NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I am sorry ahead of time for what happens at the end of this chapter.

**Some notes of interest**

-Machete style sword fighting looks really similar to fencing. Check it out on youtube if interested.

-I know that Cupid is Roman not Greek, but Eros sounds too...um...erotic. So I stuck with the Roman name.

-I love writing romance. It's my weakness, I confess. (and I'm changing the genre heading on this from Adventure/Family to Adventure/Romance, because let's face it, this is becoming way more romantic than I thought it would be). Zoro is so romantically constipated that it was almost a relief to write this chapter. But I'm still sorry. So sorry.

...

...

...also, please review for this chapter. I really need to know what you think before I proceed.

Ch. 8 – Aphrodite's Garden

"Brave little fellow, aren't you?" Helena said, lowering her sword.

Zoro stared at her, still finding it hard to believe that the one person he'd been trying to avoid was the one person he'd run straight into. She looked so different, and it wasn't just that she'd cut her hair. Her countenance was harder somehow. She looked exhausted too, but that was nothing new. She was always running herself ragged for the Kingdom. Had she still not learned to delegate after all this time?

And then there was the angry outburst he'd just witnessed. He knew Helena to be an emotional person, for all she did to try and hide it, but she had a lot of self-control most of the time. It had come as a bit of a shock to see her destroy a statue of one of the gods. She had always been so pious. What had happened to her these past few years? Something was definitely wrong.

She moved to wipe the tears from her face with the back of a fist. "Sorry, you kind of caught me at a bad time." She chuckled. "Who am I kidding? It's never a good time with me these days. Still, I probably could have fooled you into thinking otherwise, but I just had some bad news," she paused, her brows furrowed. "Or is it good news? Hard to say."

Zoro continued to stare at her, unsure what action to take next. He wasn't even sure why he'd stepped out of hiding in the first place. If he was honest with himself it was probably because he couldn't stand to watch her cry anymore; regardless now he was starting to regret it. What if she figured out who he was?

"Have you heard of the pirate, Roronoa Zoro?" she asked him. Her voice took on a daydreamy kind of quality as she leaned back against the fountain's edge. "Real tough guy. Artist with a sword…or three, as the case may be. He went to death and back for me, saved my entire kingdom even. He was without question one of the most amazing men I've ever known…"

Zoro sat on his haunches and puffed out his chest a bit. Well, if she put it that way, he was pretty amazing, wasn't he?

"…and I made the idiot mistake of marrying that handsome lout."

Uh. Had she just complimented or insulted him? He cocked his head in confusion.

"I guess I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter, and neither did he, but we could have waited…should have waited. We were both too stubborn though. And I guess we were in love, so there's that…" Helena heaved a sigh.

Yes, they were in love. What was with the regret? Zoro hadn't regretted it. Not once. – but she looked so sad…

Zoro padded a few steps toward her, an inquisitive grunt escaping him. Helena held out a hand to him, and while the human in him wanted to take her hand in his, he realized it would have given him away. Instead he nuzzled it affectionately. In response she started to scratch him behind the ears, which felt amazing.

"You know, he died about two years ago. So they say, anyway. And because he died, I…." Her gaze became distant. "I wasn't strong enough…"

What did she mean by that? Zoro took a step away from her and the distractingly delicious scratching, his heart sinking.

"He could still be alive, you know. In fact, just today I met someone who told me that the World Government never actually confirmed his death. They lied to me, but what's new? I should have guessed, but even if I had I would still have chosen to think of him as dead because if I choose to hope…" She chuckled an ironic, sad sort of chuckle. "Well, he could die all over again, couldn't he? And that would be more than a weakling like me can handle apparently… "

So this was his fault. Why had it never occurred to him that his failure could have affected her? While she had forbidden him from reading or otherwise receiving news of Ilium while they were apart, she hadn't been so kind to herself with regard to news about him. He should have realized – should have sent her word that he was alright.

Hopping down from the fountain's edge, he settled himself into her lap so he could be closer to her. Turned out it meant getting his back scratched, which was a nice added bonus.

"Not just fearless, you're a friendly little guy too, huh?" she asked, smiling that beautiful smile of hers, though the sadness did not leave her eyes. "You're a bit scruffy, but you don't act wild. I bet you're somebody's pet."

He snorted in derision. As if!

Helena laughed. Zoro had almost forgotten how much he loved the sound.

"Ok, or not," she chuckled. "If you were you'd be a stray, eh? You certainly haven't seen a bath in ages. I didn't know a fox could get moss in his fur like that."

She paused, squinting at him.

"Wait a minute, this isn't moss. Your fur is actually green! I've never seen green fur like this before…" she stopped scratching and ran her fingers through the fur in question. "You know it's the exact same color as his hair…"

He looked up at her in time to catch the look of suspicion on her face. Oops.

"Your eye…" she said, picking him up and looking into it searchingly. "It's grey like steel."

Zoro looked away, trying to be nonchalant. Yup, he'd allowed himself to get too close to her. This was not going to end well.

"Wait a minute…" Helena held him up higher, her eyes narrowing as they looked at the fur on his chest. She turned to glare him in the face, "You have a scar just like his. On your feet too." She investigated his ankles.

Busted.

"Zoro?! Is that you?"

Well, maybe if he didn't nod or shake his head like he'd done with Coby she'd realize how ludicrous it sounded.

When he didn't respond, Helena lowered him slowly.

"No, you're not him, are you?" she said softly. The disappointment in her voice made him feel guilty. Her shoulders started to shake, which turned into a chortle, which turned into a laugh. "That would be ridiculous. More likely you've been sent by the gods to torment me some more. Yeah, real funny!"

She threw her head back and shouted the last part to the heavens. Her hands tightened dangerously around Zoro, squeezing the breath out of him in the form of a little squeak.

"What, did you think you'd trick me into telling everyone I'm married to a fox? You're a riot, Hera!" she called. She lifted Zoro up in one hand and gave him a little shake as he yipped in protest. "It's not going to work! I'm done with you, all of you, you hear? I'm done!"

Finished with her show of empty bravado, the Queen's hand thankfully slackened around him and he jumped free of her grip, gasping for air.

"I'm done…" she repeated quietly, curling until she hid her face against her knees.

Zoro watched her shoulders start to shake some more, knowing full well she wasn't laughing this time. His conscience tore at him. He had reduced her to this.

"Hey," he yipped at her, knowing she wouldn't understand him.

She didn't look up.

"I'll make this right," he told her. "Helena…"

He placed a paw on her arm. She didn't seem to notice:

"I was such a fool," she murmured. "Zoro, wherever you are I'm sorry, I…"

He pressed his face into her trembling side, wishing he were human again so he could hold her, so he could at the very least apologize.

"I should have been stronger," they both said together.

"Hmph, well, I guess I should have thought of doing something like that," Hera simpered to herself. "How deliciously ironic that she doesn't recognize him, all out of suspicion of little old me."

Athena looked up sharply from where she too spied on the suffering couple. She pinned a glare on the Queen of the Gods, who lounged languidly in her white marble throne. The peacock mask Hera wore hid all but the satisfied smirk on her face.

"Haven't you done enough damage?" Athena snapped at her.

"This wasn't my fault this time," Hera exclaimed.

"Anyway, aren't we going to talk about what just happened here," Aphrodite put in angrily. "She just beheaded me in effigy! What did I ever do to her? I led her to her true love, didn't I?"

"I did," Athena reminded her. "Don't pretend innocence here. You hate Zoro just as much as Hera does."

Aphrodite pulled out a makeup compact, eyeing her reflection as she fluffed her afro and pouted her comely, full lips. "He's just blind is all," she muttered, applying pink lipstick. "Obviously needs to get his eyes checked."

"Eye," Athena put in facetiously.

Now satisfied with her appearance, Aphrodite rounded on her. "You're just pretending not to be bitter because you totally lost the beauty contest, honey. Hera and I may have tied, but you weren't even in the running."

"Jealousy has nothing to do with it," Athena growled. "You two have taken this far enough. Especially you, Hera. – because of what you have done, Ilium is on the brink of destruction."

"Because of what I've done!" Hera exclaimed. "It's the mortals who've caused all of this! He should have chosen me as the fairest. I am the Queen of the Gods after all. – and let's not get started on Helena's over-reaction to my revenge. She destroyed my temple for starters!"

"And now she's destroyed my statue!" Aphrodite exclaimed, pointing to a still pool of water on the marbled floor of the Olympiads' throne room. A scrying glass. It was through said portal the three goddesses spied on Zoro and Helena. "Well, I'm not about to let that go unpunished."

"But Zeus decreed…"

Aphrodite apparently didn't care what Zeus had decreed. She dipped a pink fingernail into the pool, adding new ripples as she dragged it through the image of Helena and the fox.

"That should spice things up," she said, flicking her finger dry in satisfaction.

"What did you do?" Athena demanded.

"I just found our favorite little Heretic some comfort is all," Aphrodite replied. "Someone was looking for her. I just helped him find his way."

When Helena had cried herself out, she finally noticed that the fox hadn't left her side.

"Look, little guy. I don't blame you for being part of Hera's stupid prank. The gods use people at their least whim you know." She reached down and patted his head. "You've probably got far better things to do than listen to the ramblings of a weak, stupid woman. If you're here because you think I've got food, you probably would be better off a little closer to the palace. Nip at some of those princes while you're there for me, eh?"

Oh, gladly, Zoro thought malevolently.

He had hated Perona's plan to begin with, but now that he realized how badly Helena needed him, he wasn't about to leave. Appearing out of nowhere in the middle of Helena's court suddenly had a lot of appeal.

Zoro backed away from her, looking her once over. Her eyes had red rims, but she had wiped her face clear of tears, and she wore a crooked smile as she looked down at him. Satisfied that she would be alright for the time being, he yipped at her once, then turned to go. He paused halfway under a rose bush when he heard a voice.

"Here you are, mon."

Zoro looked up as Helena did to see a man standing at one of the garden's entrances.

"Mr. Calypso," Helena replied, getting to her feet. Her voice was steady. "I apologize for leaving, I…"

"No, I was out of line," he told her. "I thought that if I challenged your lover I could finally get your attention."

"It's alright, I…wait, what?" Helena stared at him.

Zoro stared at him harder.

"Sorry, Majesty. I have discovered the secret of who shares your bed," he went on shamelessly.

"Who shares my…?" Helena's brow furrowed as her mouth hung open in confusion. "You think Paris and I…?"

"There's really no use denying it, mon. I saw him climb your balcony this morning."

Helena's gaping mouth turned into a wide smile which turned into a laugh. It was this Calypso person's turn to look confused.

"Yup! You caught me," Helena giggled, holding her arms out wide theatrically. "I have a lover. Paris, in fact. Well, why not? One can be surrounded by admirers and still feel lonely, hm?"

A wave of relief swept Zoro. He could tell Helena was lying. And Paris of all people? Seriously? Who could honestly believe that?

"I beat your lover, mon." Apparently Calypso could. Whoever this guy was he clearly didn't know Helena like Zoro did. "Playing by the rules you used to play by, does this mean I get to become your lover?"

"Oh dear," Helena said, wiping amused tears from her eyes. "You're telling me he lost? And after all I told him not to put Ilium to shame."

"Don't take it too hard. mon. He's not Ilium's finest, after all," Calypso said, grinning. He drew a machete from a sheath hanging on his back. "You are."

Smooth.

"Perhaps in defeating him, I have shown you he's not worthy of your bed, mon," Calypso shrugged, and went on with confidence. "Perhaps in defeating you, I show you that I am."

"I'm not sure it works like that," Helena chuckled.

"Allow me to convince you."

Helena eyed him for a moment. Though she hesitated, Zoro could see she was dying to try her sword against his. After all, she'd never been one to back down from a challenge. He found himself half hoping she'd accept just for the chance of seeing her put the smug dastard in his place.

He got his wish.

"Fine," she said, drawing Peleus slowly. "But I am not promising anything, sir. The requirement for my hand has already been set, and I'm not about to change it."

Calypso smiled. "I'm not after your hand, mon," he said, winking at her. "I'm after you."

"Ha! You really think that smooth talking scoundrel is going to get the Queen to fall for him?" Athena laughed. "He's so not her type."

Aphrodite smiled in return. "For a goddess of Wisdom, you aren't very bright are you," she said.

Athena stopped short, narrowing her eyes through the slits in the helmet covering her face.

"Zeus said no more meddling."

"So go cry to Daddy," Aphrodite simpered. "Love is my territory, honey. You tried your hand at some chemistry before, but I'm about to show you how it's really done."

"Crossing the Rubicon!"

Zoro was pretty familiar with the old ritual. It made him a bit nostalgic to see Helena do it again. First she flipped her sword into the air. Catching it in her left hand, she used the momentum of the spin to carve a line in the ground before flipping the sword across her back to return it to her right. Then she stepped across the line in a classic fencer's stance, one hand raised behind her.

All of this happened in a matter of seconds. Much like tying on his bandana, it was a ritual to help her focus her concentration. He'd never actually stopped to ask her what the Rubicon was, and why it was such a big deal to cross it. All he knew was that any man who thought to challenge her was in trouble the moment she did.

"Fancy," Calypso said, smirking. He spun the machete around one hand and then the other several times, flipped it in the air and caught it, then winked at her again. Helena chortled.

"Oh no, I guess I should just give up now," she said, shrugging in defeat. "I'm afraid I focus my training on, you know, swordsmanship, not baton twirling."

"Oh don't worry, mon. We're just getting started."

Calypso also settled into a type of fencing stance. With one hand holding the machete steadily before him, he kept the other hand at his side, resting on the sword still sheathed at his back. Though he didn't look or act like a prince, the stance lent him a regal sort of poise. He definitely knew what he was doing.

Calypso made the first move, lunging toward Helena, though not with full power. Testing her, perhaps? He made five slashes in all before he whirled around her and repeated the pattern again.

Clash. Clash. Clink-clink. Clash.

It was ridiculously basic swordsmanship for someone who practically reeked of haki. Zoro narrowed his eye. The man obviously had an endgame, but why the child's play?

Clash. Clash. Clink-clink. Clash.

Helena let him have his fun, never once lowering her guard despite the simplicity of the sword patterns.

Slow. Slow. Quick-quick. Slow.

"I take it the gentleman likes to tango?" Helena asked, an amused smile tweaking the corner of her lips.

"So you caught on, mon," Calypso replied, grinning broadly. "Ah, but you're tense, just waiting for me to change the pattern. Why not launch an attack yourself?"

"I'm trying to figure you out," Helena replied, narrowing her eyes. "You defeated my, uh, lover after all. He's not exactly weak. Just who are you?"

Before Calypso replied, Helena did lash out, changing the pattern.

Clink. Clink. Clink. Clash! Clink. Clink. Clink. Clash!

"Mm, bachata," Calypso murmured, raising a brow at her seductively. "That one's pretty spicy."

Tango? Bachata? What were they talking about? Some kind of foreign cuisine?

"Haven't danced either in a very long time," Helena admitted.

Ah. Dances. Helena had always loved to dance.

"Not even with your lover?"

"A queen doesn't exactly have time for frivolity," Helena pointed out, dodging the question about Paris.

"More's the pity, mon," Calypso said. "Your husband, then?"

Helena shook her head, smiling a small smile to herself. "He didn't really dance much."

"No?"

"Only when he had to."

Hey! I did too dance! Zoro thought to her, starting to feel angry though he couldn't be sure why. After all, despite his denials she was telling the truth.

Calypso changed the sword pattern again:

Clink-clink, clash! Clink-clink, clash!

"Salsa?" Helena asked, her grin widening. "Switch it to Merengue and the fight's really on."

Ok, now Zoro was fairly convinced they had to be talking about food. Why did all these dances sound like dishes, anyway? Spicy dishes…

"Well, what are you waiting for, 'Elena?" Calypso goaded. "It's your turn after all."

Ok, what was with the first name basis? And it was Huh-lena, with an H. Idiot. Learn to talk.

Whatever a Merengue was, it was fast. Helena switched the pattern to a quick, even one-two one-two. As she had predicted, the fight finally began in earnest, breaking all obvious molds.

Zoro could tell even before the fight began that this Calypso person was much stronger than Helena, both physically and by the power of his aura. It hadn't worried him. He'd watched Helena win in a tournament against quite a few men stronger than she. Her sword style didn't rely on physical strength, it relied on speed and flexibility, on finesse. And she wasn't exactly weak herself.

Long ago, she had shown him that there was more than one kind strength in swordplay. It looked like this Calypso person was about to learn the same lesson.

"You're amazing, mon," Calypso said sincerely after a few real passes.

"Well, what did you expect? Anyway, you're not so bad yourself," Helena went on with furrowed brow. "Really though! Where did you come from? I know you're not Navy. Are you a pirate?"

"Are those really the only two possibilities, mon?" Calypso asked. "I can assure you, I am no pirate."

"You can assure me, huh?"

"Try again, mon. Though if you haven't guessed after knowing me nearly two years, I don't think you will." Calypso bumped his brows at her goadingly.

So they'd known each other a while. Zoro had kind of gathered as much, what with all the playful banter.

"You're some kind of palace guard? A king's soldier?"

As she spoke, they made a few more passes at one another. Calypso shook his head to both inquiries.

"Revolutionary?"

"Not even close," Calypso snorted.

"Police?"

Calypso seemed to hesitate at this one, though ultimately he shook his head, still grinning.

"We're neither of us giving this our full strength, mon," he pointed out. "Let's see if you can keep up."

Then he disappeared.

Zoro's eye widened. He'd seen that technique before.

He was too distracted by what happened next to think on it. Calypso hadn't actually vanished, he was just moving too fast for the naked eye to keep up. Zoro had seen Helena best Captain Kuro using a similar technique before, so it came as no surprise that she managed to block him.

Only Calypso didn't attack in a normal way. Yes, Helena blocked his sword, but he had also reached his free hand around her waist, pulling her close to him, though their crossed blades kept her bending back and away.

"I beg your pardon!" she spluttered indignantly, her cheeks flushing.

Obviously enjoying her agitation, Calypso did something fancy with his feet, catching the back of one of her knees and forcing it to bend so that he dipped her backwards with the force of their crossed blades.

"I bet her majesty has never danced like this before," he murmured to her alluringly, his face unnervingly close to hers.

Ok, that was the last straw. Friendly banter was one thing, but Zoro wasn't about to sit around and watch the cad seduce his wife!

He made to leap from hiding, his ultimate goal to bite Calypso's bare ankles. Unfortunately he didn't count on having a tail. It had somehow gotten caught in the rose bush.

"You, sir, are out of line," Helena informed Calypso. Zoro stopped his struggling and watched in satisfaction as his wife kicked up one of her flexible legs, smashing her foot into the brazen scamp's dreadlocked head.

At least, that's what should have happened. Predicting her movement, Calypso adjusted his grip on her waist, spotting her in a backwards flip as though they really were dance partners. The flip gave them both space to recover, and Helena turned to glare at him, puffing out her cheeks in flustered anger as she held her blade between them.

"You'd better draw that other sword," she warned.

With her free hand, she pulled a second and then a third sword from the sheaths on her back. Launching them skyward one after the other, she jumped at Calypso, blocking his machete with Peleus and kicking off of his chest so she could catch the other rapiers in her toes midair. By the time she landed, she'd already drawn her fourth sword; a long, sea prism dagger.

Great. All swords were out. Hopefully that meant she intended to end this quickly. Zoro didn't know how much more he could take.

"Hard to dance with swords in your feet, mon," Calypso pointed out.

"I'm not here to dance," Helena snapped.

"Pity for one so graceful."

Helena's brow furrowed in frustration at the blatant flirting. "Try this on for grace," she growled, launching herself at him with all four blades bared.

Instead of doing as she'd advised and drawing his other machete, Calypso sheathed the first one. Dodging easily through the whirlwind of her blades, he spun her through his arms, determined to continue the dance.

And Helena could do nothing about it.

Zoro's gritted his teeth. – Calypso wasn't just good, he was ridiculously good. Better than Helena by far; perhaps even as good as himself. He'd been toying with her from the beginning. All the flirting hadn't been simply to throw her off her game, though he had certainly done that – it had been in earnest.

Just like the first time when he trapped her in a dip, he guided her from one pose to the next, never once falling victim to her blades.

"You are so elegant," he told her unabashedly.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," she blustered, her face getting redder and redder by the second. "And I'll have you know…whoa!"

He had just moved her into another position. Though she tried to catch him with her foot swords, he'd timed a jump just right, stepping on both blades. He caught her by the wrist as she lost her balance, guiding Peleus away from his side, but also keeping her from landing in a completely inelegant heap on the ground.

"I'll have you know, I generally prefer men who are taller than I am," she grumped. It was a petty attempt to gain back some dignity, but Calypso didn't even flinch at the jab.

"Generally?" He asked, raising his brows. He pulled her up to her full height against him, looking up into her eyes without any hint of embarrassment for his own lack of altitude. "Does that mean you make exceptions, mon? Because I'd love to be one."

"You…!" she obviously didn't know what to say to this. He spun her where she stood, dodging her blades as before, then trapped her once more against him, this time with her back to him. Though he'd just shown how she stood a head above him, he'd manipulated her perfectly to his height so that his head rested on her shoulder.

He turned her head, kissing the scar Mihawk had given her. –The one on her neck that started just beneath her ear. When he spoke his tone had changed entirely:

"Why would a strong, intelligent, beautiful woman like you insist on pursuing men who are out to hurt you?" he asked with quiet sincerity. "Your first love betrayed you. Your husband abandoned you. Don't you think you deserve better than that?"

Helena had stiffened at his kiss, but at his words the tension left her body completely. They had a similar effect on Zoro, who felt the angry, jealous energy siphon out of him into the tilled earth beneath his paws.

Calypso was right. Helena deserved better.

The Queen lowered her swords and bowed her head.

"I do not pursue love," she confessed softly. "I never have. A man strong enough to defeat me is a man strong enough to protect what matters most to me."

"Your kingdom, mon?"

"My people."

Calypso released her, but he wasn't really letting her go. With a vulnerable look of loneliness in her tired eyes, she turned to him just a little too slowly as he launched himself at her, finally drawing one of his machetes. He used it to deflect all four of her half-ready blades, knocked her to the ground and pinned her. She winced as he drove his machete into the earth beside her neck in a clear sign of victory.

"It's not right, mon," he told her. He caressed her face with his free hand, searching her eyes as he spoke. "You have just as much a right to love and happiness as any of they."

He leaned in to kiss her, but she released one of her swords and held her fingers to his lips.

"No, Blue," she told him resolutely, calling him by his first name for the first time. "Because I am their Queen."

"Nice trick with the rose bush there," Hera simpered to Aphrodite. "You stopped Zoro from interrupting a very interesting duel."

"It doesn't matter," Athena gloated, "I told you she'd never…what are you doing?"

For Aphrodite had pulled a small crossbow from a heart-shaped purse at her side. It was so tiny that its miniature arrows were more like darts really, but all the gods knew it could have deadly results.

"I am teaching that little fox and his wife a lesson," Aphrodite snarked, cocking the tiny weapon and pointing it at the image of Helena in the water of the scrying glass.

"That's not Cupid's, is it?...NO!"

Just as Aphrodite made to pull the trigger, Athena lunged, trying to knock the weapon out of Aphrodite's hand. Too late. It went off with an adorable little pew sound, the tiny arrow disappearing into the pool of water.

Aphrodite pulled up the little crossbrow and blew on it as though blowing steam off of the barrel of a gun. "You threw off my aim!" she pouted.

"You missed?" Athena gasped in relief, turning her gaze to the pool.

"Oh no, I got her," Aphrodite's pink lips spread into a smile. "But only a graze. Just enough to get her to drop that iron wall she keeps around her heart, if only for a moment. It should be enough to accomplish my purpose."

"Which is?" Hera chirped from where she'd watched the proceedings with interest from her throne.

"Breaking her husband's heart."

"Hey, I won, mon," Calypso pointed out, lightly kissing the hand that had blocked him. "That has to count for something."

"I said no promises," Helena pointed out. "And anyway, you didn't win."

"How do you figure?" he asked.

"I'd lean back very slowly if I were you."

Calypso straightened up tentatively, glancing over his shoulder as he did. Helena had one of her foot rapiers clutched in both of her sandaled feet, pointing the sharp blade straight at the base of his skull.

Zoro had seen it before Calypso had. The match had ended in a draw, as both opponents could easily have killed the other at the same time. It didn't make him feel any better though. Helena should have lost. In fact, if she knew what was good for her, she probably should have made Calypso her lover a long time ago. Maybe then Zoro wouldn't have found her crying alone in the garden.

Calypso grinned, retrieved his machete, and sheathed it. "A tie then," he acknowledged.

Helena lowered her sword. "It might not have been if you'd focused a little more on fighting and a little less on flirting."

"Don't pretend you didn't like it, mon," he put in coyly.

Helena sighed. "Anyway, where were you three years ago?"

Zoro could swear he felt Mihawk's dagger again. The regret in her words cut him to the core.

Calypso had straightened up off of her, and was in the process of helping her sit upright, when he paused, lifting an eyebrow:

"Wait, does that mean you…?"

Helena's mouth dropped open. "No, I didn't mean to say that!"

"You as good as admitted you like me, mon."

"No!"

Helena tried to deny it, but Zoro knew better. And so did Calypso. The handsome man didn't waste any more time with words. He pulled the Queen onto his lap, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

And for a moment, if only a moment, Helena kissed him back.