the tools she would need. It was all Zoro could do not to snap at her to hurry up. He didn't need a professional to tell him that he needed food. His protesting stomach wasn't being subtle. Although the woman didn't seem to notice. That, or she was purposefully ignoring it. Zoro gritted his teeth, his fingers curling and uncurling. He hoped a good nap and meal would help get rid of the mounting frustration he felt with every little thing.

He reached up to rub the bridge of his nose, running over information in his head. It had been almost seven hours since he had last seen Raven and her cohorts. That was plenty of time for the bus to arrive in the city, and the seven of them to regroup, and maybe even move on, depending. Where were they now? He wondered.

Raven and Nami were the only two that he was sure of any kind of criminal dealings. But from what the Commander had mentioned, they weren't the only ones. How many of the others had criminal records too? He would bet money that Franky did. No one fought that well just on instinct. The tall afro man also, maybe. A whole bunch of different scenarios played through his head with the faces he could remember. Were they thieves like Nami? Murderers like Raven? Hitmen? Drug dealers? He smiled wryly. When had he become so interested in this ragtag group of people?

They were all he had been thinking about all day. Even in his sleep, an alluring smile graced his dreams, silky black hair on the edges of his consciousness. Was this the mysterious spell she seemed to cast on everyone? What was it about her that magnetized him? His obsession to bring her to justice was starting to blur into something else. Something stronger.

He sat back up as the nurse finally made her way to his side, roughly wrapping a blood pressure meter around his thick bicep. He internally rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh of frustration, exhaustion, and boredom. What a drag.

Okay, holy shit! It's been a wild few weeks... So sorry about being late again. I'll try to get back on track this week, I swear! If not, send me death threats (not really, but absolutely)
Um, so in the past few weeks-I have become an uncle. Made a few trips to the hospital because I started fainting everywhere. Been bedridden for one week with a fever of 102. And developed the lovely habit of staying up until 3:00 in the morning so I can feed my niece. So...yeah

Alright, thank you so much for all your reviews! I don't remember the last time I thanked you, so I'll make sure to do that this week. Your feedback means so much to me! Honestly, I love hearing your opinions and tips on my story. It makes me feel so loved, and so heppy. I love you guys! Keep being awesome.
This unfaithful writer doesn't deserve your amazing selves!

Capritacorn: I loved last chapter too :D I'm sorry for the cliffhanger (but not :})

YoungHeart: Robin hurts my heart... But she'll get a happy ending, I promise! And I am in LOVE with ZoRobin, it's not even cool anymore.

JJ: I'm so sorry for the cliffhanger! I guess I really didn't explain anything last chapter, that's my bad. I'll answer all of your questions eventually, I swear.
Zoro's got a rough road ahead of him...what will he do?

Complicatedmind21: You bet I'll continue! It's slow going, but I won't leave you hanging. Not this time.

Anyone: Don't worry, Ima keep going no matter what. I may be late as hell, but better late than never :D

Some1: Rubber man? Mafia boss? I have no idea what you're talking about O.o
Yes, Zoro may be on the wrong side, but he's not so bad.

Neitherawakenorasleep: You made a good point. Robin is a little OOC with her emotions. Thanks for the tip, I'll try to write her more accurately in future chapters.
Honestly, I have no idea how many chapter this will have. I had a master plan when I first started, but it's kind of shifting and morphing as I go, so it's all but out the window at this point -_- So we'll have to see!